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numpy loadtxt with empty files

I use the following code to read my data files

data=np.loadtxt("File Name")

this works fine as long as the data file is not empty. When the data file is empty it give me an error and exit from the program. the data files are generated by simulations and do idea if data exists or not in given file.

I need to check if the data file has data or not and do not know how to do it with python (numpy). when I say data, it doesn't include comments starts with '#'. Every data file generated has comments, so even with bunch of comments it might not has any data.

thanks
~Peiris

gelonida

Two suggestions from somebody who doesn't know whether there is a trick in numpy itself.

1.) create a function, which opens the file, and reads lineby line and closes it when reahing the end of file or when encountering the first data.

# Code is untested I directly typed it into this response
def file_is_empty(filename):
fin = open(filename)
for line if fin:
line = line[:line.find('#')] # remove '#' comments
line = line.strip()
if len(line) != 0:
return False
return True

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gelonida

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gelonida

For my first solution in order to be cleaner you should either close the file before returning or
rewrite as

def file_is_empty(filename):
    with open(filename)as fin:
        for line if fin:
            line = line[:line.find('#')]  # remove '#' comments
            line = line.strip() #rmv leading/trailing white space
            if len(line) != 0:
                return False
    return True

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Peiris

ASKER

This solve my problem