[R] Parsing question, partly comma separated partly underscore separated string

Eric Fail eric.fail at gmx.com
Mon Mar 7 04:13:49 CET 2011


Dear R-list,

I have a partly comma separated partly underscore separated string that I am trying to parse into R.

Furthermore I have a bunch of them, and they are quite long. I have now spent most of my Sunday trying to figure this out and thought I would try the list to see if someone here would be able to get me started.

My data structure looks like this,

(in a example.txt file)
Subject ID,ExperimentName,2010-04-23,32:34:23,Version 0.4, 640 by 960  pixels, On Device M, M, 3.2.4,ZZ_373_462_488_TRT at 9z.svg,592,820,3.35,ZZ_032_288_436_CON at 9z.svg,332,878,3.66,ZZ_384_204_433_TRT at 9z.svg,334,824,3.28,ZZ_365_575_683_TRT at 9z.svg,598,878,3.50,ZZ_005_480_239_CON at 9z.svg,630,856,8.03,ZZ_030_423_394_CON at 9z.svg,98,846,4.09,ZZ_033_596_398_CON at 9z.svg,636,902,3.28,ZZ_263_064_320_TRT at 9z.svg,570,894,1.26,BLOCK at 9z.svg,322,842,32.96,ZZ_004_088_403_CON at 9z.svg,606,908,3.32,ZZ_703_546_434_CON at 9z.svg,624,934,2.58,ZZ_712_348_543_CON at 9z.svg,20,828,5.36,ZZ_005_48_239_CON at 9z.svg,580,830,4.36,ZZ_310_444_623_TRT at 9z.svg,586,806,0.08,ZZ_030_423_394_CON at 9z.svg,350,854,3.84,ZZ_340_382_539_TRT at 9z.svg,570,894,1.26,BLOCK at 9z.svg,542,840,4.44,ZZ_345_230_662_TRT at 9z.svg,632,844,2.47,ZZ_006_335_309_CON at 9z.svg,96,930,3.63,ZZ_782_346_746_TRT at 9z.svg,306,850,2.58,ZZ_334_200_333_TRT at 9z.svg,304,842,3.34,ZZ_383_506_726_TRT at 9z.svg,622,884,3.84,ZZ_294_360_448_TRT at 9z.svg,90,858,3.56,ZZ_334_335_473_TRT at 9z.svg,570,894,1.26,BLOCK at 9z.svg,320,852,4.04,
(end of example.txt file)

The above is approximate 5% of the length of a full file, and then I got about 100 of them. Please note that the strings end with a comma.

I am trying to parse it into something like this 

ID ImgNam BLOCK RUN Tx Ty Treatment x y Y
Subject ID 373 1 1 462 488 TRT 592 820 3.35
Subject ID 32 1 2 288 436 CON 332 878 3.66
Subject ID 384 1 3 204 433 TRT 334 824 3.28
Subject ID 365 1 4 575 683 TRT 598 878 3.5
Subject ID 5 1 5 480 239 CON 630 856 8.03
Subject ID 30 1 6 423 394 CON 98 846 4.09
Subject ID 33 1 7 596 398 CON 636 902 3.28
Subject ID 263 1 8 64 320 TRT 570 894 1.26
Subject ID 4 2 1 88 403 CON 606 908 3.32
Subject ID 703 2 2 546 434 CON 624 934 2.58
Subject ID 712 2 3 348 543 CON 20 828 5.36
Subject ID 5 2 4 48 239 CON 580 830 4.36
Subject ID 310 2 5 444 623 TRT 586 806 0.08
Subject ID 30 2 6 423 394 CON 350 854 3.84
Subject ID 340 2 7 382 539 TRT 570 894 1.26
Subject ID 345 3 1 230 662 TRT 632 844 2.47
Subject ID 6 3 2 335 309 CON 96 930 3.63
Subject ID 782 3 3 346 746 TRT 306 850 2.58
Subject ID 334 3 4 200 333 TRT 304 842 3.34
Subject ID 383 3 5 506 726 TRT 622 884 3.84
Subject ID 294 3 6 360 448 TRT 90 858 3.56
Subject ID 334 3 7 335 473 TRT 570 894 1.26

I could do it in Excel, but it would take me a week--and it would be stupid--if someone could please help me get started I would very much appreciate it. It would not only benefit me, but my colleagues would see the benefit of R and the R-list in particular.

Thanks in advance!

Eric

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