title: Matlab: read multiple columns from an excel spreadsheet by using xlsread
body: <p>I have an Excel sheet with 300 columns, from which I just need several ranges. In a normal case I use the &quot;import data&quot; app. But this time it is not possible, because some of the strings are double. I just want to <strong>read the first row and from this, several columns</strong> (all strings).
  Just as an example:
  I have a first row with strings like this:</p>
  <pre><code>x= [&quot;'[23Na]+'&quot; ,  &quot;'[24Mg]+'&quot; ,  &quot;'[25Mg]+'&quot; ,  &quot;'[26Mg]+'&quot; , &quot;'[26Mg]++'&quot; ,  &quot;'[27Al]+'&quot; , &quot;'C2H3+'&quot; , &quot;'[28Si]+'&quot;] 
  </code></pre>
  <p>And now I just want to have A1:B1 and E1:F1. How do I use here xlsread with several ranges to end with a string like this:</p>
  <pre><code>x= [&quot;'[23Na]+'&quot; ,  &quot;'[24Mg]+'&quot; , &quot;'[26Mg]++'&quot; ,  &quot;'[27Al]+'&quot;] 
  </code></pre>
  <p>I am grateful for every hint.</p>