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extracting table from text files

Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2005 12:07 am
by rickmac
I have tables embedded in pure text files. I am trying to extract these tables of data and generate structured tables. the test files i am using do not embed tags or special delimiters, just uneven space.

text file example:
---------------------------------------------------------
X is the x axis defined as ............
Y is the iiiii
the area XY is the integral of ......
several points on line are as follows
X Y Z
------ ----- ------
a 1.2 3 2
b 3 2.2 11
c 4 1.2 2.1

a and b represent the base
however c may represent ..........
---------------------------------------------------------

how would i be able just to extract

X Y Z
------ ----- ------
a 1.2 3 2
b 3 2.2 11
c 4 1.2 2.1


from the text file?


any suggestions?

Thanks

Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2005 12:53 pm
by DataMystic Support
Easy, just use EasyPatterns:

Search for:

[ capture( 1+ not space ), ' ',
capture( 1+ not space ), ' ',
capture( 1+ not space ), ' ',
....etc...
]

Replace with:

$1,$2,$3,$3