Reading tables from the asc files in Matlab

Hello,

I have more than 400 asc files and I have to combine them all to make 4 tables in Matlab. I am searching on internet and I didn't find anyway to import the data from the asc file with the Matlab. I only saw answers as I need to convert it to .txt file for .csv files. But since I have a lot of them, can someone tell me how to solve this problem?

[Mathieu NOE]

hello

what is your issue ? seems you have already accepted an answer below...

Answer 1

[Star Strider]

If they are text files, one option using readtable is in the Text Files documentation section, specifically using the name-value pair 'FileType','text'.

Example —

T = array2table(randi(9, 5, 4))

T = 5×4 table
    Var1    Var2    Var3    Var4
    ____    ____    ____    ____

     1       1       3       5  
     9       9       4       4  
     7       4       8       9  
     6       4       7       6  
     6       4       7       4  

writetable(T, 'RandomFile.asc', 'FileType','text')
which 'RandomFile.asc'

/users/mss.system.kZx1jv/RandomFile.asc

T1 = readtable('RandomFile.asc', 'FileType','text')

T1 = 5×4 table
    Var1    Var2    Var3    Var4
    ____    ____    ____    ____

     1       1       3       5  
     9       9       4       4  
     7       4       8       9  
     6       4       7       6  
     6       4       7       4  

.

EDIT — Corrected typographical errors.

[uzzi]

Dear Star Strider,

T1 = readtable('RandomFile.asc', 'FileType','text')

This lines works well with asc file but I can only scan files one by one. Since I have more than hundreads of files, are there anyway where I can read those hundreads of files and make one table in Matlab?

[uzzi]

T2data=tabularTextDatastore('*.asc', 'NumHeaderLines',10,'PreserveVariableNames',true);
T2=readall(T2data)

I tried with this. It works now. Thanks a lot.

[Star Strider]

As always, my pleasure!

If they all have the same variables, you can vertically concatenate them in a loop —

Example —

for k = 1:3
    T = array2table(randi(9, 5, 4))
    FileName = sprintf('RandomFile%03d.asc',k)
    writetable(T, FileName, 'FileType','text')
end

T = 5×4 table
    Var1    Var2    Var3    Var4
    ____    ____    ____    ____

     9       1       1       8  
     3       8       8       6  
     7       5       3       5  
     1       1       9       5  
     4       5       3       2  

FileName = 'RandomFile001.asc'

T = 5×4 table
    Var1    Var2    Var3    Var4
    ____    ____    ____    ____

     4       7       6       9  
     8       3       8       8  
     8       4       6       1  
     2       7       4       4  
     3       4       3       5  

FileName = 'RandomFile002.asc'

T = 5×4 table
    Var1    Var2    Var3    Var4
    ____    ____    ____    ____

     3       3       6       1  
     8       6       6       6  
     2       5       4       7  
     5       8       1       2  
     8       4       3       1  

FileName = 'RandomFile003.asc'

Files = dir('*.asc');
for k = 1:numel(Files)
    FileNames{k,:} = Files(k).name;
end
FileNames

FileNames = 3×1 cell array
    {'RandomFile001.asc'}
    {'RandomFile002.asc'}
    {'RandomFile003.asc'}

for k = 1:3
    Tk{k,:} = readtable(FileNames{k}, 'FileType','text');
end

Tk

Tk = 3×1 cell array
    {5×4 table}
    {5×4 table}
    {5×4 table}

Tc = cat(1,Tk{:})

Tc = 15×4 table
    Var1    Var2    Var3    Var4
    ____    ____    ____    ____

     9       1       1       8  
     3       8       8       6  
     7       5       3       5  
     1       1       9       5  
     4       5       3       2  
     4       7       6       9  
     8       3       8       8  
     8       4       6       1  
     2       7       4       4  
     3       4       3       5  
     3       3       6       1  
     8       6       6       6  
     2       5       4       7  
     5       8       1       2  
     8       4       3       1  

I never previously realised that this sort of demonstration was possible using the online Run feature!

.

[uzzi]

This works too!