Loading a text file with space and tabs

Hello, 

I would like to load a series of .csv files that unfortunately contain a mixture of "tabs" and spaces. The procedure that I have to load the data works well for the data that is separated with tabs but not at all for the spaces. I have included an example of my data files plus the IGOR procedure used for loading. 

Any help is appreciated

Function Loadsmps() // Loads smps data

// Prompts to select folder into which data is loaded
String PathToFldr="",CtrlName="",PromptStr="Select folder to load smps data into:",CurrentFldr=getdatafolder(1) // variables for Browse4Folder
Browse4Folder(PathToFldr,CtrlName,PromptStr,CurrentFldr)    // prompts user to select an experiment

// Get folder with data in it
    NewPath/M="Select folder containing smps data:"/O/Q pathname    // prompts user to select path to data folder
    PathInfo pathname
// Abort if cancel is pressed
    If(V_flag==0)      
    Abort "proceedure cancelled"   
    EndIf
// Make matrix for smps data
    Make/o/n=(0,175) smpsDataMatrix
// Strings and Variables
Variable numfolders,n, subdirs, numfiles, filenum, refnum   // variables
String folderlist, filename, name, currentfolder            //    strings
// Counts number of files in folder        
NumFiles=ItemsInList(IndexedFile(pathname,-1,".csv"))                               // # files in folder    , specify extensions e.g. ".txt"
   
    For(filenum=0;filenum<numfiles;filenum+=1) // loops through each file name 
        filename=s_path+StringFromList(filenum,IndexedFile(pathname,-1,".csv")) // get full path to data file   , specify extensions e.g. ".txt"
        If(Stringmatch(FileName,"*dmps*")==1)
            Open /R/P=pathname/Z refNum as filename // open
            FStatus refNum  // check there is data in file
                If(V_logEOF>10) // specify minimum file size to load e.g. >10bytes
                    Load_smps_File(filename, refnum)    // calls function to load file  // unique function for specific file format
                    Wave  Temp_smpsDataMatrix0 
                    //  add loaded waves to loaded data
                    InsertPoints DimSize(smpsDataMatrix,0),DimSize(Temp_smpsDataMatrix0,0), smpsDataMatrix
                    smpsDataMatrix[DimSize(smpsDataMatrix,0)-DimSize(Temp_smpsDataMatrix0,0),*][]=Temp_smpsDataMatrix0[p-DimSize(smpsDataMatrix,0)+DimSize(Temp_smpsDataMatrix0,0)][q]
                    currentfolder=GetDataFolder(1)          // root folder for experiment  
                Endif   // end data to folder allocation
        EndIf
       
    EndFor          // end loop through files of a dp
   
    Close/A             // close open files
       
    Killwaves Temp_smpsDataMatrix0
//  Do additional analytsis on smps data
    Processsmps()   // adds a time wave

End



Function Load_smps_File(filename, refnum)   // load single smps file
    String filename
    Variable refnum
    print "Loading: " + filename
    LoadWave/V={"\t, ","",0,0}/q/a/n=Temp_smpsDataMatrix/m/o/j/k=1/L={0,3,0,0,0} filename

End

Function Processsmps()      // Additional processing of smps data
    Wave smpsDataMatrix
    Make/o/d/n=(DimSize(smpsDataMatrix,0)) smpsTime
    Make/o/d/n=(DimSize(smpsDataMatrix,0)) smpsdate
    SetScale d,0,0,"dat" smpsTime
        SetScale d,0,0,"dat" smpsdate
    smpsDate=Date2Secs(smpsDataMatrix[p][0],smpsDataMatrix[p][1],smpsDataMatrix[p][2])+smpsDataMatrix[p][3]*3600+smpsDataMatrix[p][4]*60+smpsDataMatrix[p][5]
smpsTime=smpsDataMatrix[p][3]*3600+smpsDataMatrix[p][4]*60+smpsDataMatrix[p][5]
End
End

e#pragma rtGlobals=1        // Use modern global access method.

Function Browse4Folder(PathToFldr,CtrlName,PromptStr,CurrentFldr)   // based on mg code from htdma toolkit
String PathToFldr   // path to data folder
String PromptStr    // Prompt text in data browser
String CurrentFldr // current data folder
String CtrlName

variable exit=0 // stops trying when exit reaches 6
do
    string/g BrowserList
    string /g TempFldr=CurrentFldr
    variable/g Flag
    execute "CreateBrowser prompt=\""+PromptStr+"\", select=tempfldr"   // prompt for file
    killstrings/z tempfldr
    svar BrowserList=s_browserlist
    nvar Flag=V_Flag
    // print browser_list
    if (!Flag)
            PathToFldr="cancelled"     
            break
        endif
       
        if (itemsinlist(BrowserList)==1)
            if (stringmatch("root:ROOT;", BrowserList))     //data browser returns strange path if root is selected
                BrowserList="root"
            endif
            PathToFldr=stringfromlist(0,BrowserList)+":"
            if(DataFolderExists(PathToFldr))
                break
            else
                doalert 0, "you must select a data folder, not a wave, string or variable! => try again"
            endif
        else
            doalert 0, "none or multiple data folders were selected => try again"
        endif
        exit+=1    
    while (exit<6)      //maximum six attempts
End

 

20190115-dmps_cpc.csv.csv 20190116-dmps_cpc.csv.csv

Since your file does not contain string date or date/time data, and since it does not contain blank data as far as I can tell, you can use LoadWave/G (Load General Text) instead of LoadWave/J (Load Delimited Text).

Load General Text automatically accepts spaces or a tab as a delimiter. It also automatically skips the header to find the numeric data, so you don't need the /L or /K flags.

This worked for me to load the files you attached:

LoadWave/G/O/M/N=Temp_smpsDataMatrix/Q

For more information, execute:

DisplayHelpTopic "Loading General Text Files"

DisplayHelpTopic "Loading Delimited Text Files"

Hello hrodstein, 

Thank you very much for getting back to me and apologies for the delay in my reply. However, I am having the same problem. The first 14 columns load correctly and then the 14th column is copied for the remainder of the matrix. 

When I check the raw files it seems that there are tabs at the start and then these change to spaces afterwards.

Thanks again for your help.

 

 

In reply to by LaMP

LaMP wrote:
The first 14 columns load correctly and then the 14th column is copied for the remainder of the matrix.

I don't see that. For me, the waves load correctly using the command the I listed above.

I am using Igor Pro 8.04.

I will attach a zip archive containing my test experiment and the result of executing the LoadWave command above as well as the files that I loaded. The files are your files renamed for simplicity.

If you need further help, please specify your Igor version and include a self-contained example like the one I am attaching that reproduces the problem.

LAMP1_0.zip

Hello again, 

Problem solved. I had copied the new code snipet into the wrong load procedure :/, so that is why I didnt see any change! Thanks again for your help. 

For info, I am still working in IGOR 6. 

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