How to read a .csv file with text and numbers? How to create a for loop to do the same function for 1000 times?

The problem I have is that I have 1000.csv files. I named from 1.csv to 1000.csv. The first row has some text in columns 2 and 3 and numbers in columns 1,4,5,6,7. These files have 68 columns with headers starting on the second row. (In fact you can take a look at the file here http://rredc.nrel.gov/solar/old_data/nsrdb/1991-2005/tmy3/by_state_and_city.html#N). My first goal is to get the numbers from column number 32, 35, and 38 which I already did. My second goal is to get the headings for the same columns. Third, I need to get the text from column 2 and 3, numbers from column 5 and 6 FROM THE FIRST ROW OF THE FILE. Then, I have to write a new file with all the information that I subtracted from the file. The problems that I have:

1) The problem that I have is that when I tried using textscan to read the first row and the headings, I get this [], and I dont see the text or numbers. Below is what I am using to the read the file:

fid = fopen('3.csv'); %Opens the file TData = textscan(fid, '%d %s %s %f %f %f %d', 'delimiter','\t'); fclose(fid); %Closes the file

City = TData {2}; State = TData {3}; Lat = TData {5}; Lon = TData {6};

2) Can I create a for loop that will do all the process that I described above for all the 1000 files? (Take the data from the original text file and write a new file with this data)

Thank you in advance for your help,

Eric

Answer 1

[Oleg Komarov]

1) fopen the file

2) Import first line with the following syntax:

C = textscan(fid, 'format', N, 'param', value)

in your case N = 1:

    textscan(fid, '%d%s%s%f%f%f%d', 1, 'delimiter','\t')

3) Import the second line with the headers

4) Import the data

5) fclose

You can put all of these operations in a loop.

[X]

Thank you very Oleg, it worked it out.

Answer 2

[Sean de Wolski]

Have a look at

doc importdata

and

FAQ4.12

[X]

Thank you Sean fro your answer. However, I tried already importdata, but it does not work. The file is too complex for this function, so I had to use textscan. I have used importdata before and it is easier, but for this files it does not work.

[Sean de Wolski]

It was just a suggestion - something work trying oh well. The FAQ should help with part of your question!

[X]

Yeah, it was worth it trying. Yes, the FAQ helped a lot, thank you Sean

[AKASH YADAV]

Thanks @Sean .. it worked .. :)