Use Delimiter only once in row when reading .txt files

Hi all,

I have the following issue:

I want to read a .txt file which looks like this:

$CM_TIME 11:44 AM

$CM_OPERATOR Microscope Administrator

$CM_INSTRUMENT Microscope

$CM_NAME Sample 34

$CM_FRAME_SIZE 1024 1024

I want to separate this text into TWO columns, at each first space in each row. Thus, separation between TIME and 11:44, OPERATOR and JEM etc.

However, using the 'space' as a delimiter with the function textscan will also separate JEM and Administrator, while I want them to be regarderd as one string.

The part of code I'm trying it with now looks as follows:

fileID = fopen('File.txt','r');
formatSpec = '%s %s';
sizeA = [74 2];
DATA = textscan(fileID,formatSpec,sizeA,'Delimiter',' ');

Current version is Matlab2019a

Your help would be more than welcome!

Answer 1

[Star Strider]

Try this:

C = {'$CM_TIME 11:44 AM'
     '$CM_OPERATOR Microscope Administrator'
     '$CM_INSTRUMENT Microscope'
     '$CM_NAME Sample 34'
     '$CM_FRAME_SIZE 1024 1024'};

Out = regexp(C, ' ', 'split','once');

Out1 = Out{1}
Out2 = Out{2}
Out3 = Out{3}
Out4 = Out{4}
Out5 = Out{5}

producing:

Out1 =

  1×2 cell array

    {'$CM_TIME'}    {'11:44 AM'}


Out2 =

  1×2 cell array

    {'$CM_OPERATOR'}    {'Microscope Administrator'}


Out3 =

  1×2 cell array

    {'$CM_INSTRUMENT'}    {'Microscope'}


Out4 =

  1×2 cell array

    {'$CM_NAME'}    {'Sample 34'}


Out5 =

  1×2 cell array

    {'$CM_FRAME_SIZE'}    {'1024 1024'}

.

[Arno van Hoof]

Thanks for you quick answer but, loading the .txt file will give the error:

Error using load

Number of columns on line 2 of ASCII file XXXXX

In other words, how do I then load the txt without using delimiters?

[Star Strider]

My pleasure!

I have no idea what the problem is, since I cannot follow your description. If you save ‘Out’, it should load correctly. Otherwise, run my code on the file you load to parse them afterwards.