Can parallel traversals be done in MATLAB just as in Python?

Question

Using the zip function, Python allows for loops to traverse multiple sequences in parallel.

for (x,y) in zip(List1, List2):

Does MATLAB have an equivalent syntax? If not, what is the best way to iterate over two parallel arrays at the same time using MATLAB?

Answer 1

If x and y are column vectors, you can do:

for i=[x';y']
# do stuff with i(1) and i(2)
end

(with row vectors, just use x and y).

Here is an example run:

>> x=[1 ; 2; 3;]

x =

     1
     2
     3

>> y=[10 ; 20; 30;]

y =

    10
    20
    30

>> for i=[x';y']
disp(['size of i = ' num2str(size(i)) ', i(1) = ' num2str(i(1)) ', i(2) = ' num2str(i(2))])
end
size of i = 2  1, i(1) = 1, i(2) = 10
size of i = 2  1, i(1) = 2, i(2) = 20
size of i = 2  1, i(1) = 3, i(2) = 30
>> 

Answer 2

Tested only in octave... (no matlab license). Variations of arrayfun() exist, check the documentation.

dostuff = @(my_ten, my_one) my_ten + my_one;

tens = [ 10 20 30 ];
ones = [ 1 2 3];

x = arrayfun(dostuff, tens, ones);

x

Yields...

x =

   11   22   33