Reading ping output using readtable

I'm creating a text file with ping results (on Linux) that looks like this (timestamp at start).

PING 172.17.102.60 (172.17.102.60) 56(84) bytes of data.
[1707403470.450935] 64 bytes from 172.17.102.60: icmp_seq=1 ttl=64 time=0.378 ms
[1707403471.452695] 64 bytes from 172.17.102.60: icmp_seq=2 ttl=64 time=0.248 ms
[1707403472.482987] 64 bytes from 172.17.102.60: icmp_seq=3 ttl=64 time=0.337 ms

I can read it using readtable:

511×9 table

             Var1              Var2      Var3         Var4             Var5                 Var6             Var7            Var8          Var9 
    _______________________    ____    _________    ________    __________________    ________________    __________    ______________    ______

    {'[1707403470.450935]'}     64     {'bytes'}    {'from'}    {'172.17.102.60:'}    {'icmp_seq=1'  }    {'ttl=64'}    {'time=0.378'}    {'ms'}
    {'[1707403471.452695]'}     64     {'bytes'}    {'from'}    {'172.17.102.60:'}    {'icmp_seq=2'  }    {'ttl=64'}    {'time=0.248'}    {'ms'}
    {'[1707403472.482987]'}     64     {'bytes'}    {'from'}    {'172.17.102.60:'}    {'icmp_seq=3'  }    {'ttl=64'}    {'time=0.337'}    {'ms'}

How can I extract the timestamps from Var1 and the times from Var8? I think I should be using cellfun, but I don't know how to.

[Dyuman Joshi]

If the format of the data is as shown throughout the file, you can use textscan or fscanf

[Dyuman Joshi]

Any updates, @dormant?

Did you check the answers submitted below?

[dormant]

Thanks. I was late back to check. Sometimes my work gets me distracted.

[Walter Roberson]

ping sometimes produces results such as

Request timeout for icmp_seq 2

In theory your code has to handle these as well.

Answer 1

[Voss]

Here's one way to get the timestamps and times directly out of the file (without using readtable):

format longg
filename = 'test_file.txt';

% show the file's contents, for reference
type(filename)

PING 172.17.102.60 (172.17.102.60) 56(84) bytes of data.
[1707403470.450935] 64 bytes from 172.17.102.60: icmp_seq=1 ttl=64 time=0.378 ms
[1707403471.452695] 64 bytes from 172.17.102.60: icmp_seq=2 ttl=64 time=0.248 ms
[1707403472.482987] 64 bytes from 172.17.102.60: icmp_seq=3 ttl=64 time=0.337 ms

% read and parse the file
C = regexp(fileread(filename),'\[([\d\.?]+)\].*?time=([\d\.?]+)','tokens');
data = str2double(vertcat(C{:}))

data = 3×2

1.0e+00 * 1707403470.45093 0.378 1707403471.45269 0.248 1707403472.48299 0.337

timestamps = datetime(data(:,1),'ConvertFrom','posix')

timestamps = 3×1 datetime array
   08-Feb-2024 14:44:30
   08-Feb-2024 14:44:31
   08-Feb-2024 14:44:32

times = data(:,2)

times = 3×1

0.378 0.248 0.337

Answer 2

[Stephen23]

Here is an easy way to import all numeric data as numeric, and with minimal post-processing for the datestamp:

T = readtable("testping.txt", 'Delimiter',[" ","=","]","["], "LeadingDelimitersRule","ignore", "MultipleDelimsAsOne",true)

T = 3×12 table
       Var1       Var2      Var3         Var4             Var5               Var6        Var7     Var8      Var9     Var10      Var11    Var12 
    __________    ____    _________    ________    __________________    ____________    ____    _______    ____    ________    _____    ______

    1.7074e+09     64     {'bytes'}    {'from'}    {'172.17.102.60:'}    {'icmp_seq'}     1      {'ttl'}     64     {'time'}    0.378    {'ms'}
    1.7074e+09     64     {'bytes'}    {'from'}    {'172.17.102.60:'}    {'icmp_seq'}     2      {'ttl'}     64     {'time'}    0.248    {'ms'}
    1.7074e+09     64     {'bytes'}    {'from'}    {'172.17.102.60:'}    {'icmp_seq'}     3      {'ttl'}     64     {'time'}    0.337    {'ms'}

T.Var1 = datetime(T.Var1, "ConvertFrom","posixtime")

T = 3×12 table
            Var1            Var2      Var3         Var4             Var5               Var6        Var7     Var8      Var9     Var10      Var11    Var12 
    ____________________    ____    _________    ________    __________________    ____________    ____    _______    ____    ________    _____    ______

    08-Feb-2024 14:44:30     64     {'bytes'}    {'from'}    {'172.17.102.60:'}    {'icmp_seq'}     1      {'ttl'}     64     {'time'}    0.378    {'ms'}
    08-Feb-2024 14:44:31     64     {'bytes'}    {'from'}    {'172.17.102.60:'}    {'icmp_seq'}     2      {'ttl'}     64     {'time'}    0.248    {'ms'}
    08-Feb-2024 14:44:32     64     {'bytes'}    {'from'}    {'172.17.102.60:'}    {'icmp_seq'}     3      {'ttl'}     64     {'time'}    0.337    {'ms'}