Hi Jesse,
Here is another option by using a function, which argument is the file's
name:

# A function
rmf<-function(filename){
x<-readLines(filename,warn=FALSE)
res<-which(x=='data table' | x=='end table')
x<-x[seq(res[1]+1,res[2]-1)]
mydata<-read.table(textConnection(x))
closeAllConnections()
mydata
}

As you see, I used some ideas from Jim Holtman's post (I hope you don't mind
Jim). Here is how 'rmf' works:

> rmf('ex.txt')  # I saved the data you sent as 'ex.txt' keeping the same
structure
    V1
1  1000
2 10110
3    11

Now, if you have a lot of files with the same structure and you want to
extract the same information, then using *apply you will be able to do the
job. All you need is the name of them.

HTH,

Jorge


On Sat, Jan 24, 2009 at 5:48 PM, jesse daniel <jdlecy@gmail.com> wrote:

>
> Hello -
>
> I need to read in some tables that are embedded within data files like
> this:
>
> line 1
> line 2
> data table
> 01000
> 10110
> 00011
> end table
> line 3
> line 4
>
> Is there any way to read just the data by telling an input device to start
> reading when it encounters the keyword "data table" and stop reading at
> "end
> table"?
>
> Thanks in advance,
> Jesse
> --
> View this message in context:
> http://www.nabble.com/IO%3A-streaming-input-data-tp21646179p21646179.html
> Sent from the R help mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
>
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