title: how to convert char to number in matlab?
body: <p>Please help me with the following problem:</p>
  
  <p>In matlab, I have an Nx3 char variable, where N can vary depending on the input. 
  Let's say N = 5 and I have the following variable A (5x3 char):</p>
  
  <pre><code>A = [' 1Y';
       ' 5Y';
       '10Y';
       '15Y';
       '20Y']
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Is there a way to define a new variable B having as values the numbers in variable A, i.e. <code>B=[1; 5; 10; 15; 20]</code>?</p>
  
  <p>Thank you for your help!</p>