Converting a text string to an array of numbers

[db1145]

Hello,

I am trying to convert a textfile made up of strings of numbers separated by spaces, into a 2D array of the (floating point) numbers themselves.

For example the textfile would contain the following:
5 -2 3.3 6
2 1 0 86
9 -3 4 5.8
converted into a float array with dimensions [4][3].

Where [0][0]=5, [1][0]=-2, [3][1]=86, etc.

[db1145]

I have had limited success using the atof function, but can only read the first number of each line this way.

[horace1]

I have had limited success using the atof function, but can only read the first number of each line this way.

try something along the lines of

    float data[3][4];
    int i, j;
    for (i=0; i<3; i++)
       for(j=0; j<4; j++)
          scanf("%f", &data[i][j]);
 
 

[smartway]

I think it will be better to use fscanf instead of scanf.

[db1145]

It's not quite as simple as that, because each number can be represented by more than 1 character in the text file. Ie. this would work for 1 3 5 2, etc, but not for 3.25 -40 7 12, etc.

I managed it in the end by using the 'space' and 'end of line' characters in my textfile as delimiters, then putting each character of the text strings representing an individual number into its appropriate place in a 3 dimensional char array. I then used the atof() function to parse this text, and put the result into the 2D float array.

[horace1]

It's not quite as simple as that, because each number can be represented by more than 1 character in the text file. Ie. this would work for 1 3 5 2, etc, but not for 3.25 -40 7 12, etc.

I managed it in the end by using the 'space' and 'end of line' characters in my textfile as delimiters, then putting each character of the text strings representing an individual number into its appropriate place in a 3 dimensional char array. I then used the atof() function to parse this text, and put the result into the 2D float array.

not sure what you mean "because each number can be represented by more than 1 character in the text file"

scanf() (and fscanf()) with the conversion specification "%f" would use whitespace (space characters and newlines) as delimiters so would convert sets of digits seperated by spaces into floats. e.g.
3.25 -40 7 12

would be read as four float values 3.25, -40.0, 7.0 and 12.0