Improved aload.m

[Eyal Doron]

Hi Guys,

   You can try the following. This is a version of aload.m which
includes more error checking. Only partially tested, though.

Eyal

-----------------------Cut here-----------------------------
function [X]=aload(filename,nr,nc)
% function [X]=aload(filename,nr,nc) loads a flat ASCII file into X. 
% nr - number of rows    (-1 = all (default))
% nc - number of columns (-1 = all (default))
% Also accepts a 1x2 matrix [nr,nc].

% Eyal Doron, August 1995 (address@hidden)

X=[];
if (~exist(filename))
        error("File not found")
end
if nargin<2
  nr=-1; nc=-1;
elseif nargin==2
  if length(nr)==2
    nc=nr(2); nr=nr(1);
  else
    nc=-1;
  end
end

if nr<1 | nc<1
  Cmd=["wc -lw ", filename, " | awk '", '{printf "WC=[%g,%g];",$1,$2}',"'"];
  eval(shell_cmd(Cmd,1)); 
  if ~all(WC) 
    error([filename," contains zero rows/columns!"])
  end
  ncc=WC(2)/WC(1); if nc<1, nc=ncc; end
  if ncc~=ceil(ncc)
    error([filename," does not have a constant number of columns!"])
  end
  if ncc<nc
    error([filename," has too few columns!"])
  end
  if nr<1, nr=WC(1); end
end

Tname=octave_tmp_file_name;
fid=fopen(Tname,"w");
fprintf(fid,"# name: localX\n# type: matrix\n");
fprintf(fid,"# rows: %g\n#columns: %g\n",nr,nc);
fclose(fid);

if nargin<2
  shell_cmd(["/bin/cat ", filename, " >> ", Tname]);
else
  shell_cmd(["/usr/bin/head -n ", num2str(nr), " ", filename,  ...
          " >> ", Tname]);
end
  
eval(["load -force -ascii ",Tname]);

shell_cmd(["/bin/rm -f ", Tname]);

X=localX;