From: see.signature
Subject: parsing (reading) data files
Date: 
Message-ID: <slrnadvobb.56.anyone@Flex111.dNWL.WAU.NL>
Hi Lispers,

after playing around with a model, I need to read in data files.  these
files have a structure like this:

***SOIL FILE*** - CL-HY-65.SL-

 1. Soil site:  Clay - heavy (65 cm)
 2. Local soil name:
 3. A soil taxonomy name:
 4. Brief description: Very sticky. Gleying common.
 5. Name of file-author: Tim Stop
 6. Date created: 0456
 7. Data-provider's name: self
 8. Printed source(s) of data: nil
 9. Special reasons for interest: wert
 10. Remarks (no commas): This file is an example only.
 11. Remarks (no commas):
 12. Remarks (no commas):
	 
***DATA SECTION*** (Edit data-items RIGHTwards from Column 60 as printed)
SOIL 1. Aer'n (class,1-6,nil to good):                      4    (poor)
SOIL 2. Base saturation (% CEC):                            70   (high)
SOIL 3. CEC (meq/100 g):                                    35   (high)
....
and so on.  

There are a lot of different types of data files which are somewhat as
above.  Some files even contain tables like:

*** DATA
                             WEEKS - ACTUAL
			     
23    24    25    26    27    28    29    30    31    32    33    34
\(period name or no.)  <- this line is a continuation of the last line

CLIM 1. Rainfall (mm)
 23    34    45    56    67    78    89    90    0     10    20    30
 
CLIM 2. Evaporation (mm)
 65    54    43    32    21    10    0     20    40    60    70    80
  

I am looking for advice on how to read such files in Lisp.

thank you very much,

Marc

-- 
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email: marc dot hoffmann at users dot whh dot wau dot nl
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From: Frank A. Adrian
Subject: Re: parsing (reading) data files
Date: 
Message-ID: <ps%D8.80$lp5.289956@news.uswest.net>
see.signature wrote:
> I am looking for advice on how to read such files in Lisp.

There seem to be a diverse set of line formats in the file, none of which 
seem to be easily parsed by the Lisp reader.  Unless the format can be 
regularized to something more Lisp-like, you'll still have to use the 
equivalent of a standard parser, only written in Lisp (which will still 
make it much smaller and easier to write).  I'd check out 
http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/afs/cs/project/ai-repository/ai/lang/lisp/code/parsing/zebu/ 
for one of the better Lisp parsers, and the directory above that has some 
additional items that might be useful.  Also look in CLOCC 
(http://clocc.sourceforge.net/) for other possibilities.

faa