Use Python list Variables in MATLAB

Open Live Script

This example shows how to use Python® list variables in MATLAB®.

To call a Python function that takes a list input argument, create a py.list variable. To convert a list to a MATLAB variable, call the cell function, then call the appropriate conversion function for each element in the list.

Call Python Function That Takes list Input Arguments

The Python len function returns the number of items in a container, which includes a list object.

py.help('len')
Help on built-in function len in module builtins:

len(obj, /)
    Return the number of items in a container.

Call os.listdir to create a Python list of programs named P.

P = py.os.listdir("C:\Program Files\MATLAB");
class(P)
ans = 
'py.list'

Display the number of programs.

py.len(P)
ans = 
  Python int with properties:

    denominator: [1×1 py.int]
           imag: [1×1 py.int]
      numerator: [1×1 py.int]
           real: [1×1 py.int]

    7

Display one element.

P{2}
ans = 
  Python str with no properties.

    R2016b

Index into Python List

Use MATLAB indexing to display elements in a list. For example, display the last element in the list. MATLAB returns a Python list. 

P(end)
ans = 
  Python list with no properties.

    ['R2020a']

You also can iterate over the list in a for loop.

for n = P
    disp(n{1})
end
  Python str with no properties.

    R2014b

  Python str with no properties.

    R2016b

  Python str with no properties.

    R2017b

  Python str with no properties.

    R2018b

  Python str with no properties.

    R2019a

  Python str with no properties.

    R2019b

  Python str with no properties.

    R2020a

Convert Python list Type to MATLAB Types

This code displays the names in list P using MATLAB variables. Call cell to convert the list. The list is made up of Python strings, so call the char function to convert the elements of the cell array.

cP = cell(P);

Each cell element name is a Python string.

class(cP{1})
ans = 
'py.str'

Convert the Python strings to MATLAB data using the char function.

cellP = cellfun(@char,cell(P),'UniformOutput',false);

Display the names.

for n = 1:numel(cP)
    disp(cellP{n})
end
R2014b
R2016b
R2017b
R2018b
R2019a
R2019b
R2020a

Use Python List of Numeric Types in MATLAB

A Python list contains elements of any type and can contain elements of mixed types. The MATLAB double function used in this code assumes that all elements of the Python list are numeric.

Suppose that you have a Python function that returns a list of integers P. To run this code, create the variable with these values.

P = py.list({int32(1), int32(2), int32(3), int32(4)})
P = 
  Python list with no properties.

    [1, 2, 3, 4]

Display the numeric type of the values.

class(P{1})
ans = 
'py.int'

Convert P to a MATLAB cell array.

cP = cell(P);

Convert the cell array to a MATLAB array of double.

A = cellfun(@double,cP)
A = 1×4

     1     2     3     4

Read Element of Nested list Type

This code accesses an element of a Python list variable containing list elements. Suppose that you have this list.

matrix = py.list({{1, 2, 3, 4},{'hello','world'},{9, 10}});

Display element 'world', which is at index (2,2).

disp(char(matrix{2}{2}))
world

Display Stepped Range of Python Elements

If you use slicing to access elements of a Python object, the format in Python is start:stop:step. In MATLAB, the syntax is of the form start:step:stop. 

li = py.list({'a','bc',1,2,'def'});
li(1:2:end)
ans = 
  Python list with no properties.

    ['a', 1.0, 'def']

MATLAB Documentation

Support