Reading unformat text file with strings and numbers

Hello,

I am trying to read an unformated text file like this:

name units mean std min max

pi_turret deg 0.00377036 1.00158 -3.3625 3.94779

yw_turret deg -0.00470344 0.0664195 -0.760036 0.524774

fx_mooring kN -884.197 775.484 -4597.79 2213.77

fy_mooring kN -530.147 339.538 -2607.62 1421.66

fz_mooring kN -10503.4 1160.45 -17819.9 -3729.37

mx_mooring kN.m 13821.2 7127.5 -7565.57 49325.8

my_mooring kN.m -20736 13770.1 -86428.6 28767.7

mz_mooring kN.m 80.9098 765.169 -5632.16 13517.5

offset_turret - 2.70972 1.23327 0.0209747 7.59684

fx_mooring_lua - -885.952 722.077 -4527.8 1812.17

fy_mooring_lua - -527.852 287.204 -2457.86 1189.34

fz_mooring_lua - -10508.9 1159.42 -17810.1 -3837.86

fz_TurInertia_lua - -10508.7 1258.69 -18761.3 -1889.77

fz_TurInertia_KG_lua - -10507.4 1258.68 -18756.7 -1881.07

fhor_mooring - 1127.58 629.278 2.8272 4966.67

mx_mooring_fairleads - 1052.92 681.499 -3639.58 9207.27

my_mooring_fairleads - -1862.32 1529.37 -11006.9 4167.52

mhor_mooring_fairleads - 2336.6 1385.85 4.60501 12896.2

tfair_v13_1 N 1.20319e+06 166417 -343185 2.33059e+06

I tried to use the text scan and readtable functions, as presented below

fileID = fopen(fullfile(simdir,textfile),'r');

file = fullfile(simdir,textfile)

formatSpec = '%s%s%f%f%f%f';

startRow = 2;

delimiter = '\t';

dataArray = readtable(file,'Format',formatSpec,'Delimiter', delimiter);

%dataArray = textscan(fileID, formatSpec, 'Delimiter', delimiter, 'EmptyValue', NaN, 'HeaderLines' ,startRow-1, 'ReturnOnError', false, 'EndOfLine', '\r\n');

fclose(fileID);

However, in both options I got all the data in the first collumn of the output cell and the five remaining collums empty. Thus, I beliave I am making some mistake or forgetting some input setting. I only need the numbers, so an option could be to skyp the first 2 collums when I imported it. Any ideas about ? Thanks

[Stephen23]

"Any ideas about ?"

Yes: upload a sample data file by clicking the paperclip button, so that we have something to test code on.

[VBBV]

@Alex you could also use MultipleDelimsAsOne argument to get the same result. However, in your code the delimiter is given as tab '\t', you need to give it as space as below

file = 'data.txt'; %fullfile(simdir,textfile)
formatSpec = '%s%s%f%f%f%f';
startRow = 2;
delimiter = "space";  % specify this as space 
dataArray = readtable(file,'Format',formatSpec,'Delimiter', delimiter,'MultipleDelimsAsOne',1)

dataArray = 19x6 table
              name               units         mean         std        min         max  
    ________________________    ________    __________    _______    ________    _______

    {'pi_turret'           }    {'deg' }     0.0037704     1.0016     -3.3625     3.9478
    {'yw_turret'           }    {'deg' }    -0.0047034    0.06642    -0.76004    0.52477
    {'fx_mooring'          }    {'kN'  }        -884.2     775.48     -4597.8     2213.8
    {'fy_mooring'          }    {'kN'  }       -530.15     339.54     -2607.6     1421.7
    {'fz_mooring'          }    {'kN'  }        -10503     1160.5      -17820    -3729.4
    {'mx_mooring'          }    {'kN.m'}         13821     7127.5     -7565.6      49326
    {'my_mooring'          }    {'kN.m'}        -20736      13770      -86429      28768
    {'mz_mooring'          }    {'kN.m'}         80.91     765.17     -5632.2      13518
    {'offset_turret'       }    {'-'   }        2.7097     1.2333    0.020975     7.5968
    {'fx_mooring_lua'      }    {'-'   }       -885.95     722.08     -4527.8     1812.2
    {'fy_mooring_lua'      }    {'-'   }       -527.85      287.2     -2457.9     1189.3
    {'fz_mooring_lua'      }    {'-'   }        -10509     1159.4      -17810    -3837.9
    {'fz_TurInertia_lua'   }    {'-'   }        -10509     1258.7      -18761    -1889.8
    {'fz_TurInertia_KG_lua'}    {'-'   }        -10507     1258.7      -18757    -1881.1
    {'fhor_mooring'        }    {'-'   }        1127.6     629.28      2.8272     4966.7
    {'mx_mooring_fairleads'}    {'-'   }        1052.9      681.5     -3639.6     9207.3

format long G
dataArray_num = dataArray{:,3:end}  % table only with numbers

dataArray_num = 19x4

1.0e+00 * 0.00377036 1.00158 -3.3625 3.94779 -0.00470344 0.0664195 -0.760036 0.524774 -884.197 775.484 -4597.79 2213.77 -530.147 339.538 -2607.62 1421.66 -10503.4 1160.45 -17819.9 -3729.37 13821.2 7127.5 -7565.57 49325.8 -20736 13770.1 -86428.6 28767.7 80.9098 765.169 -5632.16 13517.5 2.70972 1.23327 0.0209747 7.59684 -885.952 722.077 -4527.8 1812.17

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[Alex]

Thanks !

Answer 1

[Stephen23]

In lieu of a sample data file provided by the OP I created my own...

Lets try importing it using READTABLE and a few options:

https://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/ref/readtable.html#namevaluepairarguments

T = readtable('mydata.txt', 'LeadingDelimitersRule','ignore', 'ConsecutiveDelimitersRule','join')

T = 19x6 table
              name               units         mean         std        min         max  
    ________________________    ________    __________    _______    ________    _______

    {'pi_turret'           }    {'deg' }     0.0037704     1.0016     -3.3625     3.9478
    {'yw_turret'           }    {'deg' }    -0.0047034    0.06642    -0.76004    0.52477
    {'fx_mooring'          }    {'kN'  }        -884.2     775.48     -4597.8     2213.8
    {'fy_mooring'          }    {'kN'  }       -530.15     339.54     -2607.6     1421.7
    {'fz_mooring'          }    {'kN'  }        -10503     1160.5      -17820    -3729.4
    {'mx_mooring'          }    {'kN.m'}         13821     7127.5     -7565.6      49326
    {'my_mooring'          }    {'kN.m'}        -20736      13770      -86429      28768
    {'mz_mooring'          }    {'kN.m'}         80.91     765.17     -5632.2      13518
    {'offset_turret'       }    {'-'   }        2.7097     1.2333    0.020975     7.5968
    {'fx_mooring_lua'      }    {'-'   }       -885.95     722.08     -4527.8     1812.2
    {'fy_mooring_lua'      }    {'-'   }       -527.85      287.2     -2457.9     1189.3
    {'fz_mooring_lua'      }    {'-'   }        -10509     1159.4      -17810    -3837.9
    {'fz_TurInertia_lua'   }    {'-'   }        -10509     1258.7      -18761    -1889.8
    {'fz_TurInertia_KG_lua'}    {'-'   }        -10507     1258.7      -18757    -1881.1
    {'fhor_mooring'        }    {'-'   }        1127.6     629.28      2.8272     4966.7
    {'mx_mooring_fairleads'}    {'-'   }        1052.9      681.5     -3639.6     9207.3

format long G
M = T{:,3:end}

M = 19x4

1.0e+00 * 0.00377036 1.00158 -3.3625 3.94779 -0.00470344 0.0664195 -0.760036 0.524774 -884.197 775.484 -4597.79 2213.77 -530.147 339.538 -2607.62 1421.66 -10503.4 1160.45 -17819.9 -3729.37 13821.2 7127.5 -7565.57 49325.8 -20736 13770.1 -86428.6 28767.7 80.9098 765.169 -5632.16 13517.5 2.70972 1.23327 0.0209747 7.59684 -885.952 722.077 -4527.8 1812.17

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[Alex]

It worked. Thanks !