big_textread (filename,dim,textcols,headlines)

function [mD] = big_textread (filename,dim,textcols,headlines)
% [mD] = big_textread (filename,dim,textcols,headlines)
%
% This function reads text files, of almost all sizes. No restrictions on the
% number of rows and cloumns as for as you know the number of cloumns in File.
% this fction is most usefull reading troublesome ASCII files.

%   mD = data struct containing filed
%   mD.labels     Row headers
%   mD.cnames     Column headers
%   mD.data       Data
%
% Examples
% myData = big_textread ('myFile.txt',666,1,2)
%        my file contains 666 columns, first column is text column describing row headers,
%           First 2 rows are test rows describing Column headers   

% Writen by Mujahid Sultan @ OCI, Princess Margret Hospital, Toronto. 
% May, 2002
% [e-mail]

%----------action
if textcols > 0
    % read first column as labels
    [l] = textread (filename,'%s%*[^\n]','delimiter','\t','headerlines',headlines);
    mD.labels = l;
    % prepare the format string
    fstd = {''};
    for i = 1:textcols
        fstd = strcat({'%*s'},fstd);
    end
else
    mD.labels = '';
    fstd = {''};
end
fstrd = strcat(fstd,{'%n%*[^\n]'});
mD.fstrd(1,:)= fstrd;    
for i= 2:(dim-textcols)
    fstrd = strcat({'%*s'}, fstrd);
    mD.fstrd(i) = fstrd;
end

%  initialize Load Wait bar
h1 = waitbar(0,'Loading TXT File...');
% get the cols data using format string
for i = 1:(dim-textcols)
    
    [d] = textread (filename,[char(mD.fstrd(i))],'delimiter','\t','headerlines',headlines);
    mD.data(i,:)= d;
    % this is to show the load status bar
    waitbar (i/(dim-textcols),h1); 
end
close (h1)
% get cnames using format string with %s
fsts = {''};
for i = 1:textcols
    fsts = strcat({'%*s'},fsts);
end
fstrs = strcat(fsts,{'%s%*[^\n]'});
mD.fstrs(1,:)= fstrs;    
for i= 2:(dim-textcols)
    fstrs = strcat({'%*s'},fstrs);
    mD.fstrs(i) = fstrs;
end
for i = 1:(dim-textcols)
    [s] = textread (filename,[char(mD.fstrs(i))],1,'delimiter','\t');
    mD.cnames(i,:)= s;
end
clear mD.fstrs mD.fstrd
mD.data = mD.data';
aout = mD;