Re: [R] GREP - Choosing values between two borders Another way you can do it, if the data has the pattern shown in your sample, it to select all the lines that start with a numeric: > input <- "######## FILE-CONTENT ############## + EXAM NUM:2 + ----------------- + EXAM #1 + ASTIG:-2.4D + AXIS:4.8 + START OF HEIGHT DATA +  0 0.0 0.00000000 +  0 0.1 0.00055643 +  9 4.9 1.67278117 +  9 5.0 1.74873257 + 10 0.0 0.00000000 + 10 0.1 0.00075557 + 99 5.3 1.94719490 + END OF HEIGHT DATA + X POS:-0.299mm + Y POS:0.442mm + Z POS:-0.290mm + ----------------- + EXAM #2 + ASTIG:-2.4D + AXIS:4.8 + START OF HEIGHT DATA +  0 0.0 0.00000000 +  0 0.1 0.00055643 +  9 4.9 1.67278117 +  9 5.0 1.74873257 + 10 0.0 0.00000000 + 10 0.1 0.00075557 + 99 5.3 1.94719490 + END OF HEIGHT DATA + X POS:-0.299mm + Y POS:0.442mm + Z POS:-0.290mm + " > x <- readLines(textConnection(input)) > x <- x[grep("^\\\\s*\\\\d", x, perl=TRUE)] > x.in <- scan(textConnection(x), what=0) Read 42 items > x.in <- matrix(x.in, ncol=3, byrow=TRUE) > x.in       [,1] [,2]       [,3]  [1,]    0  0.0 0.00000000  [2,]    0  0.1 0.00055643  [3,]    9  4.9 1.67278117  [4,]    9  5.0 1.74873257  [5,]   10  0.0 0.00000000  [6,]   10  0.1 0.00075557  [7,]   99  5.3 1.94719490  [8,]    0  0.0 0.00000000  [9,]    0  0.1 0.00055643 [10,]    9  4.9 1.67278117 [11,]    9  5.0 1.74873257 [12,]   10  0.0 0.00000000 [13,]   10  0.1 0.00075557 [14,]   99  5.3 1.94719490 > > On 4/17/07, Felix Wave  wrote: > Hello, > I import datas from an file with: readLines > But I need only a part of all measurments of this file. These are between > two borders "START" and "END". > > Can you tell me the syntax of grep(), to choose values between two borders? > > My R Code was not succesful, and I can't finde anything in the help. > > Thank's a lot. > > Felix > > > > > ######### R-CODE ################### >  file    <- "file-content" >  Measure <- grep("[START-END]",file) > #Measure <- grep("[START|END]",file) > > > > ######## FILE-CONTENT ############## > EXAM NUM:2 > ----------------- > EXAM #1 > ASTIG:-2.4D > AXIS:4.8 > START OF HEIGHT DATA >  0 0.0 0.00000000 >  0 0.1 0.00055643 >  9 4.9 1.67278117 >  9 5.0 1.74873257 > 10 0.0 0.00000000 > 10 0.1 0.00075557 > 99 5.3 1.94719490 > END OF HEIGHT DATA > X POS:-0.299mm > Y POS:0.442mm > Z POS:-0.290mm > ----------------- > EXAM #2 > ASTIG:-2.4D > AXIS:4.8 > START OF HEIGHT DATA >  0 0.0 0.00000000 >  0 0.1 0.00055643 >  9 4.9 1.67278117 >  9 5.0 1.74873257 > 10 0.0 0.00000000 > 10 0.1 0.00075557 > 99 5.3 1.94719490 > END OF HEIGHT DATA > X POS:-0.299mm > Y POS:0.442mm > Z POS:-0.290mm > > ______________________________________________ > R-help@stat.math.ethz.ch mailing list > https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help > PLEASE do read the posting guide http://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html > and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code. > --  Jim Holtman Cincinnati, OH +1 513 646 9390 What is the problem you are trying to solve? ______________________________________________ R-help@stat.math.ethz.ch mailing list https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help PLEASE do read the posting guide http://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code.