How would I import multiple data sets with the same variables

I would like to be able to download mutiple data sets that all have the same colums just differnet values, and put them into their own variables. Is there a simpler way of doing this than what I'm currently doing? Here's what I have right now, which downloads each of the data sets as their own variable, then grabs the columns I want and sets those as their own variable. Right now I only have 2 of the files downloaded, but I'll have about 8 when I'm done collecting data.

%% 16 L/h
data1 = readtable('File1.txt');
File1 = flip(data1);

T2_find = File1{:,3};
A = find(T2_find > 1);
B = min(A);
NewFile1 = File1(B:end,:);

T1_File1 = NewFile1{:,2};
T2_File1 = NewFile1{:,3};
T3_File1 = NewFile1{:,4};
T4_File1 = NewFile1{:,6};
F_File1 = NewFile1{:,5};
R_File1 = NewFile1{:,7}; % Illuminance [kW/m^2]
A_File1 = NewFile1{:,12}; % Area [m^2]
dT_File1 = NewFile1{:,9};
cp_File1 = NewFile1{:,11}; % heat capacitance [kJ/kgK]

m_File1 = 16 * (1/60) * 12; % [kg]

E_in_File1 = R_File1 .* A_File1;

E_abs_File1 = m_File1 .* cp_File1 .* dT_File1; 

%% 14 L/h
data2 = readtable('File2.txt');
File2 = flip(data2);

T2_find2 = File2{:,3};
A2 = find(T2_find2 > 1);
B2 = min(A2);
NewFile2 = File2(B2:end,:);

T1_File2 = NewFile2{:,2};
T2_File2 = NewFile2{:,3};
T3_File2 = NewFile2{:,4};
T4_File2 = NewFile2{:,6};
F_File2 = NewFile2{:,5};
R_File2 = NewFile2{:,7}; % Illuminance [kW/m^2]
A_File2 = NewFile2{:,12}; % Area [m^2]
dT_File2 = NewFile2{:,9};
cp_File2 = NewFile2{:,11}; % heat capacitance [kJ/kgK]

m_File2 = 16 * (1/60) * 12; % [kg]

E_in_File2 = R_File2 .* A_File2;

E_abs_File2 = m_File2 .* cp_File2 .* dT_File2;

Thanks for any help!

Answer 1

[Voss]

"put them into their own variables"

It's better to leave them in the tables. Rather than creating, say, 72 (= 9 variables per table * 8 tables) separate variables in your workspace, you can have everything in one variable: a cell array that contains all the tables, or a big table constructed from all the tables.

% generate a set of file names, e.g., using dir()
% (note that these may not be in the order you want):
files = dir('File*.txt');
filenames = fullfile({files.folder},{files.name});

% initialize a cell array C to store the tables:
N = numel(filenames);
C = cell(N,1);

% define your variables that don't depend on the file:
m = 16 * (1/60) * 12; % [kg]

% loop over the files:
for ii = 1:N
    
    % read the file and vertically flip the table:
    data = flip(readtable(filenames{ii}),1);
    
    % only keep the rows from the first row with column 3 > 1:
    idx = find(data{:,3} > 1, 1);
    if isempty(idx)           % if no row has column 3 > 1,
        idx = size(data,1)+1; % keep an empty table
    end
    data = data(idx:end, :);
    
    % calculate and store some new table variables:
    data{:,end+1} = data{:,7} .* data{:,12};
    data{:,end+1} = m .* data{:,11} .* data{:,9};
    
    % store the table in the cell array:
    C{ii} = data;
    
end

% if you want to put all those tables together in a single table:
T = vertcat(C{:});