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<<TableOfContents([2])>>

== About this document ==

This is an official Request for Comment (RFC) for '''General text file import framework'''.

For details on RFCs in general, check out the [[http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?method=4&dsid=2222&dekey=Request+for+Comments&gwp=8&curtab=2222_1&linktext=Request%20for%20Comments|Wikipedia Entry:  Request for Comments (RFCs)]]

== Status ==

10/11/2006 Still under construction.

== How to Comment ==

To view/add comments, click on any of 'Comment' links below.  By adding your ideas to the Wiki directly, we can more easily organize everyone's ideas, and keep clear records.  Be sure to include today's date and your name for each comment.  Here is an example to get things started:  [[/Comment]].

'''Try to keep your comments as concrete and constructive as possible.  For example, if you find a part of the RFC makes no sense, please say so, but don't stop there.  Take the extra step and propose alternatives.'''

== Proposal ==

This RFC is for the new import framework for general text files.

== Biological Questions / Use Cases ==
Most of biological data files are available in text or Microsoft Excel file format.  By implementing this function, users can import following files:
 * Tab/comma/space delimited text tables
 * Excel files 
== General Notes ==

== Requirements ==
This project contains two main components:
 * File readers
   * for text files
   * for Excel (xsl) files
 * Swing GUI

To provide maximm flexibility for users, the GUI should accept the following:
 * Selectable mapping keys.  Users can map text 

== Deferred Items ==

== Open Issues ==
The following is a prototype GUI for the file importer:

[[http://chianti.ucsd.edu/kono/images/fileImport1.png]]

Features requested in the Hackason (first 2 days of Cytoscape retreat 2006) were the following:

 * Direct import from Excel files (.xsl) This can be done using open source library [[http://jakarta.apache.org/poi/|POI]].
 * Support for multiple delimiters.
 * Network file import.  This is related to [[SimpleTextTableImport|RFC 16 (text table network import)]].
 * ''Inteligent'' file type checker.  If the input file data looks like existing data file format, apply a template.  

== Backward Compatibility ==

== Expected growth and plan for growth ==

== References ==
  
== Implementation Plan ==
Prototype readers and GUI is done.

== Comments ==

I think it should be useful if the text table import could be done via pasting (clipboard).
I imagine a menu item Edit->Paste As..-> attributes table.
I expect it is just a matter of parsing a stream of space or tab delimited chars...