Loading spectroscopic data into igor from general text

Menu "Load Waves"
	"LoadMcIlhennyData...", LoadMcIlhennyData("", "")	
End

//	FindSectionNameAndDataStartLine(refNum, name, dataStartLine, numDataLines)
Function FindSectionNameAndDataStartLine(refNum, currentLine, sectionName, dataStartLine, numDataLines)
	Variable refNum
	Variable &currentLine			// Input and output
	String &sectionName			// Output - name of file section
	Variable &dataStartLine			// Output line where data starts
	Variable &numDataLines			// Output - number of data lines in this section
	
	String text
	do
		FReadLine refNum, text
		if (strlen(text) == 0)
			return -1					// End of file
		endif
		if (CmpStr(text[0,4],"Area1") == 0)
			FReadLine refNum, text		// Skip the blank line
			if (strlen(text) == 0)
				return -2				// Unexpected end of file
			endif
			currentLine += 1
			FReadLine refNum, text		// Get the name line
			if (strlen(text) == 0)
				return -2				// Unexpected end of file
			endif
			currentLine += 1
			text = RemoveEnding(text, "\r")		// Remove CR
			sectionName = text
			dataStartLine = currentLine
			
			// Find number of lines in this section
			numDataLines = 0
			do
				FReadLine refNum, text
				text = RemoveEnding(text, "\r")		// Remove CR
				if (strlen(text) == 0)
					break							// Blank line or end of file
				endif
				currentLine += 1
				numDataLines += 1
			while(1)
			break
		endif
		currentLine += 1
	while(1)	
	
	return 0
End

Function/S LoadMcIlhennyData(pathName, fileName)	// Returns list of loaded waves
	String pathName		// Name of an Igor symbolic path or "".
	String fileName			// Name of file or full path to file.

	Variable refNum

	// First get a valid reference to a file.
	if ((strlen(pathName)==0) || (strlen(fileName)==0))
		// Display dialog looking for file.
		Open/D/R/P=$pathName refNum as fileName
		fileName = S_fileName			// S_fileName is set by Open/D
		if (strlen(fileName) == 0)		// User cancelled?
			return ""
		endif
	endif

	// Open file for searching for wave names and data
	Open /R /P=$pathName refNum as fileName
	
	String fileBaseName = ParseFilePath(3, fileName, ":", 0, 0)	// File name without extension
	fileBaseName = CleanupName(fileBaseName, 0)

	Variable sectionsLoaded = 0, sectionsSkipped = 0
	Variable result = 0
	String waveNames = ""
	
	Variable currentLine = 0
	String sectionName
	Variable dataStartLine, numDataLines
	
	do
		result = FindSectionNameAndDataStartLine(refNum, currentLine, sectionName, dataStartLine, numDataLines)
		if (result == -1)
			break			// Normal end of file
		endif
		if (result != 0)
			Abort "Unexpected end of file"
		endif
		
		String xName, yName
		String columnInfo = ""
		xName = fileBaseName + "_EB_" + sectionName
		columnInfo += "N='" + xName + "';"			// e.g., "N='Spec1_EB_N1s';"
		yName = fileBaseName + "_Int_" + sectionName
		columnInfo += "N='" + yName + "';"			// e.g., "N='Spec1_EB_N1s';N='Spec1_Int_N1s';"
			
		LoadWave /G /P=$pathName /A /O/B=columnInfo /L={0,dataStartLine,numDataLines,0,0} /Q fileName
		if (V_flag == 2)	// V_flag is set by LoadWave to the number of waves loaded.
			Printf "Loaded '%s' and '%s' from line %d of \"%s\"\r", xName, yName, dataStartLine, fileName
			waveNames += S_waveNames
			sectionsLoaded += 1
		else
			Printf "Error in LoadWave while loading the file \"%s\"\r", fileName
			sectionsSkipped += 1
		endif
	while (1)										// Until IndexedFile runs out of files
	
	Close refNum
	
	Printf "%d sections loaded, %d sections skipped\r", sectionsLoaded, sectionsSkipped
	
	return waveNames	// Return list of loaded waves
End

hrodstein wrote:

		FReadLine refNum, text
		if (strlen(text) == 0)
			return -1					// End of file
		endif