[SEMI-SOLVED] Reading CSV file of unknown structure into purely nominal/text

tennenrishintennenrishin Member Posts: 177 Contributor II
edited October 2019 in Help
What is the easiest way to read a CSV file that has an unknown set (and number) of attributes (named in the first row), into an exampleset where each value is read simply as a nominal (or text) attribute?

My attempt,
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no"?>
<process version="5.3.008">
 <context>
   <input/>
   <output/>
   <macros/>
 </context>
 <operator activated="true" class="process" compatibility="5.3.008" expanded="true" name="Process">
   <process expanded="true">
     <operator activated="true" class="read_csv" compatibility="5.3.008" expanded="true" height="60" name="Read CSV" width="90" x="112" y="30">
       <parameter key="csv_file" value="/blahblahblah/VTX.csv"/>
       <parameter key="column_separators" value=","/>
       <parameter key="parse_numbers" value="false"/>
       <list key="annotations"/>
       <list key="data_set_meta_data_information"/>
     </operator>
     <connect from_op="Read CSV" from_port="output" to_port="result 1"/>
     <portSpacing port="source_input 1" spacing="0"/>
     <portSpacing port="sink_result 1" spacing="0"/>
     <portSpacing port="sink_result 2" spacing="0"/>
   </process>
 </operator>
</process>
parses numeric-appearing data as numeric attributes.

Failing that, what is the easiest way to do it if the number of attributes is known (but not the names)?

My attempt:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no"?>
<process version="5.3.008">
 <context>
   <input/>
   <output/>
   <macros/>
 </context>
 <operator activated="true" class="process" compatibility="5.3.008" expanded="true" name="Process">
   <process expanded="true">
     <operator activated="true" class="read_csv" compatibility="5.3.008" expanded="true" height="60" name="Read CSV" width="90" x="112" y="30">
       <parameter key="csv_file" value="/blahblahblah/VTX.csv"/>
       <parameter key="column_separators" value=","/>
       <parameter key="parse_numbers" value="false"/>
       <list key="annotations"/>
       <list key="data_set_meta_data_information">
         <parameter key="0" value=".true.nominal.regular"/>
         <parameter key="1" value=".true.nominal.regular"/>
         <parameter key="2" value=".true.nominal.regular"/>
         <parameter key="3" value=".true.nominal.regular"/>
         <parameter key="4" value=".true.nominal.regular"/>
         <parameter key="5" value=".true.nominal.regular"/>
       </list>
     </operator>
     <connect from_op="Read CSV" from_port="output" to_port="result 1"/>
     <portSpacing port="source_input 1" spacing="0"/>
     <portSpacing port="sink_result 1" spacing="0"/>
     <portSpacing port="sink_result 2" spacing="0"/>
   </process>
 </operator>
</process>
only reads the last attribute and discards the rest.

Answers

  • tennenrishintennenrishin Member Posts: 177 Contributor II
    Forgot to say please  ;D
  • Marco_BoeckMarco_Boeck Administrator, Moderator, Employee, Member, University Professor Posts: 1,993 RM Engineering
    Hi,

    if you just use the CSV operator as in your first example, you can simply follow it up with a "Numerical to Polynominal" operator, set to include all attributes. Or if you like, you can even follow that one up with a "Nominal to Text" operator. After that, all your attributes are of the type 'Text'.

    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no"?>
    <process version="5.3.013">
     <context>
       <input/>
       <output/>
       <macros/>
     </context>
     <operator activated="true" class="process" compatibility="5.3.013" expanded="true" name="Process">
       <process expanded="true">
         <operator activated="true" class="read_csv" compatibility="5.3.008" expanded="true" height="60" name="Read CSV" width="90" x="112" y="30">
           <parameter key="csv_file" value="/blahblahblah/VTX.csv"/>
           <parameter key="column_separators" value=","/>
           <parameter key="parse_numbers" value="false"/>
           <list key="annotations"/>
           <list key="data_set_meta_data_information"/>
         </operator>
         <operator activated="true" class="numerical_to_polynominal" compatibility="5.3.013" expanded="true" height="76" name="Numerical to Polynominal" width="90" x="246" y="30"/>
         <operator activated="true" class="nominal_to_text" compatibility="5.3.013" expanded="true" height="76" name="Nominal to Text" width="90" x="380" y="30"/>
         <connect from_op="Read CSV" from_port="output" to_op="Numerical to Polynominal" to_port="example set input"/>
         <connect from_op="Numerical to Polynominal" from_port="example set output" to_op="Nominal to Text" to_port="example set input"/>
         <connect from_op="Nominal to Text" from_port="example set output" to_port="result 1"/>
         <portSpacing port="source_input 1" spacing="0"/>
         <portSpacing port="sink_result 1" spacing="0"/>
         <portSpacing port="sink_result 2" spacing="0"/>
       </process>
     </operator>
    </process>
    Regards,
    Marco
  • tennenrishintennenrishin Member Posts: 177 Contributor II
    Thanks Marco,

    but then "00005" ends up as "5", for example. I need plain text original attributes, and I don't know their names at design time. This seems like a very basic requirement, or am I missing something obvious?

    Regards,
    Isak
  • Marco_BoeckMarco_Boeck Administrator, Moderator, Employee, Member, University Professor Posts: 1,993 RM Engineering
    Hi,

    unfortunately I think there is no out of the box way atm. I've modified your second process to at least do what you want:

    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no"?>
    <process version="5.3.013">
      <context>
        <input/>
        <output/>
        <macros/>
      </context>
      <operator activated="true" class="process" compatibility="5.3.013" expanded="true" name="Process">
        <process expanded="true">
          <operator activated="true" class="read_csv" compatibility="5.3.013" expanded="true" height="60" name="Read CSV" width="90" x="112" y="30">
            <parameter key="csv_file" value="/blahblahblah/VTX.csv"/>
            <parameter key="column_separators" value=","/>
            <parameter key="parse_numbers" value="false"/>
            <list key="annotations"/>
            <list key="data_set_meta_data_information">
              <parameter key="0" value=".true.nominal.attribute"/>
              <parameter key="1" value=".true.nominal.attribute"/>
              <parameter key="2" value=".true.nominal.attribute"/>
              <parameter key="3" value=".true.nominal.attribute"/>
              <parameter key="4" value=".true.nominal.attribute"/>
              <parameter key="5" value=".true.nominal.attribute"/>
            </list>
          </operator>
          <connect from_op="Read CSV" from_port="output" to_port="result 1"/>
          <portSpacing port="source_input 1" spacing="0"/>
          <portSpacing port="sink_result 1" spacing="0"/>
          <portSpacing port="sink_result 2" spacing="0"/>
        </process>
      </operator>
    </process>
    Regards,
    Marco
  • tennenrishintennenrishin Member Posts: 177 Contributor II
    Thanks!
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