Merging 2 or more Txt Files with same Column Number into a new Txt file

Hi everyone.

I need to merge 2 or more files (.TXT) with a same column number but with a variation number of its row.

My Txt data are like these :

TXT File 1

2018 08 24 00 00 00 38413.08 405.01 -24481.97 38415.22 0.010543 -0.567395 45553.22

2018 08 24 00 00 01 38412.96 405.07 -24482.03 38415.10 0.010545 -0.567397 45553.15

2018 08 24 00 00 02 38412.96 405.01 -24481.97 38415.10 0.010543 -0.567396 45553.12

2018 08 24 00 00 03 38412.96 405.07 -24482.03 38415.10 0.010545 -0.567397 45553.15

2018 08 24 00 00 04 38413.15 405.01 -24482.03 38415.29 0.010543 -0.567395 45553.31

2018 08 24 00 00 05 38413.08 405.07 -24482.16 38415.22 0.010545 -0.567398 45553.32

TXT File 2

2018 08 27 00 00 00 38348.90 407.00 -24476.28 38351.06 0.010613 -0.568047 45496.07

2018 08 27 00 00 01 38349.02 407.00 -24476.34 38351.18 0.010613 -0.568047 45496.20

2018 08 27 00 00 02 38348.84 407.00 -24476.47 38351.00 0.010613 -0.568051 45496.12

2018 08 27 00 00 03 38348.71 407.00 -24476.47 38350.87 0.010613 -0.568053 45496.01

2018 08 27 00 00 04 38348.90 407.00 -24476.15 38351.06 0.010613 -0.568045 45496.00

2018 08 27 00 00 05 38348.71 407.07 -24476.34 38350.87 0.010615 -0.568050 45495.94

2018 08 27 00 00 06 38348.84 407.00 -24476.28 38351.00 0.010613 -0.568048 45496.02

2018 08 27 00 00 07 38348.71 406.88 -24476.15 38350.87 0.010610 -0.568047 45495.84

2018 08 27 00 00 08 38348.84 406.88 -24476.34 38351.00 0.010610 -0.568049 45496.05

So a new file that will become the output of Matlab Scipt is a Txt file that contain its merged data : TXT File 1 Data + TXT 2 File Data :

2018 08 24 00 00 00 38413.08 405.01 -24481.97 38415.22 0.010543 -0.567395 45553.22 ............ (TXT File 1 Data)

2018 08 24 00 00 01 38412.96 405.07 -24482.03 38415.10 0.010545 -0.567397 45553.15

2018 08 24 00 00 02 38412.96 405.01 -24481.97 38415.10 0.010543 -0.567396 45553.12

2018 08 24 00 00 03 38412.96 405.07 -24482.03 38415.10 0.010545 -0.567397 45553.15

2018 08 24 00 00 04 38413.15 405.01 -24482.03 38415.29 0.010543 -0.567395 45553.31

2018 08 24 00 00 05 38413.08 405.07 -24482.16 38415.22 0.010545 -0.567398 45553.32

2018 08 27 00 00 00 38348.90 407.00 -24476.28 38351.06 0.010613 -0.568047 45496.07 .............. (TXT FIle 2 Data below the TXT File 1 Data)

2018 08 27 00 00 01 38349.02 407.00 -24476.34 38351.18 0.010613 -0.568047 45496.20

2018 08 27 00 00 02 38348.84 407.00 -24476.47 38351.00 0.010613 -0.568051 45496.12

2018 08 27 00 00 03 38348.71 407.00 -24476.47 38350.87 0.010613 -0.568053 45496.01

2018 08 27 00 00 04 38348.90 407.00 -24476.15 38351.06 0.010613 -0.568045 45496.00

2018 08 27 00 00 05 38348.71 407.07 -24476.34 38350.87 0.010615 -0.568050 45495.94

2018 08 27 00 00 06 38348.84 407.00 -24476.28 38351.00 0.010613 -0.568048 45496.02

2018 08 27 00 00 07 38348.71 406.88 -24476.15 38350.87 0.010610 -0.568047 45495.84

2018 08 27 00 00 08 38348.84 406.88 -24476.34 38351.00 0.010610 -0.568049 45496.05

.............................................................................................................................................................. (Another TXT File Data which re still possible)

Could it be possible to form and run such a script in Matlab? Please help me. Thank you very much....

Answer 1

[Jan]

This is easy in Matlab:

FileList = {'File1.txt', 'File2.txt', 'File3.txt'};
DestFile = fullfile(tempdir, 'JoinedFiles.txt');
JoinFiles(FileList, DestFile);

And the function:

function JoinFiles(FileList, DestFile)
FID = fopen(DestFile, 'W');
if FID < 0, error('Cannot open file: %s', DestFile); end

for iFile = 1:numel(FileList)
    data = fileread(FileList{iFile});
    fwrite(FID, data, 'char');
    
    % Append trailing line break, if it is missing:
    if ~endsWith(data, char(10))
        fwrite(FID, char(10), 'char');
    end
end

fclose(FID);
end

[Tyann Hardyn]

@Jan MVP. hey, thank you very much, bro. I use your code and there is no error in the matlab, but i cant found the output 'JoinedFiles.txt' data. Could you explain it?

[Jan]

You find the file inside the Temp folder, see: tempdir

I've used this to avoid overwriting an important file by accident. Prefer to work with absolute file names.

[Tyann Hardyn]

Alright, could you please teach me how to place the outputfile (JoinedFiles.txt) in the same directory of those TXT files input before? Thank you very much. Because im still confused and cant find the output files at anywhere in my drive disk C directory

[Jan]

To find the temp folder, type %TEMP% in the address line of the Windows Explorer. Or let Matlab show you the corresponding folder:

disp(tempdir)

Matlab can instruct the Explorer to open the folder also:

system('start %WINDIR%\EXPLORER.EXE /n,/e,"%TEMP%"');

To choose another folder, simply replace:

DestFile = fullfile(tempdir, 'JoinedFiles.txt');

by:

DestFile = fullfile(YourFolder, 'JoinedFiles.txt');

whereby YourFolder is the wanted folder. I cannot know, which folder it is. I guess, that it is the currend folder. Then:

YourFolder = cd;
FileList = fullfile(YourFolder, {'File1.txt', 'File2.txt', 'File3.txt'});
DestFile = fullfile(YourFolder, 'JoinedFiles.txt');

Working with absolute path names is much safer. Remember, that if Matlab cannot find the file "file1.txt" in the current folder, fopen searchs in all folders of the Matlab path to find a matching file. This is a common source of bugs. Relying on the current folder to be, what you expect, is critical also: Any callback of a GUI oder TIMER can call cd and change the current folder. The secure solution is to use absolute path names in every case.

[Tyann Hardyn]

Im sorry Sir, but im still cant get the ouput file of that JoinedFiles... Please help me, Sir. Do u have some fixed or simple version of your script given to me before? Thank you very much...

[Jan]

@Tyann Hardyn: I'm sorry also. I do not have any idea, why you cannot find the output file. I've explained, where you can find it. If should be trivial to define an output folder and find it in the file browser. Simply replace:

DestFile = fullfile(tempdir, 'JoinedFiles.txt');

by

DestFile = fullfile('D:\Choose\Like\You\Want', 'JoinedFiles.txt');

My code is really easy already and I do not see any way to simplify it.

Did you call the function I've provided anywhere? Of course you have to call a function to run it:

FileList = {'File1.txt', 'File2.txt', 'File3.txt'};
DestFile = fullfile('D:\Choose\Like\You\Want', 'JoinedFiles.txt');
JoinFiles(FileList, DestFile);   % <== Call the function here