How to parse a file with value pairs

Hi was looking for ideas on how to best parse a text file which lines are in the following format

!FIX.BODY=xxxxx|2125=aaaaaa|1067=bbbbb|150=ccccc|329=ddddd|

the line is delimited by a '|' and it represents a value pair with the column name followed by an equal sign = followed by the value.

So in the example above I would like to end up with a table like this

FIX.BODY 2125 1067 150 329

___________________________________________

xxxxx aaaaaa bbbbb ccccc ddddd

[Stephen23]

"how to best parse a text file which lines are in the following format"

You use the plural, so the file contains multiple lines: do the lines have the same variable names/numbers, or different ones? Are the number of columns/fields/variables the same on each line, or can they differ?

The simplest would be if you upload a sample file by clicking the paperclip button. Descriptions of files are invariably inadequate compared to actually just getting a sample file, and will delay you actually getting a working solution.

[Ruben Ruiloba]

Hi thanks for the reply. Yes the file has multiple lines and the lines don't all have the same number of variable names.

The lines can differ. I can't upload the file as it has confidential data but it would look something like this.

!FIX.BODY=xxxxxx|2125=aaaaaa|1067=bbbbb|150=ccccc|329=dddddd|

!FIX.BODY=xxxxxx|2125=akcklsd|150=cchscc|329=ddddsd|

!FIX.BODY=xxxxxx|2125=ajfalkjfa|4555=ndlsuel|908=akncld|123=hdeudnc|

Thanks

[Stephen23]

"I can't upload the file as it has confidential data but it would look something like this."

A sample file does not have to contain confidential data in it, because you can write it with random, invented, made up data. However it should include all of the salient features of the actual data files, such as EOL character/s, file encoding (especially if this file is being generated from some other application), representative character strings, number encodings, etc.

Providing a file gives us an agreed reference with which we can test our code.

Not providing a file slows down you getting the solution you want.

Answer 1

[Stephen23]

This works with the attached file (which I had to create myself):

T = table();
[fid,msg] = fopen('temp0.txt','rt');
assert(fid>=3,msg)
while ~feof(fid)
    str = fgetl(fid);
    spl = regexp(str,'[^!|=]+','match');
    vnm = genvarname(spl(1:2:end)); % GENVARNAME is not required for R2019b or later
    T{end+1,vnm} =   spl(2:2:end);  %#ok<SAGROW>
end
fclose(fid);

Giving:

>> T
T = 
    FIX0x2EBODY       x2125        x1067       x150        x329        x4555        x908        x123   
    ___________    ___________    _______    ________    ________    _________    ________    _________
    'xxxxxx'       'aaaaaa'       'bbbbb'    'ccccc'     'dddddd'    []           []          []       
    'xxxxxx'       'akcklsd'      []         'cchscc'    'ddddsd'    []           []          []       
    'xxxxxx'       'ajfalkjfa'    []         []          []          'ndlsuel'    'akncld'    'hdeudnc'

[Ruben Ruiloba]

Thanks this has given me ideas and exactly what I was looking for. Thanks again.