title: Difference between [] and [1x0] in MATLAB
body: <p>I have a loop in MATLAB that fills a cell array in my workspace (2011b, Windows 7, 64 bit) with the following entries:</p>
  
  <pre><code>my_array = 
      [1x219 uint16]
      [         138]
      [1x0   uint16] &lt;---- row #3
      [1x2   uint16]
      [1x0   uint16]
      []             &lt;---- row #6
      [         210]
      [1x7   uint16]
      [1x0   uint16]
      [1x4   uint16]
      [1x0   uint16]
      [         280]
      []
      []
      [         293]
      [         295]
      [1x2   uint16]
      [         298]
      [1x0   uint16]
      [1x8   uint16]
      [1x5   uint16]
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Note that some entries hold <code>[]</code>, as in row <code>#6</code>, while others hold <code>[1x0]</code> items, as in row <code>#3</code>.</p>
  
  <ol>
  <li>Is there <strong>any</strong> difference between them? (other than the fact that MATLAB displays them differently).  Any differences in how MATLAB represents them in memory?  </li>
  <li>If the difference is only about how MATLAB internally represents them, why should <strong>the programmer</strong> be aware of this difference ? (i.e. why display them differently?). Is it a (harmless) bug? or is there <strong>any benefit</strong> in knowing that such arrays are represented differently?</li>
  </ol>