christopherh@1: 
christopherh@1: %READLIST
christopherh@1: % list = readlist(filename)
christopherh@1: 
christopherh@1: % read a list of string values line by line from a text file. 
christopherh@1: % Ignores any line starting with the '%' character
christopherh@1: 
christopherh@1: function [list, success] = readlist(filename)
christopherh@1: 
christopherh@1: list = {}; %list is a cell array
christopherh@1: 
christopherh@1: success = 1;
christopherh@1: % open the text file
christopherh@1: fid=fopen(filename); 
christopherh@1: 
christopherh@1: % if file opened successfully
christopherh@1: if fid ~= -1
christopherh@1:     
christopherh@1:     while 1 
christopherh@1:         line = fgetl(fid);
christopherh@1:         
christopherh@1:         %break on end of file
christopherh@1:         if ~ischar(line), break, end
christopherh@1: 
christopherh@1:         %if the line starts with a % then ignore it
christopherh@1:         if length(line) && line(1) ~= '%' 
christopherh@1:             % otherwise put current line into output list
christopherh@1:             list = [list line];
christopherh@1:         end  
christopherh@1: 
christopherh@1:     end
christopherh@1:     
christopherh@1:     % close the file
christopherh@1:     fclose(fid);
christopherh@1: else
christopherh@1:     success = 0;
christopherh@1: end
christopherh@1: