#
#	ReadData
#
#		Flexible function to read data from a file
#		and return it as a matrix.
#
#		Gaston H. Gonnet (Nov 15, 2002)
#

ReadData := proc( filename:string, fmt:string )
    OpenReading(filename);

    r := [];
    nerr := 0;
    for i do
        line := ReadRawLine();
        if line='EOF' then break fi;
        v := traperror( sscanf(line,fmt) );
        if v=lasterror then
    	    printf( 'line %d: %s  does not comply with format %s\n', 
                     i, line, fmt );
    	    nerr := nerr+1;
    	    if nerr > 100 then error('too many formating errors') fi;
	    fi;
        r := append(r,v);
    od;
    r
end:


#   WriteData
#
#       Function to write data to a file.
#
#           Alexander Roth (Jan 2006)
#

WriteData := proc(data:anything; filename='temp.dat':string, separator='\t':string)
    if nargs<1 then error('expectes at least one argument') fi;
    OpenWriting(filename);
    if type(data,list(list)) then
        for i to length(data) do
            for j to length(data[i])-1 do
                printf('%a%s', data[i,j],separator);
             od;
             printf('%a\n',data[i,j]):
        od;
    elif type(data,list) then
        for i to length(data) do
            printf('%a\n',data[i]):
        od;
    elif type(data,string) then
        printf('%s\n',data):
    else
        OpenWriting(previous);
        error('data format not implemented yet');
    fi;
    OpenWriting(previous);
    printf('Data written to file: %s\n', filename);
end: