Problem in properly creating a structure to store data

Hello everyone,

I have created a number of different data files (in .txt) form. I would like to import them inside a larger structure before I save the enviroment, however I face a problem when constructing it.

In the past had come across a solution that would allow me to create a structure (Let's say S) but I am currently unable to locate it. Based on a similar algorithm I found (Importing multiple text files into MATLAB - (mathworks.com)) I can import all dataset within a structure, but in order for me to call a specific one I need to call with the `expression S.data(i)`. This mean that I should create a table for all different conditions of each one of the ~430 datasets, in order to remember which condition corresponds to which value of `i`.

I was hoping to be able to dynamically name the subgroups within the structure in order ot use the `S.dataset_name' format. Is there any way to achieve it without messing a lot with IOPS time?

Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

[Stephen23]

The simple and efficient approach:

P = 'absolute or relative path to where the files are saved';
S = dir(fullfile(P,'*.txt'));
for k = 1:numel(S)
    F = fullfile(P,S(k).name);
    S(k).data = readtable(F); % or whatever function you use to import the filedata
end

"This mean that I should create a table for all different conditions of each one of the ~430 datasets, in order to remember which condition corresponds to which value of `i`."

No, you don't need to "create a table" for that, the structure S already contains all of that information, e.g. for the 2nd file:

S(2).data % gives the imported data
S(2).name % gives the filename (dataset)

"I was hoping to be able to dynamically name the subgroups within the structure in order ot use the `S.dataset_name' format."

Of course you can use dynamic fieldnames:

https://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/matlab_prog/generate-field-names-from-variables.html

It will be more complex, fragile, liable to bugs (consider what happens if the filenames contain characters that are not valid in fieldnames) and offers no obvious benefit:

P = 'absolute or relative path to where the files are saved';
S = dir(fullfile(P,'*.txt'));
D = struct();
for k = 1:numel(S)
    F = fullfile(P,S(k).name);
    [~,N,~] = fileparts(S(k).name);
    G = sprintf('complicated_%s',N);
    D.(G) = readtable(F); % or whatever function you use to import the filedata
end

[Vasileios Vachtsevanos]

Thank you very much for this thorough answer and examples :) .

[Stephen23]

@Vasileios Vachtsevanos: my pleasure! Please remember to click accept if my answer helped you!