topic How do I select files and create the pathway to it as a string? in Discussions

How do I select files and create the pathway to it as a string?

anders_bankefor — Tue, 26 Apr 2016 09:25:44 GMT

Hi,

I would like to create a function that enables me to pick multiple files, retrive the local pathway to them and then store this pathway as a string in order to import them to JMP.

dtname = {};

dt.file = Pick File (...);

//select the dir.

path = Pick Directory ("Select a directory.");

for (i=1, i<= N Items(dt.file), i++,

//String of my file name

dtname = dt.file << Get Name ;

Open (

path||"\"||dtname,

//the import settings should predefine which row is header, new column etc.

Import Settings(..)

)

when executing this I get a return message that says "Send Expects Scriptable Object in access or evaluation of 'List*...."

What am I doing wrong? Do I have to eval my dt.file = Pick File (...); function?

Re: How do I select files and create the pathway to it as a string?

ms — Tue, 26 Apr 2016 10:29:14 GMT

Pick File() by default returns file name, including the path to the file, as a string.

This should work:

dt.file = Pick File();

Open(dt.file)

Re: How do I select files and create the pathway to it as a string?

anders_bankefor — Tue, 26 Apr 2016 12:28:04 GMT

Hi MS and thank you for your quick reply.

yes this is exactly what I thought since I can use dt.file << Get Name;

I can see now that I've made an error in my discussion, dt.file should be a list so that I may stack several csv files. Therefore I need to iterate/recursively go through the list and import the excel file to JMP.

Moreover, I would like to use "import settings(...)" to predefine the parameters for importing data to JMP, if I use open I have to define these parameters manually for each file that I import.

I've corrected my original post and I look forward to your reply.

Anders

Re: How do I select files and create the pathway to it as a string?

msharp — Tue, 26 Apr 2016 15:56:56 GMT

You can open multiple files with pick file(). You can also specify the excel import options right in open(). Look at Open() in the Scripting Index, example 2.

file = Pick File("Pick a file", "$DOCUMENTS", {"Excel|csv;xlsx;xls","JMP Files|jmp;jsl;jrn", "All Files|*"}, 1,0, "", multiple);

For(i=1, i<=nitems(file), i++,

Open(file[i], /*excel options ie: ,Table Contains Column Headers( 1 ), Column Names are on line (3), ect.*/)

);