**Course Title:** MATLAB Programming: Applications in Engineering, Data Science, and Simulation **Section Title:** Working with Data: Importing, Exporting, and Manipulating **Topic:** Import data from external files, process it, and export the results to a different format. (Lab topic) **Objective:** In this lab, you will learn how to import data from external files, process it using MATLAB, and export the results to a different format. You will work with real-world data and apply the concepts you have learned in the previous topics. **Lab Overview:** In this lab, you will work with a sample dataset stored in a CSV file. You will import the data into MATLAB, perform some basic data cleaning and processing tasks, and then export the results to a new file format. **Step 1: Import Data from a CSV File** To import data from a CSV file, you can use the `readtable` function in MATLAB. This function reads data from a CSV file and stores it in a table. ```matlab data = readtable('sample_data.csv'); ``` In this code: * `sample_data.csv` is the name of the CSV file containing the data. * `data` is the variable that will store the imported data. * `readtable` is the function that imports the data from the CSV file. **Step 2: Clean and Process the Data** Once you have imported the data, you can perform some basic cleaning and processing tasks. For example, you can remove missing values, convert data types, and perform calculations. ```matlab % Remove missing values data = data(~isnan(data.Value)); % Convert data type to numeric data.Value = str2double(data.Value); % Perform calculation data.Result = data.Value .* 2; ``` In this code: * `isnan` checks for missing values in the `Value` column. * `str2double` converts the `Value` column to numeric data type. * `.*` performs element-wise multiplication. **Step 3: Export the Results to a Different Format** After processing the data, you can export the results to a different format. In this case, you will export the results to an Excel file. ```matlab writetable(data, 'results.xlsx'); ``` In this code: * `writetable` writes the processed data to a new file. * `results.xlsx` is the name of the Excel file that will store the results. **Additional Tips and Takeaways:** * Always check the data type of your variables before performing calculations. * Use `ismissing` to check for missing values in your data. * Use `isnumeric` to check if a variable is numeric. * Use `writetable` to export data to a new file format. **Practical Exercise:** Try the following exercise to reinforce your understanding: 1. Import data from a CSV file using `readtable`. 2. Remove missing values from the data. 3. Convert the data type of a column to numeric using `str2double`. 4. Perform a calculation on the data. 5. Export the results to an Excel file using `writetable`. **Real-World Applications:** The skills you learned in this lab are essential in many real-world applications, such as: * Data analysis and visualization * Machine learning and deep learning * Signal processing and communication systems * Image and video processing **Conclusion:** In this lab, you learned how to import data from external files, process it using MATLAB, and export the results to a different format. You applied the concepts you learned in the previous topics and worked with real-world data. **External Links:** For more information on the `readtable` function, visit the [MathWorks website](https://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/ref/readtable.html). For more information on the `writetable` function, visit the [MathWorks website](https://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/ref/writetable.html). **Leave a Comment/Ask for Help:** If you have any questions or need help with the lab, leave a comment below. We will respond as soon as possible. Next Topic: **Solving linear systems of equations using matrix methods.** From: Numerical Computation and Linear Algebra.