Data Files

Opening data files

In order to open a data file, select the menu option "/File/Open" or click on the toolbar button "Open". A file open dialog will appear and you have to chose the data file. The directory that the open dialog will initially show, can be set in the preferences dialog ("/Edit/Preferences").

Data format

Currently StatistX supports only ASCII file formats.
Each row must contain the same number of columns and each column must have the same number of rows. Rows are separated by new lines and columns can be separated either by blanks or tabulators (tab-stops), but only one kind of separator is allowed per file. StatistX determines automatically which kind of column separator has to be used.

Comments and labels

Lines starting with a '#' are ignored as data lines. However, a line starting with the sequence '#%' is assumed to conatain labels for the columns. Labels are separated using the same separator as for the data lines.
If a label name starts with '$' (e.g. "$aLabel") the respective column is ignored and not read into the spread sheet.
If a label name starts with '%' (e.g. "%Titles") StatistX assumes that the respective column contains the names of the rows. These names are displayed on the left hand side of the spread sheet.
Of course labels must be defined prior to the first line containing data.

Example

Here is an example of a possible data file (See directory 'testdata' for more examples.):

# First row. This row is simply ignored, because it starts with '#'
#% %RowTitles Data_1 Data_2 Data_3 $ignore_this
Row_1 1.1 1.2 1.3 bla_bla
Row_2 2.1 2.2 2.3 999
Row_3 3.1 3.2 3.3 Hups!
# End of file

The line starting with "#%" tells StatistX to interpret the text as labels for the columns. The actual data columsn will get the labels Data_1, Data_2, and Data_3. The first column is assumed to contain the names of the rows, i.e. the rows will be called Row_1, Row_2, and Row_3. The last column will not be interpreted by StatistX.