[Scipy-tickets] [SciPy] #1319: io.loadmat not working on MATLAB ASCII files

[SciPy Trac]

#1319: io.loadmat not working on MATLAB ASCII files
------------------------+---------------------------------------------------
  Reporter:  daviesk24  |       Owner:  somebody
      Type:  defect     |      Status:  closed  
  Priority:  lowest     |   Milestone:  0.9.0   
 Component:  scipy.io   |     Version:  0.7.0   
Resolution:  invalid    |    Keywords:          
------------------------+---------------------------------------------------
Changes (by pv):

  * status:  new => closed
  * resolution:  => invalid


Old description:

> I am just getting started with SciPy.  I'd like to use it to load data
> that a stand-alone program is saving as a MATLAB version 4 in ASCII.
> I've isolated the problem a little bit.  I'd appreciate any help.
> Thanks!
>
> In MATLAB, try:
> a = 1:10;
> save('test_binary.mat', 'a')
> save('-ascii', 'test_ascii.mat', 'a')
>

> Then in Python, try:
> import scipy.io
>
> print "Trying to load test_binary.mat..."
> b = scipy.io.loadmat("test_binary.mat", struct_as_record=True)
> print b
>
> print "\nTrying to load test_ascii.mat..."
> c = scipy.io.loadmat("test_ascii.mat", struct_as_record=True)
> print c
>

> I get the following (MATLAB R2007A and Python v2.6 on Ubuntu 10.04):
> Trying to load test_binary.mat...
> {'a': array([[ 1,  2,  3,  4,  5,  6,  7,  8,  9, 10]], dtype=uint8),
> '__version__': '1.0', '__header__': 'MATLAB 5.0 MAT-file, Platform:
> GLNX86, Created on: Mon Oct 25 11:59:50 2010', '__globals__': []}
>
> Trying to load test_ascii.mat...
> Traceback (most recent call last):
>   File "./load_data.py", line 21, in <module>
>     c = scipy.io.loadmat("test_ascii.mat", struct_as_record=True)
>   File "/usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/scipy/io/matlab/mio.py", line
> 110, in loadmat
>     MR = mat_reader_factory(file_name, appendmat, **kwargs)
>   File "/usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/scipy/io/matlab/mio.py", line
> 80, in mat_reader_factory
>     mjv, mnv = get_matfile_version(byte_stream)
>   File "/usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/scipy/io/matlab/miobase.py",
> line 125, in get_matfile_version
>     raise ValueError('Unknown mat file type, version %s' % ret)
> TypeError: not all arguments converted during string formatting
>

> I've tried all the settings of byte_order in loadmat(), but none seem to
> work.

New description:

 I am just getting started with SciPy.  I'd like to use it to load data
 that a stand-alone program is saving as a MATLAB version 4 in ASCII.  I've
 isolated the problem a little bit.  I'd appreciate any help.  Thanks!

 In MATLAB, try:
 {{{
 a = 1:10;
 save('test_binary.mat', 'a')
 save('-ascii', 'test_ascii.mat', 'a')
 }}}

 Then in Python, try:
 {{{
 import scipy.io

 print "Trying to load test_binary.mat..."
 b = scipy.io.loadmat("test_binary.mat", struct_as_record=True)
 print b

 print "\nTrying to load test_ascii.mat..."
 c = scipy.io.loadmat("test_ascii.mat", struct_as_record=True)
 print c
 }}}

 I get the following (MATLAB R2007A and Python v2.6 on Ubuntu 10.04):
 {{{
 Trying to load test_binary.mat...
 {'a': array([[ 1,  2,  3,  4,  5,  6,  7,  8,  9, 10]], dtype=uint8),
 '__version__': '1.0', '__header__': 'MATLAB 5.0 MAT-file, Platform:
 GLNX86, Created on: Mon Oct 25 11:59:50 2010', '__globals__': []}

 Trying to load test_ascii.mat...
 Traceback (most recent call last):
   File "./load_data.py", line 21, in <module>
     c = scipy.io.loadmat("test_ascii.mat", struct_as_record=True)
   File "/usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/scipy/io/matlab/mio.py", line
 110, in loadmat
     MR = mat_reader_factory(file_name, appendmat, **kwargs)
   File "/usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/scipy/io/matlab/mio.py", line 80,
 in mat_reader_factory
     mjv, mnv = get_matfile_version(byte_stream)
   File "/usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/scipy/io/matlab/miobase.py", line
 125, in get_matfile_version
     raise ValueError('Unknown mat file type, version %s' % ret)
 TypeError: not all arguments converted during string formatting
 }}}

 I've tried all the settings of byte_order in loadmat(), but none seem to
 work.

--

Comment:

 Matlab ASCII files are not MAT-files but plain text files.
 You should use `numpy.loadtxt` to load those.

-- 
Ticket URL: <http://projects.scipy.org/scipy/ticket/1319#comment:2>
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