Loading External Files Into A List - Proper Set-up

[David McFarlane]

Ah, posting your .txt file was the key.  Getting the external file 
format right is tricky, and I don't know where PST documents this 
(but try the List.Filename, List.LoadMethod, and List.Load topics in 
the online E-Basic Help), but I will suggest a way out at the end.

So as a bit of personal exercise, I made a little demo program using 
your sample .txt (which I will send you separately).  Your main 
problem is that your .txt is not properly formatted.  In particular, 
you have your Procedure and Nested columns mixed up, and you do not 
have a tab between the Stimulus and CorrectAnswer headings.  With 
those changes your file works OK.

You will note that my demo program uses no script.  It also has a 
fully formed TrialList which then gets replaced by the loaded list (I 
set the Weight to 0 as a hint that List entries come from somewhere 
else).  This is not necessary, but it helps to visualize things.

And here is the real hint:  Start by making a small version of your 
List in E-Studio, and leave the List Load Method at Embedded.  Then 
generate the script and look down at the bottom for the generated 
embedded List.  Copy that into a text editor.  Voila!  You now have a 
properly formatted template that you may edit for your final external 
list.  Then set your List Load Method to File, etc.

-- David McFarlane, Professional Faultfinder


At 1/13/2010 05:02 PM Wednesday, mcgree wrote:
>Thank you for the information.  Unfortunately, I think that I have
>done what is outlined here, but it doesn't seem to be working.
>Obviously, I know that I am doing something wrong, I'm just not quite
>sure what.  Currently, I am just trying to get a practice program to
>work rather than trying to tie together a full program and not be sure
>where the errors are coming from.  To give a bit more detail, I am
>using the E-BasicExample file from the included tutorials.  I have
>added the following code to the script that is just before the list
>named List1:
>List1.LoadMethod = ebLoadMethodFile
>
>List1.Filename = "MyTextFile.txt"
>
>List1.Load
>
>Additionally, I have created a .txt file that looks like the
>following:
>Weight  Procedure       Nested  Stimulus CorrectAnswer
>1       TrialProc               Y       2
>1       TrialProc               X       1
>1       TrialProc               Y       2
>1       TrialProc               X       1
>1       TrialProc               Y       2
>1       TrialProc               X       1
>
>(In the text file the information within each cell is actually located
>under the proper title, but the formatting is not working correctly
>here.)  The only other information that I can think of that may be
>helpful is that I have left the list blank with the exception of the
>headers which are the same as the ones above.
>
>I also tried two different ways to set up the rest of the code:  one
>where I left the procedure under the list (normal setup) and one where
>I moved it to the unreferenced objects section.  The first way
>(basically just setting up the program normally) did not compile.
>Instead, the "child item is a procedure" error popped up.  The second
>way (moving the procedure to the unreferenced objects section) allowed
>the code to be compiled; however when I actually run the program E-
>Prime crashes completely.  Does anyone have any further thoughts on
>why this may be or what I can do to fix this problem?  Thanks!
>
>On Jan 13, 7:35 am, liwenna <liwe... at gmail.com> wrote:
> > Confusement I see!
> >
> > Something is terribly off in the part regarding "files/listsubject" &
> > c.GetAttrib("subject") & ".txt"   and/or the
> > listsession" & c.GetAttrib("session") & ".txt"  . The file that I took
> > the code from actually uses an attribute called 'group' but as that is
> > not a standard attribute in e-prime I thought that I would better
> > replace it by session of subject and apparantly I didn't choose
> > consequently ;)
> >
> > On Jan 13, 12:15 pm, liwenna <liwe... at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > > Hello mister mcgree!
> >
> > > Not quite sure about the child-thing but could something be amiss with
> > > the formatting of your .txt file so that a procedure ends up in, for
> > > instance, the nested column instead of the procedure column?
> >
> > > The thread you link too contains a LOT of information and features
> > > while judging from your post I think you are only seeking for a way to
> > > load a .txt file into a list.
> >
> > > Here is a bit more shorthand explanation of the 'basic way to load
> > > a .txt file into a list'.
> >
> > > The .txt file should contain all the column headers of a 'normal
> > > list' (e.g. weight nested procedure) and all your own variables (e.g.
> > > stim) on the first line. Each 'collumn' must be separated by a tab.
> > > The next lines of the .txt files hold the 'content' of each 'cell'
> > > again divided by tabs.
> >
> > > Here is a simple .txt file (but google group doesn't handle tabs too
> > > well... so it is a bit messy).
> >
> > > Weight  Nested  Procedure       stim
> > > 1               trialproc       2
> > > 1               trialproc       3
> > > 1               trialproc       1
> > > 1               trialproc       4
> >
> > > Now in e-prime simply add an inline to the procedure that holds your
> > > list and place it right before your list stating something like:
> >
> > > ---------------------------
> >
> > > Listname.LoadMethod = ebLoadMethodFile
> >
> > > Listname.Filename = "files/listsubject" & c.GetAttrib("subject") &
> > > ".txt"
> >
> > > Listname.Load
> >
> > > -------------------
> >
> > > In the above example listname is the name of your list. Alo: the
> > > "files/" part denotes e-prime to look into a folder called files
> > > that's located within the folder that contains the e-studio file. I do
> > > this to keep things somewhat tidy, if you want to keep your .txt files
> > > in the same folder as your e-studio file is, remove the files/ part.
> > > The listsession" & c.GetAttrib("session") & ".txt" is to show how to
> > > select .txt files based on, for instance, subject number. For subject
> > > 1 a file called listsubject1.txt will be opened, for subject 2
> > > listsubject2.txt etc etc. A feature like that is usually needed in
> > > cases where you need lists to be loaded from files.
> >
> > > For the die-hard coders among us you could/should insert a
> > > listname.reset either somewhere AFTER the list has run or at the total
> > > beginning of the above code, before it loads the .txt file into the
> > > list.
> >
> > > Now: you still need a procedure for your list to run. I usually create
> > > the procedure in the list 'the normal way' and leave it sitting there
> > > but you could opt to leave your 'list to be filled' totally empty and
> > > move the procedure to the 'unreferenced e-objects'. The moment
> > > the .txt file is loaded into the list e-prime will start referring to
> > > it.
> >
> > > And that... is pretty much all there is to it.
> >
> > > Unless you need more advanced options of course. In that case: let us
> > > know what you need.
> >
> > > Good luck!
> >
> > > liw
> >
> > > On Jan 13, 1:22 am, mcgree <mcg... at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > > > Hello,
> > > >      I am trying to use the Factor.Load method to create a list from a
> > > > text file that I specify.  (See 
> Post:http://groups.google.com/group/e-prime/browse_thread/thread/74f87efd6....)
> > > > However, when I try to run the example from the help file I receive
> > > > the following error when I try to compile the program:  "child item is
> > > > a procedure".  I know a little about programming, but not much.  Can
> > > > anyone help me to fix this problem?  Thank you very much in advance!

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