Importing fixed width text from a .txt file

Question

I am really struggling to do in Numbers '09 something which I can do easily in Excel.
I have a txt file containing plain text in fixed-width columns which I would like to import into numbers.
I just cannot find a way to do it.
I have tried using the Insert/choose menu item - but it won't take .txt files.
I have tried to copy/paste the data, but it get's pasted into a single column.
The data consists of many lines like this:
Part Value Device Package Library Sheet
A-IN JST-2.0-4 JST-2.0-4 JST-20M KMILLAR 1
A-IN JST-2.5-4 JST-2.5-4 JST-25M KMILLAR 1
A-IN JST-2.8-4 JST-2.8-4 JST-28M KMILLAR 1
(and so on....)
(Each column is an exact number of characters wide, but these forums make that hard to see due to the variable spaced fonts).
How can I import this data into numbers?
(Sorry, but I cannot get the data in any other format, such as CSV, the application which exports it only support fixed width colums with spaces for padding).
Many thanks in advance,
Kenny

Answer 1

Here is a script treating the case of fixed widths values.
--[SCRIPT fixedwidth_values_toTSV.scpt]
Enregistrer le script en tant que Script : fixedwidth_values_toTSV.scpt
déplacer le fichier ainsi créé dans le dossier
<VolumeDeDémarrage>:Users:<votreCompte>:Library:Scripts:Applications:Numbers:
Il vous faudra peut-être créer le dossier Numbers et peut-être même le dossier Applications.
aller au menu Scripts , choisir Numbers puis choisir fixedwidth_values_toTSV
Choisir un fichier texte.
Le script détermine la largeur des différentes colonnes puis remplace les groupes séparateurs par des caractères TAB.
Le résultat est passé dans le presse-paiers et est enregistré à la place du contenu initial.
Vous pouvez alors
(1) coller dans le document de votre choix
(2) ouvrir le fichier texte modifié dans Numbers qui accepte sans broncher les ficiers .txt.
Utilisation alternative : enregistrer le script en tant que Progiciel (Application sous 10.6.x)
Glisser-déposer l'icône d'un fichier texte sur celle de l'application lancera le traitement voulu.
--=====
L'aide du Finder explique:
L'Utilitaire AppleScript permet d'activer le Menu des scripts :
Ouvrez l'Utilitaire AppleScript situé dans le dossier Applications/AppleScript.
Cochez la case "Afficher le menu des scripts dans la barre de menus".
Sous 10.6.x,
aller dans le panneau "Général" du dialogue Préférences de l'Éditeur Applescript
puis cocher la case "Afficher le menu des scripts dans la barre des menus".
--=====
Save the script as a Script: fixedwidth_values_toTSV.scpt
Move the newly created file into the folder:
<startup Volume>:Users:<yourAccount>:Library:Scripts:Applications:Numbers:
Maybe you would have to create the folder Numbers and even the folder Applications by yourself.
go to the Scripts Menu, choose Numbers, then choose "fixedwidth_values_toTSV"
Choose a text file.
The script scan the file's contents to extract the width of every column then it replace the separator groups by TAB characters.
The result is passed to the clipboard and is written in the original file.
So you may :
(1) paste in the document of your choice
(2) open the modified text file with Numbers which is fair enough to do that.
An alternate track is to save the script as an Application Package (Application under 10.6.x)
Drag and drop the icon of a text file on the application's one will do the job.
--=====
The Finder's Help explains:
To make the Script menu appear:
Open the AppleScript utility located in Applications/AppleScript.
Select the "Show Script Menu in menu bar" checkbox.
Under 10.6.x,
go to the General panel of AppleScript Editor’s Preferences dialog box
and check the “Show Script menu in menu bar” option.
--=====
Yvan KOENIG (VALLAURIS, France)
2010/08/19
--=====
on run
set un_fichier to choose file with prompt "Choose e text file…" of type {"public.plain-text"} without invisibles
my commun(un_fichier)
end run
--=====
on open (sel)
set un_fichier to item 1 of sel
tell application "System Events" to set type_ID to type identifier of disk item ("" & un_fichier)
if type_ID is "public.plain-text" then my commun(un_fichier as alias)
error "The file “" & un_fichier & "” isn’t a text file !"
end open
--=====
on commun(le_fichier)
set le_contenu to read le_fichier
set le_contenu to "azer ertyuio wxcv dfghj
qszaed dc fghj mlkjhgf nbvcxw
aqwzsx edcrfv tg byhn aaaaaaa "
set listedelistes to {}
set plusgrandelongueur to 0
set pluspetitelongueur to 999999
set listelignesbrutes to paragraphs of le_contenu
repeat with refd_uneligne in listelignesbrutes
set maybe to contents of refd_uneligne
set maybe2 to count of maybe
if maybe2 > plusgrandelongueur then set plusgrandelongueur to maybe2
if maybe2 < pluspetitelongueur then set pluspetitelongueur to maybe2
copy my decoupe(maybe, space) to end of listedelistes
end repeat
set differencedelongueur to plusgrandelongueur - pluspetitelongueur
set des_espaces to space
repeat differencedelongueur times
set des_espaces to des_espaces & space
end repeat
set largeur1 to 0
repeat with refd_uneligne in listedelistes
set maybe to length of first item of refd_uneligne
if maybe > largeur1 then set largeur1 to maybe
end repeat
set liste_finale to {}
repeat with refd_uneligne in listelignesbrutes
set maybe to contents of refd_uneligne
set maybe2 to text 1 thru largeur1 of maybe
repeat while maybe2 ends with space
set maybe2 to text 1 thru -2 of maybe2
end repeat
copy maybe2 to end of liste_finale
copy text (largeur1 + 2) thru plusgrandelongueur of (maybe & des_espaces) to contents of refd_uneligne
end repeat
Enter the bigger loop *)
set cest_Lafin to false
repeat
Deprieve the stored rows of the treated column's items *)
set flag to 0
repeat
set flag to flag + 1
set flag2 to 0
repeat with refd_uneligne in listelignesbrutes
if "" & character flag of contents of refd_uneligne is space then set flag2 to flag2 + 1
end repeat
if flag2 < (count of listelignesbrutes) then exit repeat
end repeat
repeat with refd_uneligne in listelignesbrutes
copy text flag thru -1 of contents of refd_uneligne to contents of refd_uneligne
end repeat
Prepare the extraction of next column *)
repeat with refd_uneligne in listelignesbrutes
copy my decoupe(contents of refd_uneligne, space) to end of listedelistes
end repeat
Extract the width of the column to treat *)
set largeur1 to 0
repeat with refd_uneligne in listedelistes
set maybe to length of first item of refd_uneligne
if maybe > largeur1 then set largeur1 to maybe
end repeat
Extract the column's values *)
repeat with i from 1 to count of listelignesbrutes
set maybe to contents of item i of listelignesbrutes
set maybe2 to text 1 thru largeur1 of maybe
repeat while maybe2 ends with space
set maybe2 to text 1 thru -2 of maybe2
end repeat
copy (contents of item i of liste_finale) & tab & maybe2 to item i of liste_finale
try
copy text (largeur1 + 2) thru -1 of maybe to item i of listelignesbrutes
on error
set cest_Lafin to true
end try
end repeat -- i
if cest_Lafin then exit repeat
end repeat -- bigger loop
set le_contenu to my recolle(liste_finale, return)
set the clipboard to le_contenu
set eof of le_fichier to 0
write le_contenu to le_fichier
end commun
--=====
on decoupe(t, d)
local oTIDs, l
set oTIDs to AppleScript's text item delimiters
set AppleScript's text item delimiters to d
set l to text items of t
set AppleScript's text item delimiters to oTIDs
return l
end decoupe
--=====
on recolle(l, d)
local oTIDs, t
set oTIDs to AppleScript's text item delimiters
set AppleScript's text item delimiters to d
set t to l as text
set AppleScript's text item delimiters to oTIDs
return t
end recolle
--=====
--[/SCRIPT]
Yvan KOENIG (VALLAURIS, France) vendredi 20 août 2010 12:44:33