How to import multiple text files from multiple folders and take maximum from each text file

These are the main folders

And each folders contains these txt files, I need to import AllMaxDrift from each pga

[Stephen23]

@Nazanin Farsi: what MATLAB version are you using?

[Nazanin Farsi]

2013

[Stephen23]

@Nazanin Farsi: please upload a sample AllMaxDrift data file by clicking the paperclip button.

Answer 1

[Davide Masiello]

clear,clc

n = 0.1:0.1:1.3;

for k = 1:length(n)
    filename = [num2str(n(k)),'pga/AllMaxDrift.out'];
    data     = readmatrix(filename);
    max_value(k) = max(data);
end

Something like this should work, although it strictly depends on the way the data inside the .out files are structured.

[Nazanin Farsi]

[Davide Masiello]

Could you please attach one of your AllMaxDrift.out files?

[Walter Roberson]

readmatrix() did not exist in R2013.

Answer 2

[Nazanin Farsi]

[Walter Roberson]

Unfortunately, our systems are unable to read data from pictures of numbers. Please zip a file and attach the zip

[Nazanin Farsi]

I tried toattach it but it say that it doesnt supoort the file. What is the alternative?

[Stephen23]

"What is the alternative?"

Change the file extension to .txt, then upload it.

[Nazanin Farsi]

here it is

[Walter Roberson]

Yes, load() should be able to handle those files.

Answer 3

[Walter Roberson]

I cannot be sure without a file to test with, but I suspect

n = 0.1:0.1:1.3;

for k = 1:length(n)
    filename = [num2str(n(k)),'pga/AllMaxDrift.out'];
    data     = load(filename, '-ascii');
    max_value(k) = max(data);
end

[Nazanin Farsi]

So first of all, I should open the files in MATLAB and then write the code above and run it?

[Walter Roberson]

You do not need to open the files in MATLAB: that code will open the files for you.

You can paste that code into the command line if you want. Or you can store it into a .m file and execute the .m file (which is what I would recommend.)

[Nazanin Farsi]

This error pops out! :((

Answer 4

[Davide Masiello]

Hey @Nazanin Farsi, based on your replies, maybe the following code will work.

n1 = 1:22;
n2 = 0.1:0.1:1.3;

max_value = zeros(length(n1),length(n2));

for row = 1:length(n1)
    for col = 1:length(n2)
        filename            = ['R',num2str(n1(row),'%i'),'/data/',num2str(n2(col),'%.1f'),'pga/AllMaxDrift.out'];
        data                = importdata(filename);
        max_value(row,col)  = data(3,15);
    end
end

This is based on the email you sent me saying you need the element in the 3rd row and 15th column of every file.

Please note that the max values are now stored in a matrix.

[Davide Masiello]

Note I have edited this answer, I found my previous one was wrong.

[Nazanin Farsi]

It worked!! Thanks a million!

One last thing though, I need to do this for multiple folders, The main folder before pga was R1, I mean we need to do this for R1-R22. Do you know how to write that?

[Nazanin Farsi]

and also it doesnt show maximum from subfolders 1.0 to 1.3, I cant figure out why

[Nazanin Farsi]

I can also attach the whole folder here so you can test it. The file attached is for one record, there are 22 records, We need to do this maximum thing for all the 22 folders. I hope you got my point.

[Davide Masiello]

Hi @Nazanin Farsi, I have edited my answer again to work with the multiple folders.

It was just a matter to include an outer loop to go through all the external folders.

I have also fixed the problem of not getting the values from 1.0 to 1.3.

If the answer fixes yur problem, please consider pressing the Accept button, for future reference to users with similar of same problems.

[Nazanin Farsi]

[Davide Masiello]

I think the problem is in the '%.0f' when defining filename.

I changed it to '%i' (see answer). It should work now.

[Nazanin Farsi]

no

[Nazanin Farsi]

no:((

[Davide Masiello]

Are you running the script from the same folder where R1, R2, R3 etc, are?

[Nazanin Farsi]

Let me walk you through it. First I open MATLAB. After that I open a new script and copy and paste the code you have sent me and then click run, when it wants to save I save the m file in my documents. then this error pops out.

[Davide Masiello]

In order for my code to work, you need to save the script in the same folder where the subsolfers R1,R2,..., R22 are located. To make it work from anywhere else, you need to specify the full directory path in the filename.

[Nazanin Farsi]

I copied your code and pasted it in the new script and as you have told me I saved the script in the Folder which R1 to R22 were located as name 'untitled.m' then I tried to run the code. now it says error in untitled, dara=importdata(filename);

[Davide Masiello]

Are you sure your AllMaxDrift files are in .out format?

[Nazanin Farsi]

This is the path for 0.1pga for example

[Davide Masiello]

Well that obviously wouldn't work, the 0.1pga, 0.2pga etc. folders are non inside R1, R2 etc., but inside another subfolder called data.

I have once again edited my answer.

Are R1 to R22 all in new-ida-simplified-R1? Otherwise it still won't work.

[Nazanin Farsi]

now it shows the maximums all right. But I'm afraid there is one last error which needs to be fixed. It runs to R10 and then shows 0,

[Davide Masiello]

could you explain better?

[Nazanin Farsi]

Did you get it?

[Davide Masiello]

No, it is impossible to debug a code to this level of detail without having the possibility to run it.

[Nazanin Farsi]

It finally worked!!! Thank you very much!!

[Davide Masiello]

@Nazanin Farsi my pleasure. If it worked, it is worth accepting the answer for future reference.

Answer 5

[Nazanin Farsi]

Sure. The Matrix which shows maximums, shows them to row 10, instead of 22 records. It shows zero