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

tennenrishin

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.

tennenrishin

Forgot to say please  ;D

Marco_Boeck

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

tennenrishin

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_Boeck

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

tennenrishin

Thanks!