Scripting open CSV with both file dialog picker and column definitions.

[#1]

Hi,

Working on an automation of an analysis and getting hung up on the first step of importing a csv file.  My approach is to use the automatically generated scripts as a basis.

The following script works on my test file and I would like to modify to use the file browser to pick a file instead of the current hard coding.

The scripting documentation states that if the file path string is not present then the file dialog will be used.  In that vein, I delete the "$DESKTOP/test.csv" string, however this just returns an error requesting a string.  If I do an open without the column definition such as dt =open(); then the file dialog is presented but the import dialog is presented and needs to to be clicked through which I would like to avoid.  How do I get a file dialog window to pick a file along with the column definitions for the final data table?

Andy

Open(
	"$DESKTOP/test.csv",
	columns(
		New Column( "Time (s)", Numeric, "Continuous", Format( "Best", 12 ) ),
		New Column( "Step", Numeric, "Continuous", Format( "Best", 12 ) ),
		New Column( "Cycle", Numeric, "Continuous", Format( "Best", 12 ) ),
		New Column( "MFC1 (slm)", Numeric, "Continuous", Format( "Best", 12 ) ),
		New Column( "MFC2 (sccm)", Numeric, "Continuous", Format( "Best", 12 ) ),
		New Column( "MFC3 (sccm)", Numeric, "Continuous", Format( "Best", 12 ) ),
		New Column( "MFC4 (sccm)", Numeric, "Continuous", Format( "Best", 12 ) ),
		New Column( "TV Pres (torr)", Numeric, "Continuous", Format( "Best", 12 ) ),
		New Column( "TV Pos (%)", Numeric, "Continuous", Format( "Best", 12 ) ),
		New Column( "DS Pres (torr)", Numeric, "Continuous", Format( "Best", 12 ) ),
		New Column( "Rpm", Numeric, "Continuous", Format( "Best", 12 ) ),
		New Column( "Torque", Numeric, "Continuous", Format( "Best", 12 ) ),
		New Column( "A1 (C)", Numeric, "Continuous", Format( "Best", 12 ) ),
		New Column( "A2 (C)", Numeric, "Continuous", Format( "Best", 12 ) ),
		New Column( "A3 (C)", Numeric, "Continuous", Format( "Best", 12 ) ),
		New Column( "GL1 (C)", Numeric, "Continuous", Format( "Best", 12 ) ),
		New Column( "GL2 (C)", Numeric, "Continuous", Format( "Best", 12 ) ),
		New Column( "GL3 (C)", Numeric, "Continuous", Format( "Best", 12 ) ),
		New Column( "CH GL (C)", Numeric, "Continuous", Format( "Best", 12 ) ),
		New Column( "CH T (C)", Numeric, "Continuous", Format( "Best", 12 ) ),
		New Column( "CH B (C)", Numeric, "Continuous", Format( "Best", 12 ) ),
		New Column( "CH U (C)", Numeric, "Continuous", Format( "Best", 12 ) )
	),
	Import Settings(
		End Of Line( CRLF, CR, LF ),
		End Of Field( Comma, 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 ),
		Data Starts( 2 ),
		Lines To Read( "All" ),
		Year Rule( "20xx" )
	)
)

[#2 · Accepted solution]

Could you use Pick File() and then use that filename in the Open()?

chosen_file=pick file("Choose a .csv file", "$DESKTOP", {"Text files|csv;"});

open(chosen_file);

[#3]

Hi Jeff,

Thanks that works. Just for completeness why didn't the open function work when column specification were included?
Andy