How to open files with extensions .fw13 and extension .OUT

I want to read some files with extension .fw13 and extension .OUT. I want to read the data from these files and manipulate them. Means I want to see data from all colums and row and later manupulate thes data. How can I do it in MATLAB?

[dpb]

The filename/extension is immaterial; all that matters is the format of the data in the files which we've no clue about.

So, show us a description of the file(s) and we can probably at least give some clues...

Answer 1

[Gazi Alam]

You are right. thanks

Answer 2

[Gazi Alam]

It has some text as heading.

Then each rows contains text and numeric values. For example columns 1-3 has P25, columns 4-9 has numbers, columns 10-17 has date in the form YYYYMMDD, colums 18-21 has time in the form 0000-2359 and so on. As an example 8th row row

1st to 7th rows has texts i do not read

m25 xypq199004230900B 10 81356 25 10 0 81 0 0 212 352 34

[Walter Roberson]

https://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/ref/matlab.io.text.fixedwidthimportoptions.html

[dpb]

Attach a typical file (use paperclip icon) of each type...

Answer 3

[Gazi Alam]

I tried exacly as shown in the link, but I have got an error message.

Undefined function or variable 'fixedWidthImportOptions'.

opts = fixedWidthImportOptions('NumVariables',NumVariables,...
filename = fullfile(matlabroot,'examples','matlab','fixed_width_patients_subset_perfect.txt');
DataStartLine = 2;
NumVariables = 7;
VariableNames  = {'LastName','Gender','Age','Location','Height',...
                                                      'Weight','Smoker'};
VariableWidths = [ 10,     7,     4,    26,     7, ...
                                                         7,     7 ] ;                                                  
DataType       = {'char','categorical','double','char','double',...
                                                     'double','logical'};
opts = fixedWidthImportOptions('NumVariables',NumVariables,...
                               'DataLines',DataStartLine,...
                               'VariableNames',VariableNames,...
                               'VariableWidths',VariableWidths,...
                               'VariableTypes',DataType);
T = readtable(filename,opts)

[Walter Roberson]

Which MATLAB release are you using? fixedWidthImportOptions needs R2017a or later.

[Gazi Alam]

Hi, thanks . I was using MATLAB 2016. Now I am using MATLAB 2019 and its working perfectly. But, In my example I have 27 columns, here I can get only 7 columns, I am unable to change it. Its only allowing me 7 columns. Have any idea how to import all 27 columns. Thanks in advanced.

[Walter Roberson]

filename = fullfile(matlabroot,'examples','matlab','fixed_width_patients_subset_perfect.txt');
DataStartLine = 2;
NumVariables = 27;
%any variable you do not specifically replace the name of will show up as varXX
VariableNames = "var" + (1:27);
VariableNames(1:7)  = {'LastName','Gender','Age','Location','Height',...
                                                      'Weight','Smoker'};
VariableWidths = [ 10,     7,     4,    26,     7, ...
                                                         7,     7, ....
                                                        the other 20 widths] ;                                                  
DataType       = {'char','categorical','double','char','double',...
                                                     'double','logical', ...
                                                     the other 20 data types};
opts = fixedWidthImportOptions('NumVariables',NumVariables,...
                               'DataLines',DataStartLine,...
                               'VariableNames',VariableNames,...
                               'VariableWidths',VariableWidths,...
                               'VariableTypes',DataType);
T = readtable(filename,opts)

[Walter Roberson]

Is the file format what is described at https://fam.nwcg.gov/fam-web/weatherfirecd/13.htm ?

[Gazi Alam]

Thanks a lot Wlater Roberson, now it works fine.

[Gazi Alam]

Hi Walter Roberson, Thanks for your help. I have some minor issues now,

1. I do not need to read some rows from bottom, because it has other comments after the end of data rows but the number of data rows varies file to file.
2. In 3rd columns I need the date to be imported in the form (YYYYMMDD).
3. in 4th coulumn time in NNNN format varying from (0000-2359)
4. the flag True/False in Y/N and
5. for any empty double as 0 not as NaN.

Have any idea? Thanks in advanced.

[Walter Roberson]

rmmissing() might help with getting rid of the lines you do not need.

Since you are working with a fixed width object anyhow, combine what you are thinking of as columns 3 and 4 into a single column.

Example: testtable.txt

20190527 1742
20180228 0123

can be read with

filename = 'testtable.txt';
DataStartLine = 1;
NumVariables = 1;

VariableNames(1)  = {'dt'};
VariableWidths = [ 13 ];                                                
DataType       = {'datetime'};
opts = fixedWidthImportOptions('NumVariables',NumVariables,...
                               'DataLines',DataStartLine,...
                               'VariableNames',VariableNames,...
                               'VariableWidths',VariableWidths,...
                               'VariableTypes',DataType);
opts = setvaropts(opts,1, 'InputFormat', 'yyyyMMdd HHmm');

T = readtable(filename,opts);
T.dt.Format = 'default';