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7.1: if, elseif, else with Error Checking

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    By Carey A. Smith

    This section gives more if, elseif, else, examples. It also shows how to use the error() function.

    Example \(\PageIndex{1}\) add2() function with error checking

    Previously we saw the add1() function, which adds 2 vectors. add1() assumed that the 2 vectors were the same length, but did not check that.

    Here we create add2(), which checks that the 2 vectors are the same length.

    add2.m:

    function result = add2(a,b)

    % This adds vectors a and b
    % The inputs are a and b
    % It first checks to see that a and b are the same length
    % If not, it creates an error message exits the function.
    % The output is "result"
    a_len = length(a)
    b_len = length(b)
    if(a_len == b_len)
        result = a + b;
    else % else, the vectors are different lengths, so it creates an error message
        result = 0
        error('length(a) must = length(b)')

        % The error() function displays the message plus the function name and line where the error occured.

        % Then error() cause the program to stop
    end

    ----

    This test script demonstrates normal runs with both add1() and add2() and runs with inputs that are not the same length.

    add2_test.m

    %% Test add functions
    % (1 pt) Clear any variables etc.
    clear all; close all; format compact; clc;

    %% First, test add1.m and add2.m with 2 vectors that are the same length
    x = 1:4
    y = [0, 1, 10, 100]
    z = add1(x,y)
    z = add2(x,y)

    %% Second, test add1.m and add2.m with 2 vectors that are not the same length
    w = [1, 2]
    y = [0, 1, 10, 100]
    z = add1(w,y)
    z = add2(w,y)

    The error() function in add2.m displays this message:

    Error using add2 (line 14)
    length(a) must = length(b)

    Solution

    Add example text here.

    .

    Exercise \(\PageIndex{1}\) Area of a Square

    (1 pt) Write a function that computes the area of a square that expects a scalar input, not a vector.

    The output will be the variable "sq_area"
    (1 pt) Use the input function to get the length of a side with this function:
    s = input('Enter the length of one side of a square: ');

    (2 pts) Check that s is a single number.
    % Use s_len = length(s) to find the length of s
    % If s_len is not 1, then display s and generate this error:
    error('Area_of_square.m: the input must be a single number') % Note the space after the colon
    % The error function causes the program to stop

    % (2 pts) Check that s is >= 0 (The side can't be < 0)
    % If s is negative, then display s and generate this error:
    error('Area_of_square.m: the input is < 0')
    % The error function causes the program to stop

    % (2 pts) Compute sq_area = the area of the square. (Don't call this variable "area", because that is the name of a plotting function.)

    % Test it with these input values:
    s = 3
    s = -1
    s = 1:3

    Answer

    See the attached file Area_of_square.m

    Homework:

    Exercise \(\PageIndex{2}\) Area of a Circle

    % (1 pt) Write a function that computes the area of a circle.
    % (1 pt) Use the input function to get the radius with this function:
    r = input('Enter the radius of a circle: '); % Note the space after the colon
    % The input() function displays the message, then reads a number and stores it in the variable r

    % (2 pts) Check that r is a single number.
    % Use r_len = length(r) to find the length of r
    % If r_len is not 1, then display r and generate this error:
    error('Area_of_circle.m: the input must be a single number')
    % (2 pts) Check that r is >= 0
    % If r is negative, then display r and generate this error:
    error('Area_of_circle.m: the input is < 0')
    % (2 pts) Compute the area of the circle.

    % Test your function with these input values:
    r = 3
    r = -1
    r = 1:3

    Since these are entered via the input() function, you do not need a test file.

    Answer

    Add texts here. Do not delete this text first.

    .

    Error checking with try, catch keywords

    MATLAB and Octave have an advanced feature called try, catch that can be used in place the the error() function.

    It allows an error to be caught, the error message to be displayed, and the run to exit more gracefully.

    If you are interested, you can learn about try, catch in MATLAB and Octave at these links:

    https://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/ref/try.html

    https://docs.octave.org/interpreter/The-try-Statement.html

    .

    This page titled 7.1: if, elseif, else with Error Checking is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Carey Smith.