Problem by importing alpha numeric text files

Hi,

INTRO:

I have an alpha numeric text file. Thus, among many values, I have

also the output 'NA' for non available value of a given row and

column number.

PROBLEM:

I don't know how to load this type of table. It seems that Matlab

matrices can't include alphanumeric quantities.

I used the command line:

X=load('X.txt');

and it always returns the

error:

??? Error using ==> load Unknown text on line number 1 of ASCII file

QUESTION:

I wounder if someone knows what I have to change to load the matrix

as original and still be able to perform calculations with it.

I don't want to substitute 'NA' by zero because I don't want that

the value zero be included in further statistical calculations, such

as median, etc...

Thank you,

Emerson

Answer 1

[Oleg Komarov]

Use textscan:

fid = fopen('c:\myfile.txt');
data = textscan(fid,'format','TreatAsEmpty','NA','EmptyValue',NaN);
fclose(fid);

[Emerson De Souza]

Hi Oleg,

thank you for your help.

I followed your suggestion above for the file test.txt as below:

7 146 3 1.8 48. 60.

7 147 3 2.1 153. 512.5

7 148 0 NA NA NA

7 149 0 NA NA NA

7 150 6 -2.2 101.5 55.

but I obtain the error:

??? Error using ==> format

Too many output arguments.

I'm trying to fix but did not solve yet

[Oleg Komarov]

You have to insert a valid format as explained in the documentation (see link).

In your case

fmt = '%f%f%f%f%f%f';

textscan(fid,fmt,...)

[Emerson De Souza]

Thank you a lot Oleg!

Problem is fixed by your suggestions.

Wish you a nice day

Emerson