How to convert comma separated column to table?

Hello,

I have a column with multiple values seperated by commas. Can I convert every value to a column, so I get a nice table?

This is my file:

if true
filename = fullfile('file.dat');
T = readtable(filename,'Delimiter','comma');
end

But I get a table 93x1 with multiple values in the column separated by commas:

Answer 1

[Peter Perkins]

The main problem is your file has a partial last line. Also you'll need to skip the two header lines.

In a recent version of MATLAB, all that is handled automatically by using detectImportOptions:

>> impopts = detectImportOptions('sample1.txt')
impopts = 
  DelimitedTextImportOptions with properties:
   Format Properties:
                    Delimiter: {','}
                   Whitespace: '\b\t '
                   LineEnding: {'\n'  '\r'  '\r\n'}
                 CommentStyle: {}
    ConsecutiveDelimitersRule: 'split'
        LeadingDelimitersRule: 'keep'
                EmptyLineRule: 'skip'
                     Encoding: 'ISO-8859-1'
   Replacement Properties:
                  MissingRule: 'fill'
              ImportErrorRule: 'fill'
             ExtraColumnsRule: 'addvars'
   Variable Import Properties: Set types by name using setvartype
                VariableNames: {'Var1', 'Var2', 'Var3' ... and 19 more}
                VariableTypes: {'char', 'double', 'double' ... and 19 more}
        SelectedVariableNames: {'Var1', 'Var2', 'Var3' ... and 19 more}
              VariableOptions: Show all 22 VariableOptions 
  Access VariableOptions sub-properties using setvaropts/getvaropts
   Location Properties:
                    DataLines: [4 Inf]
            VariableNamesLine: 0
               RowNamesColumn: 0
            VariableUnitsLine: 0
     VariableDescriptionsLine: 0 
  To display a preview of the table, use preview
>> t = readtable('sample1.txt', impopts)
t =
  4×23 table
    Var1       Var2       Var3      Var4      Var5      Var6      Var7        Var8     Var9    Var10      Var11      Var12     Var13    Var14      Var15       Var16      Var17       Var18    Var19    Var20     Var21    Var22     ExtraVar1
    ____    __________    _____    ______    _______    ____    _________    ______    ____    _____    _________    ______    _____    _____    __________    _____    __________    _____    _____    ______    _____    ______    _________
     ''     2.3711e+07    69985    67.014    -9371.4      0     0.0047674    99.355     ''      ''      0.0075378    95.881     ''       ''      6.1332e-05     ''      3.3819e-05     ''        25     4.7674     ''      7.5378       ''    
     ''     2.3711e+07    69985    66.994    -8410.3      0     0.0047928    99.902     ''      ''       0.007496    99.902     ''       ''      2.1143e-05     ''      3.7657e-05     ''        25     4.7928     ''       7.496       ''    
     ''     2.3711e+07    69985    67.019    -7509.6      0     0.0048171    99.902     ''      ''      0.0074728    99.902     ''       ''      1.4552e-05     ''      5.3002e-05     ''        25     4.8171     ''      7.4728       ''    
     ''     2.3711e+07    69985    67.025        NaN    NaN           NaN       NaN     ''      ''            NaN       NaN     ''       ''             NaN     ''             NaN     ''       NaN        NaN     ''         NaN       ''

In an earlier version, get rid of the last partial data line, and skip the two header lines by passing 'HeaderLines',2 into readtable.

Answer 2

[KSSV]

readtable gives you a table...use load.

[Student1234]

Using:

if true
T = load(filename,'Delimiter','comma','Headliner',31)
end

But than I get the error:

if true
  Error using load
Argument must contain a character vector.

I have a .dat file with first some text. After line 31 I have the data

[Student1234]

I think it is also the problem that there are empty values as well..

Answer 3

[Walter Roberson]

T = readtable(filename,'Delimiter','comma', 'readvariable', false);

[Student1234]

Still get one column with commas and no table (see pic)

[Walter Roberson]

If you had executed with 'readvariable', false, then the header for the table would not show that name beginning with 'x': it would show 'Var1' .

You might need 'readvariablenames' instead of 'readvariable' but I don't think so.

[Student1234]

No doesn't change much, but the thing I want to get rid off is that all my values are in one column..

[Walter Roberson]

Please attach a sample table for us to test with. You could restrict it to the first 5 or so lines.

Answer 4

[Student1234]

Like a .dat file like this:

Here a lot of text which is not needed 
[Data]
1.1,0,,3,4,5 
1,2.1,,1,2,3
2,3,,3,1,2.1
5,1,,3,2,1

So when I want to process this, I just get a table with one column instead of a table with 6 columns

[Walter Roberson]

Is the "here a lot of text which is not needed" always the same number of lines?

Is the first word of the first line always the same?

Is the number of data columns always the same?

[Student1234]

Yeah same number of lines The first word is always the same Number of data columns is the same

[Student1234]

actually this are the kind of files (but now in txt file)

[Walter Roberson]

Edit that sample1.txt to remove the last line (which has only 4 fields). Then,

T = readtable('sample1.txt', 'HeaderLines', 3, 'readvariablenames', false)

Answer 5

[Student1234]

Thanks for all the feedback but I think I will just use an other program to fix this problem.. I can not get a normal table out of this file.. Only the one column with variables separated by commas