Import multiple CSV files, but some title format error need to modify by JSL

[#1]

I'm trying to import multiple CSV files, the "import multiple files" function doesn't work well because original data column name format has two problems that will cause title and data don't match

1. The data column name looks like this:       Date time name ( A B C ) (D E F ) height weight ......etc 

2. The dilim I need are space and ( and )

3. However, there is additional space or tab before "Date", so the first column name becomes Column 1 rather than Date, and title right shift one column compare to data

4. second error is (D, there in no space between this two for the title, so they are treated as one title, but the data are separated into ( and D two columns because there is space in between, so title will left shift one column compare to data

5. The first error always exist before first column name "Date", but the second error "(D" may appear at different order based on source tool

I would like to wirte a JSL so that it can automatically match all title and columns, but not sure how to do this:

I guess the first step is to use  Get Column Names() then parse the names, but parse() and word() seems don't work.

I' m stucked here, really raw at coding, thank you for your help in advance

[#2]

If it is possible to provide one example (or few if there are different kinds of) .csv file it would make this easier. If not, could you provide one "broken" data table?

[#3]

I attached sample table for your reference

[#4]

Based on the two line example I would most likely go by cleaning the .csv file (remove () and collapse whitespaces) and then use Open with Char to Blob() to convert that "fixed" string into a data table

Names Default To Here(1);

str = Load Text File("$DOWNLOADS/sample CSV.csv");

lines = Words(str, "\!N");

data = Transform Each({line}, lines, 
	str = Collapse Whitespace(Substitute(line, {"(", ")"}, ""))	
);

str = Concat Items(data, "\!N");

dt = Open(Char To Blob(str),
	Import Settings(
		End Of Line(CRLF, CR, LF),
		End Of Field(Spaces, Space, CSV(0)),
		Strip Quotes(1),
		Use Apostrophe as Quotation Mark(0),
		Use Regional Settings(0),
		Scan Whole File(1),
		Treat empty columns as numeric(0),
		CompressNumericColumns(0),
		CompressCharacterColumns(0),
		CompressAllowListCheck(0),
		Labels(1),
		Column Names Start(1),
		First Named Column(1),
		Data Starts(2),
		Lines To Read("All"),
		Year Rule("20xx")
	)
);

[#5]

@jthi 

Your solution is awesome!

One question.  Your line where you are removing the parentheses from each line, you specify

str = Collapse Whitespace(Substitute(line, {"(", ")"}, ""))	

where you substitute all "(" to ")" and then substitute all ")" to "".

My old school approach would be:

str = Collapse Whitespace(Substitute(line, "(", "", ")", ""))

where the "(" are substituted with "" and then the ")" are substituted to "".

Is there an advantage to your syntax or is it just a personal choice?

[#6]

It is just my personal choice. Generally when I want to replace multiple things with same thing, I provide Substitute a list of the values to replace and then the value once. If I want to replace them with different things I use the approach you did show OR if I have to build it dynamically/have configuration file I will use two lists

Names Default To Here(1);

str = "AA BB CC DD";

a = Substitute(str, {"AA", "BB"}, "11"); // a = "11 11 CC DD";
b = Substitute(str, "AA", "11", "BB", "22"); // b = "11 22 CC DD";

subs = ["AA" => "33", "BB" => "44"];
c = Substitute(str, subs << get keys, subs << Get Values); // c = "33 44 CC DD";

show(a, b, c);

[#7]

Thank you for your support, this method works well for single file

But I still have one question left, I have a lot of  files with same format that needs to be imported as one JMP file.

So it seems this method requires me to open them one by one then do cocatenate into one file 

This is why my original thought was:

1. use multiple import function 

2.  get column names

3. then use recode column name function to modify each column name

[#8]

Is there some specific reason why you couldn't do the following

1. Get list of files you are interested in
2. Use For Each to loop over them
3. Inside the loop parse the files and concatenate them to a table which you open first

You could try to also fix the columns but based on your example it was much easier to just fix the csv file than start messing with column names and/or shifting values after importing the values

[#9]

Fixing the program that generates the file might also be a good option. That is not a standard CSV and I don't think any other program is going to parse it correctly either.

[#10]

I tried to use for loop to loop over files, but it doesn't work, looks like something goes wrong when I tried to concat them

Names Default To Here(1);
dir = Pick Directory("Select a directory");
filelist = Files In Directory(dir);
strings = {};
 
For(i = 1, i <= N Items(filelist), i++,
	file = dir || Eval(Parse(filelist[i]));
	str = Load Text File(file);
	lines = Words(str, "\!N");
	data = Transform Each({line}, lines,
		str = Collapse Whitespace(Substitute(line, {"(", ")"}, ""))
	);
	str = Concat Items(data, "\!N");
	strings = strings || str;
);
 
 
 
dt = Open(
	Char To Blob(str),
	Import Settings(
		End Of Line(CRLF, CR, LF),
		End Of Field(Spaces, Space, CSV(0)),
		Strip Quotes(1),
		Use Apostrophe as Quotation Mark(0),
		Use Regional Settings(0),
		Scan Whole File(1),
		Treat empty columns as numeric(0),
		CompressNumericColumns(0),
		CompressCharacterColumns(0),
		CompressAllowListCheck(0),
		Labels(1),
		Column Names Start(2),
		First Named Column(1),
		Data Starts(3),
		Lines To Read("All"),
		Year Rule("20xx")
	)
);