Readtable produces a 1x 1 table full of strange characters

I am loading tables from several large nonuniform .txt files delaminated with spaces. I'm using readtable and most of the tables get loaded without an issue but some files generate a 1x1 table full of stange characters. The code I'm using to load:

filename = 'filename.txt'

opts = detectImportOptions(filename);

opts = setvartype(opts,'char'); % or 'string'

Table = readtable(filename,opts);

I can't tell what is causing some files to be read like this.

[Les Beckham]

If you provide a sample file that causes this issue you will be more likely to get a good answer. Use the paper clip icon in the INSERT section of the comment editor toolbar to attach it.

Answer 1

[Sulaymon Eshkabilov]

If some of the imported data looks strange, that means the setvartype option is not appropriate for the data to be imported. See these two examples:

filename = 'DATA_2_MIX.txt';
opts = detectImportOptions(filename);
opts = setvartype(opts,'double');  % 'single','char' or 'string'
Table = readtable(filename,opts)

Table = 9×15 table
     Var1       Var2       Var3       Var4       Var5       Var6       Var7       Var8       Var9       Var10      Var11      Var12      Var13      Var14      Var15 
    _______    _______    _______    _______    _______    _______    _______    _______    _______    _______    _______    _______    _______    _______    _______

    0.25974    0.25264    0.24121    0.23309    0.22278    0.21093    0.20217    0.19373    0.18444    0.17568    0.16822    0.16053    0.15544    0.14992    0.14689
    0.29785    0.28817    0.28102    0.27025    0.26136    0.24949    0.23689    0.22539    0.21672    0.20579    0.19648    0.18955    0.18458    0.18057    0.17556
     0.2846    0.27922    0.27212     0.2631     0.2525    0.23936    0.22876    0.21848     0.2103    0.20247     0.1947    0.18774    0.17816    0.17506    0.16893
     0.2776    0.27279    0.26541    0.25595    0.24572    0.23601    0.22354    0.21099    0.20298    0.19335    0.18475    0.17964     0.1746    0.16754    0.16517
    0.25408    0.24673    0.24188    0.23601    0.22816    0.21799    0.20633    0.19619    0.18844    0.18086    0.17347    0.16587    0.15909    0.15253    0.14945
        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN
        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN
        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN
        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN        NaN

filename = 'DATA_2_MIX.txt';
opts = detectImportOptions(filename);
opts = setvartype(opts,'char');  % 'single','char' or 'string'
Table = readtable(filename,opts)

Table = 9×15 table
                                              Var1                                                       Var2                     Var3                     Var4                     Var5                     Var6                     Var7                     Var8                     Var9                     Var10                    Var11                    Var12                    Var13                    Var14                    Var15        
    _________________________________________________________________________________________    _____________________    _____________________    _____________________    _____________________    _____________________    _____________________    _____________________    _____________________    _____________________    _____________________    _____________________    _____________________    _____________________    _____________________

    {'0.259743404425469'                                                                    }    {'0.252643855530589'}    {'0.241205819807817'}    {'0.233089191009609'}    {'0.222784020513450'}    {'0.210927448505497'}    {'0.202169889641793'}    {'0.193729347215780'}    {'0.184436398887280'}    {'0.175684122975396'}    {'0.168219717191859'}    {'0.160525922324245'}    {'0.155440426354408'}    {'0.149916604634160'}    {'0.146893741622443'}
    {'0.297854342663850'                                                                    }    {'0.288172051206166'}    {'0.281019918694305'}    {'0.270247013950806'}    {'0.261355440324070'}    {'0.249486303896369'}    {'0.236886119627021'}    {'0.225389381588091'}    {'0.216717535994283'}    {'0.205793684256531'}    {'0.196480509491147'}    {'0.189551047144315'}    {'0.184576686428076'}    {'0.180571819906026'}    {'0.175561769492479'}
    {'0.284602873105606'                                                                    }    {'0.279224016862728'}    {'0.272118987871460'}    {'0.263096390401687'}    {'0.252497953375377'}    {'0.239358157063720'}    {'0.228763432499433'}    {'0.218479075198721'}    {'0.210303995092566'}    {'0.202465145758614'}    {'0.194698356850316'}    {'0.187737865062544'}    {'0.178156868000645'}    {'0.175057048903746'}    {'0.168933685968333'}
    {'0.277601478441753'                                                                    }    {'0.272786361862176'}    {'0.265405214945193'}    {'0.255951310627497'}    {'0.245721182613658'}    {'0.236012222908688'}    {'0.223544700698844'}    {'0.210991381941889'}    {'0.202982908946018'}    {'0.193353953141278'}    {'0.184745969704785'}    {'0.179641384457305'}    {'0.174600038577711'}    {'0.167538615828359'}    {'0.165169383208301'}
    {'0.254081846533581'                                                                    }    {'0.246732234329187'}    {'0.241882238538824'}    {'0.236007408670032'}    {'0.228163960939587'}    {'0.217985572821551'}    {'0.206328464016468'}    {'0.196193300128235'}    {'0.188438755760450'}    {'0.180860676378742'}    {'0.173469902678243'}    {'0.165865170385420'}    {'0.159090426846049'}    {'0.152534572227508'}    {'0.149451152497086'}
    {'Here is the list of Arduino sensor kits and battery packs.'                           }    {0×0 char           }    {0×0 char           }    {0×0 char           }    {0×0 char           }    {0×0 char           }    {0×0 char           }    {0×0 char           }    {0×0 char           }    {0×0 char           }    {0×0 char           }    {0×0 char           }    {0×0 char           }    {0×0 char           }    {0×0 char           }
    {'(1) Digi-Key Part Number: 1597-103030375-ND, Price: $28.50 --> 10 sets $285.00  (OK)' }    {0×0 char           }    {0×0 char           }    {0×0 char           }    {0×0 char           }    {0×0 char           }    {0×0 char           }    {0×0 char           }    {0×0 char           }    {0×0 char           }    {0×0 char           }    {0×0 char           }    {0×0 char           }    {0×0 char           }    {0×0 char           }
    {'(2) Digi-Key Part Number: 4411-CZ0010D-ND,   Price: $115.93 --> 10 sets $976.23  (OK)'}    {0×0 char           }    {0×0 char           }    {0×0 char           }    {0×0 char           }    {0×0 char           }    {0×0 char           }    {0×0 char           }    {0×0 char           }    {0×0 char           }    {0×0 char           }    {0×0 char           }    {0×0 char           }    {0×0 char           }    {0×0 char           }
    {'(3) Digi-Key Part Number: 1597-1103-ND,      Price: $54.90 --> 5 sets $274.50   (OK)' }    {0×0 char           }    {0×0 char           }    {0×0 char           }    {0×0 char           }    {0×0 char           }    {0×0 char           }    {0×0 char           }    {0×0 char           }    {0×0 char           }    {0×0 char           }    {0×0 char           }    {0×0 char           }    {0×0 char           }    {0×0 char           }