using command readcell to read specific structure

Hi, I have discovered that I have some issues when combining the output data that were saved in a text file. I tried to use readmatrix but some data are lost.

For example, I have attached three text files that contains cell data with columns and rows. The number of columns have a constant value of 70, and the number of rows it may vary from each file. When I have created a foor loop to read all the data and combine them in a global matrix, I realized that some files files are read as cell arrays and they are not separated like the others and create an issue when combining them. I was trying to spit the files and create some conditions for those cases but some data is loose and the number of columns changes. I would appreciate the help.

Answer 1

[Walter Roberson]

A = readcell('https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/uploaded_files/1752014/19510131163900.txt')

A = 1x70 cell array
  Columns 1 through 11

    {'1951 01 31 16:...'}    {[-12.2100]}    {[-76.9300]}    {[50]}    {[214.3877]}    {[6]}    {'ML'}    {'1951 01 31 16:...'}    {[6.0140]}    {'Mw'}    {[-12.2100]}

  Columns 12 through 26

    {[-76.9300]}    {[50]}    {[214.3877]}    {[-999]}    {[-999]}    {[-999]}    {[1]}    {[6]}    {'ML'}    {[-999]}    {[1]}    {[-999]}    {[-999]}    {[-999]}    {[-999]}

  Columns 27 through 40

    {[-999]}    {[-999]}    {[-999]}    {[-999]}    {[-999]}    {[-999]}    {[-999]}    {[-999]}    {[22.3738]}    {[320.2590]}    {[76.7727]}    {[-55.5219]}    {[1]}    {[11]}

  Columns 41 through 53

    {[-1]}    {[-1]}    {[-1]}    {'CISMID'}    {'CIS'}    {'PRQ'}    {[-12.0700]}    {[-77.0399]}    {[121.3048]}    {[19.6264]}    {[53.7140]}    {[53.6274]}    {[47.9744]}

  Columns 54 through 65

    {[47.8612]}    {[14.5720]}    {[-10.0749]}    {[44.6251]}    {[11.6490]}    {[12.1181]}    {[178.8920]}    {[54.4850]}    {[2.7344]}    {[2.7345]}    {[2.7137]}    {[11.7981]}

  Columns 66 through 70

    {[2.5671]}    {[2.4574]}    {[3.3366]}    {[111.6214]}    {[25.8605]}

B = readcell('https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/uploaded_files/1752019/19661017214200.txt', 'Delimiter', '\t')

B = 1x70 cell array
  Columns 1 through 11

    {[17-Oct-1966 21:42:00]}    {[-10.6650]}    {[-78.2280]}    {[39]}    {[-219]}    {[8.1000]}    {'Mw'}    {[17-Oct-1966 21:41:59]}    {[8.1000]}    {'Mw'}    {[-10.6845]}

  Columns 12 through 26

    {[-78.3380]}    {[38.7000]}    {[-219]}    {[335]}    {[12]}    {[90]}    {[1]}    {[8.1000]}    {'mw'}    {[2]}    {[0]}    {[21]}    {[-999]}    {[-999]}    {[-999]}

  Columns 27 through 41

    {[-999]}    {[-999]}    {[335]}    {[12]}    {[90]}    {[155]}    {[78]}    {[90]}    {[22.4900]}    {[328.9427]}    {[75.3516]}    {[-43.0296]}    {[1]}    {[5]}    {[-1]}

  Columns 42 through 53

    {[-1]}    {[-1]}    {'ISC,USGS'}    {'CIS'}    {'PRQ'}    {[-12.0700]}    {[-77.0399]}    {[121.3048]}    {[209.1797]}    {[212.7295]}    {[212.7917]}    {[<missing>]}

  Columns 54 through 64

    {[<missing>]}    {[103.6439]}    {[118.2896]}    {[19.1026]}    {[208.6012]}    {[128.3247]}    {[328.9427]}    {[22.4900]}    {[<missing>]}    {[<missing>]}    {[41.0362]}

  Columns 65 through 70

    {[40.4827]}    {[7.3536]}    {[73.1680]}    {[46.2567]}    {[5.7127e-14]}    {[1.4282e-14]}

C = readcell('https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/uploaded_files/1752024/19700531202328.txt', 'Delimiter', '\t')

C = 1x70 cell array
  Columns 1 through 11

    {'1970 05 31 20:...'}    {[-9.1830]}    {[-78.7370]}    {[45]}    {[-79.6951]}    {[7.9000]}    {'Mw'}    {[31-May-1970 20:23:30]}    {[7.9000]}    {'Mw'}    {[-9.2245]}

  Columns 12 through 25

    {[-78.7920]}    {[51.7000]}    {[-79.6951]}    {[160]}    {[37]}    {[-90]}    {[1]}    {[7.9000]}    {'mw'}    {[1]}    {[1]}    {[21]}    {[<missing>]}    {[<missing>]}

  Columns 26 through 38

    {[<missing>]}    {[<missing>]}    {[<missing>]}    {[340]}    {[53]}    {[-90]}    {[160]}    {[37]}    {[-90]}    {[19.2159]}    {[329.9212]}    {[73.4738]}    {[-59.0754]}

  Columns 39 through 51

    {[1]}    {[5]}    {[-1]}    {[-1]}    {[-1]}    {'ISC,USGS'}    {'CIS'}    {'PRQ'}    {[-12.0700]}    {[-77.0399]}    {[121.3048]}    {[369.8139]}    {[373.4102]}

  Columns 52 through 63

    {[373.4381]}    {[324.7374]}    {[324.7135]}    {[317.6109]}    {[99.0766]}    {[26.8536]}    {[96.2152]}    {[68.8943]}    {[160]}    {[37]}    {[23.1587]}    {[23.1605]}

  Columns 64 through 70

    {[23.8214]}    {[14.5348]}    {[7.0771]}    {[30.1916]}    {[19.9641]}    {[0]}    {[0]}

[Jorge Luis Paredes Estacio]

Thank you for your reply. I still have the issue and you can see in B and C. I do not know why?. Thank you

A=readcell([[path_SD,'/'],Files_SD(1).name])

A =

1×70 cell array

Columns 1 through 7

{'1951 01 31 16:3…'} {[-12.2100]} {[-76.9300]} {[50]} {[214.3877]} {[6]} {'ML'}

Columns 8 through 15

{'1951 01 31 16:3…'} {[6.0140]} {'Mw'} {[-12.2100]} {[-76.9300]} {[50]} {[214.3877]} {[-999]}

Columns 16 through 26

{[-999]} {[-999]} {[1]} {[6]} {'ML'} {[-999]} {[1]} {[-999]} {[-999]} {[-999]} {[-999]}

Columns 27 through 35

{[-999]} {[-999]} {[-999]} {[-999]} {[-999]} {[-999]} {[-999]} {[-999]} {[22.3738]}

Columns 36 through 45

{[320.2590]} {[76.7727]} {[-55.5219]} {[1]} {[11]} {[-1]} {[-1]} {[-1]} {'CISMID'} {'CIS'}

Columns 46 through 53

{'PRQ'} {[-12.0700]} {[-77.0399]} {[121.3048]} {[19.6264]} {[53.7140]} {[53.6274]} {[47.9744]}

Columns 54 through 61

{[47.8612]} {[14.5720]} {[-10.0749]} {[44.6251]} {[11.6490]} {[12.1181]} {[178.8920]} {[54.4850]}

Columns 62 through 69

{[2.7344]} {[2.7345]} {[2.7137]} {[11.7981]} {[2.5671]} {[2.4574]} {[3.3366]} {[111.6214]}

Column 70

{[25.8605]}

B=readcell([[path_SD,'/'],Files_SD(2).name])

B =

1×2 cell array

{'1966-10-17 21:42:00→-10.665→-78.228→39→-219→8.1…'} {'USGS→CIS→PRQ→-12.07→-77.0399→121.3048→209.1797→…'}

C=readcell([[path_SD,'/'],Files_SD(3).name])

C =

1×2 cell array

{'1970 05 31 20:23:28→-9.183→-78.737→45→-79.6951→7…'} {'USGS→CIS→PRQ→-12.07→-77.0399→121.3048→369.8139→…'}

[Jorge Luis Paredes Estacio]

Thank you very much. My mistake. I have not seen the last part " 'Delimiter', '\t'". So, I added a condition based on the length. Have a nive daym :).