Anylinks to explain how binary files are saved???

[magomago]

So I have some data that I need to go through. Now I'm decent with Matlab...but Matlab isn't really coding.

so I'm trying to load up some binary files. I figured out how to use some commands in matlab (fseek, fread, fopen) however I can't get my data to look anything like what I'm expecting.

I think part of it might be because I don't fully understand the 'terminology'.

Each file, has "200 blocks in the following structure: uint32, double [50], double [50]"

I tried to read up on blocks...and from what I've learned, a block is a way to divide up a series of bytes evenly. But what do they mean when they say "200 blocks"?

What I do know is that the first 'value' (sorry if these are the wrong words) is a 32 bit unsigned integer, then I have 50 double values, and then I have another set of 50 double values.

So this is what I'm understanding thus far:
I need to read the first 200 blocks as a single 32 bit integer
I need to read the next 50 sets of 200 blocks as a double
I need to read the last 50 sets of 200 blocks as a double


Did I understand this correct? Does the phrase "read the first 200 blocks as a single 32 bit integer" even make sense?

Is there a link where I can understand this? I feel like I'm not getting the organization structure correctly...and if that is the case, I could probably be chopping up this data forever and still not get it right

 

[tatteredpotato]

Sounds like you have a unsigned integer (32 bit) followed by 2 seperate 50-element arrays of double-precision floating point numbers (64 bit maybe??).

Then repeat that pattern 200 times.

That's my interpretation of the instructions.

EDIT: In this case a "block" would be the series of data (uint32)(double[50])(double[50]). So you have:

(uint32)(double[50])(double[50])(uint32)(double[50])(double[50])(uint32)(double[50])(double[50])(uint32)(double[50])(double[50])(uint32)(double[50])(double[50])(uint32)(double[50])(double[50])(uint32)(double[50])(double[50])....etc

 

[nickbits]

My take is that the format is "uint32, double [50], double [50]" repeated 200 times

 

[magomago]

lol see I'm confused...

Each file should have ONLY

unsigned 32 bit integer, double [50], double [50]

not repeated at all
That is why i'm curious about blocks and how to understand it

so basically i'm expecting 101 different values

 

[nickbits]

How big are the files? 804 bytes?

 

[magomago]

246KB

actually, to be specific, 251652 bytes.

that is the first file...
the rest are

245kb 250,848 bytes

 

[Markbnj]

Originally posted by: magomago
246KB

actually, to be specific, 251652 bytes.

that is the first file...
the rest are

245kb 250,848 bytes

Well that's a little large for what you're thinking should be in there. So I'm thinking there's more in there 🙂.

 

[magomago]

Originally posted by: Markbnj

Originally posted by: magomago
246KB

actually, to be specific, 251652 bytes.

that is the first file...
the rest are

245kb 250,848 bytes

Well that's a little large for what you're thinking should be in there. So I'm thinking there's more in there 🙂.

Indeed you are right. The guy I was talking to had a different definition of 'block'. This is what caused so much confusion.

However, due to all the reading, I understand how to read from binary a LOT better now 😉 I'm pretty sure I can handle it without an issue =) Thank you all!

edit:

This is making me wanna pick up a book on learning Java (as I heard its a good language to jump from) =) But I already have little time so I don't know how I'd find the time to learn it 😱

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

Tell us the solution. I'm curious!