Function to shuffle letters in words in matlab using randperm?? Changing from non-function format - matlab

Question

I have the following to shuffle the letters in a word, but I need to change it into the form of a function that asks the user to input a word, and outputs the shuffled word.
How can I do this???
word = input('type a word to be scrambled: ', 's');
word(randperm(numel(word)))

Answer 1

The code you have to scramble the word is indeed correct. To do what you're asking, you really only have to make one change to the above code. Just place a function declaration in a .m file and call it something like scramble.m. Then do:
function word = scramble
word = input('type a word to be scrambled: ', 's');
word(randperm(numel(word)))
end
This should output the word as a string when you call the function. So save this file, then in the command prompt, type in:
>> word = scramble;
This should ask you for the word you want scrambled, scramble it and return the word. This word is stored in the variable word in the MATLAB workspace.
Some suggested reading for you: http://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/ref/function.html
MathWorks is very good with their documentation and especially the syntax. Read the above link for further details on how you define a function and use it, but the gist of it is how I did it above.

Answer 2

The general format of a matlab function is
function output = MyFunctionName(input)
... code using 'input' goes here
end %
If you have multiple outputs, you place them inside an array, preferably separated by commas. If you have multiple inputs, you list them separated by commas:
function [out1, out2,...,outN] = MyFunctionName(input1, input2,...,inputN)
... code using the inputs goes here
end %
For your problem, you're not passing the word to the function so the call the function needs no input, BUT you need to input the word from inside the function. Here's one way to do it.
function word = ShuffleLetters
% Output: 'word' that is shuffled within function
% Input: none
word = input('type a word to be scrambled: ', 's');
word = word(randperm(numel(word)));
end
Here's a sample usage:
>> ShuffleLetters
type a word to be scrambled: bacon
ans =
bonca
Finally, inputs and outputs are optional. This m-function just prints 'Hi!'
function SayHi
disp('Hi!')
end