Examine the Structure of the Raw Data: Factors to Consider
Before you can select
the appropriate style of input, examine the structure of the raw data
that you want to read. Consider some of the following factors:
-
how the data is arranged in the input records. For example, are data fields aligned in columns or unaligned? Are they separated by blanks or by other characters?
-
whether character values contain embedded blanks
-
whether numeric values contain nonnumeric characters such as commas
-
whether the data contains time or date values
-
whether each input record contains data for more than one observation
-
whether data for a single observation is spread over multiple input records
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