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Ordering Files in Folder

NRW

Folks,

I have a list of files that I want to concatenate (see first figure). The preference would be to concatenate as shown, that is "surf_12275-87-1..., "surf_12275-87-2...", etc. However, when I form a list from the files in the folder (after stripping off unnecessary characters) , the sequence is "12275-87-1, 12275-87-10, 12275-87-11". The preference however, would be "12275-87-1, 12275-87-2, 12275-87-3". Obviously the straight forward way around the issue is to have the files come to me in the form of " -01, -02, ... -10, -11", but that will not always be the case.

Is there a straight forward way to get the files into the preferred ranking format so I can open and concatenate from low to high? Current script attached.

s_path = {};
	X_path = {};
	f1 = Files In Directory( SD1, recursive(1));
	
	For( i = 1, i <= N Items( f1 ), i++,
	
			b = f1[i];
			
			c = Contains Item(b, "surf", "_");
			
			If( c==1, 
				d = Word(2, b, "_");
				Insert Into(s_path,d),
				Insert Into(X_path, d)	
			)
				
	);
	
	Show(s_path);

actual list.PNG

Accepted answers

jthi

JMP data table seem to be using numerical sorting if you have columns modeling type as ordinal so you could use that or for loop.

Names Default To Here(1);

a = {
	"surf_12275_87-1_r250", 
	"surf_12275_87-2_r250", 
	"surf_12275_87-3_r250", 
	"surf_12275_87-4_r250", 
	"surf_12275_87-5_r250", 
	"surf_12275_87-6_r250", 
	"surf_12275_87-7_r250", 
	"surf_12275_87-8_r250", 
	"surf_12275_87-9_r250", 
	"surf_12275_87-10_r250",
	"surf_12275_87-11_r250",
	"surf_12275_87-12_r250",
	"surf_12275_87-13_r250",
	"surf_12275_87-20_r250",
	"surf_12275_87-22_r250"
};
a = Sort List(a); //break the ordering
Show(a);
dt = New Table("",
	New Column("SortList", Character, Ordinal, Set Values(a)), private
);
dt << Sort(By(:SortList), Order(Ascending), Replace Table);
b = dt:SortList << Get Values;
Close(dt, no save);
Show(b);

c = {};
For(i = 1, i <= N Items(a), i++,
	Insert Into(c, a[i], Num(Words(a[i], "-_")[4]));
);
Show(c);

These could give some idea how to approach the problem.

Edit:

You might be also able to concatenate all tables first together while using Source column, change source column to Ordinal and then sort by that:

Names Default To Here(1);
a = {
	"surf_12275_87-1_r250", 
	"surf_12275_87-2_r250", 
	"surf_12275_87-3_r250", 
	"surf_12275_87-4_r250", 
	"surf_12275_87-5_r250", 
	"surf_12275_87-6_r250", 
	"surf_12275_87-7_r250", 
	"surf_12275_87-8_r250", 
	"surf_12275_87-9_r250", 
	"surf_12275_87-10_r250",
	"surf_12275_87-11_r250",
	"surf_12275_87-12_r250",
	"surf_12275_87-13_r250",
	"surf_12275_87-20_r250",
	"surf_12275_87-22_r250"
};
a = Sort List(a);

one = New Table(a[1], new column("a", set values([1])));
two = New Table(a[2], new column("a", set values([10])));
three = New Table(a[6], new column("a", set values([2])));

one << Concatenate(two, three, Append to first table, Create Source Column);
one:Source Table << Set Modeling Type("Ordinal");
one << Sort(By(:Source Table), Order(Ascending), Replace Table);

All comments

jthi

JMP data table seem to be using numerical sorting if you have columns modeling type as ordinal so you could use that or for loop.

Names Default To Here(1);

a = {
	"surf_12275_87-1_r250", 
	"surf_12275_87-2_r250", 
	"surf_12275_87-3_r250", 
	"surf_12275_87-4_r250", 
	"surf_12275_87-5_r250", 
	"surf_12275_87-6_r250", 
	"surf_12275_87-7_r250", 
	"surf_12275_87-8_r250", 
	"surf_12275_87-9_r250", 
	"surf_12275_87-10_r250",
	"surf_12275_87-11_r250",
	"surf_12275_87-12_r250",
	"surf_12275_87-13_r250",
	"surf_12275_87-20_r250",
	"surf_12275_87-22_r250"
};
a = Sort List(a); //break the ordering
Show(a);
dt = New Table("",
	New Column("SortList", Character, Ordinal, Set Values(a)), private
);
dt << Sort(By(:SortList), Order(Ascending), Replace Table);
b = dt:SortList << Get Values;
Close(dt, no save);
Show(b);

c = {};
For(i = 1, i <= N Items(a), i++,
	Insert Into(c, a[i], Num(Words(a[i], "-_")[4]));
);
Show(c);

These could give some idea how to approach the problem.

Edit:

You might be also able to concatenate all tables first together while using Source column, change source column to Ordinal and then sort by that:

Names Default To Here(1);
a = {
	"surf_12275_87-1_r250", 
	"surf_12275_87-2_r250", 
	"surf_12275_87-3_r250", 
	"surf_12275_87-4_r250", 
	"surf_12275_87-5_r250", 
	"surf_12275_87-6_r250", 
	"surf_12275_87-7_r250", 
	"surf_12275_87-8_r250", 
	"surf_12275_87-9_r250", 
	"surf_12275_87-10_r250",
	"surf_12275_87-11_r250",
	"surf_12275_87-12_r250",
	"surf_12275_87-13_r250",
	"surf_12275_87-20_r250",
	"surf_12275_87-22_r250"
};
a = Sort List(a);

one = New Table(a[1], new column("a", set values([1])));
two = New Table(a[2], new column("a", set values([10])));
three = New Table(a[6], new column("a", set values([2])));

one << Concatenate(two, three, Append to first table, Create Source Column);
one:Source Table << Set Modeling Type("Ordinal");
one << Sort(By(:Source Table), Order(Ascending), Replace Table);

txnelson

Here is one way to sort the list, by taking the elements of the names and separating them into different columns in a data table, changing the numeric elements to numeric columns and then sorting the data table by all of the elements.

names default to here(1);

f1={"surf_12275-87-11_r250_50x_mean_2.jmp", "surf_12275-87-2_r250_50x_mean_2.jmp",
"surf_12275-87-10_r250_50x_mean_2.jmp", "surf_12275-87-4_r250_50x_mean_2.jmp",
"surf_12275-87-5_r250_50x_mean_2.jmp", "surf_12275-87-6_r250_50x_mean_2.jmp",
"surf_12275-87-7_r250_50x_mean_2.jmp", "surf_12275-87-8_r250_50x_mean_2.jmp",
"surf_12275-87-9_r250_50x_mean_2.jmp", "surf_12275-87-1_r250_50x_mean_2.jmp",
"surf_12275-87-3_r250_50x_mean_2.jmp"};

dt = new table("Sort Table",
	add rows(nitems(f1)),
	new column("File Names", character)
);
dt:File Names << set values(f1);

// Create and populate separate columns for each element in the names
sortList = {};
i=1;
While(word(i,f1[1],"_-.") != "",
	dt<<new column("Element" || char(i), character);
	insert into(sortList,"Element" || char(i) );
	For(k=1,k<=nitems(f1),k++,
		column(dt,ncols(dt))[k]=word(i,f1[k],"_-.")
	);
	i++
);

// Find the columns that are numeric and change them to numeric
For(i=2,i<=ncols(dt),i++,
	If(!isMissing(num(column(dt,i)[1])),
		column(dt,i)<<data type(numeric)
	);
);

// Sort the data table
dt<<sort(by(eval(sortList)),replace table(1));

// Reset the f1 list to the sorted list
f1 = dt:File Names << get values;

I am sure other members may have alternative methods.

NRW

Jarmo,

Many thanks for teaching me a new skill set. I've tried all your suggested approaches to improve my coding ability. Here is my latest revision which does exactly what I want.

Thank you again

Neil

f1 = Files In Directory( SD1, recursive(1));
	
	f1 = Sort List(f1);
	dt = New Table("", 
		New Column("SortList", Character, Ordinal, Set Values(f1)), private	
	);
	
	dt << Sort( By(:SortList),  Order(Ascending), Replace Table);
	b = dt:SortList << Get Values;
	Close(dt, no save);
	
	For( i=1, i <= N Items(b), i++,
		
		file_1 = Open(SD1 || b[1]);
		If(i > 1, 
			
			file_nxt = Open(SD1 || b[i], Private);
			file_1 << Concatenate(file_nxt, Append to first table);	
		)
	);
	
	file_1 << Save(SD1 || "All Summary");

NRW

Jim,

I can't tell you how insightful this approach was for another (unrelated to this thread) problem I was having. That is, file names with unpredicted "element" arrangements. At least I'm able to dissect the filenames and "reorder" to consistent labeling.

Thanks again for all your help.

Neil

jthi

@DonMcCormackthis could also be a possible option for a JMP Challenge: Natural Sorting . I usually try to handle situations like this with additional padded zeros when I can, but it is quite common for them to be missing...