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Recommended Book:
Butler (1998)
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Importing Data From Delimited Text Files
This tutorial describes how to import data from a generic delimited text file.
The text file may contain header and footer information; valid delimiters for the data
values include commas, blanks, tabs and quotes. The procedure for importing a
delimited text file is summarized as follows:
- Create a text (.txt) file with data values delimited by commas, blanks, tabs or quotes.
Supply a numeric value for each data item.
- Use the Pumping Test Wizard or Slug Test Wizard in AQTESOLV for Windows to enter data for your
aquifer test. When prompted for observation (time-displacement) data, launch the Import
Wizard to import the text file containing the data logger measurements.
Creating a Delimited Text File Using a Text Editor
Creating a delimited text file is possible with many Windows text-editing applications
such as Notepad, WordPad or Microsoft Word.
- Enter one reading (i.e., time and drawdown) per line of text with data values separated
by tab or comma delimiters. The Import Wizard ignores header and
footer text in the file.
- Choose File | Save As to save the file. Select an
option from the Save as type box to save the file in a text-only (.txt)
format.
Creating a Delimited Text File Using a Spreadsheet
You also can create delimited text files using a spreadsheet application such as Microsoft
Excel.
- Open an existing spreadsheet containing time and drawdown readings or enter the readings
in adjacent columns of a new spreadsheet.
- Choose File | Save As to create the text file. Select Text
(Tab delimited) or CSV (Comma delimited) from the Save as type
box before saving the file.
Importing Delimited Text Files into AQTESOLV for Windows
Once you have a delimited text (.txt) file containing the test readings, you are ready
to import the data from the file into AQTESOLV for Windows.
Start the AQTESOLV for Windows
application (v. 3.0 or higher) and follow the steps below.
- Choose File | New and select Pumping Test Wizard or Slug
Test Wizard from the list to create a new data set for a pumping test or slug
test. Click OK to proceed.
- Begin the wizard by entering units of measurement as shown and click Next.
- Continue entering data in the wizard until you reach the last step which prompts you for
the observation (time-displacement) data for the test. Click Import
to launch the Import Wizard for importing the observation data from a file.
- The Import Wizard consists of three simple steps that help you to
import data from a file. The import file must have text formatting (not binary) and
data values separated by blanks, tabs, commas or quotes. In the first step of the
wizard, enter the name of an Import File. Click Next
to continue.
TIPS
Click Browse to locate and select a file to import. After
selecting the file, click View Import File to view its contents.
Be default, the imported data overwrite any readings contained in the AQTESOLV for Windows data set. Override this
behavior by selecting the option to Append observations from import file to
data set.
- In the second step of the Import Wizard, identify the structure of the
import file. Enter the number of data columns and starting row in the file, and the
data columns to import. Click Next to continue.
TIPS
AQTESOLV for Windows automatically scans
the import file to identify the No. of Columns and Starting Row
for data contained in the file. Click Select Starting Row to modify
the number of columns and starting row.
Enter Data Columns To Import that match the structure of your import
file. Typically, you will select elapsed time and displacement values to
import. The Import Wizard also allows you to import time recorded
as date and clock time values when an elapsed time column is not available. For
example, if your data logger file contains a total of five data columns with elapsed time
in column 3 and water-level displacement in column 5, enter the values shown below.
The Weight column is optional; if your file does not contain weights
for the readings, AQTESOLV for Windows
assigns a default value of 1.0 for each reading.
- In the third step of the Import Wizard, select transformation
and filter options to modify the data contained in the import file.
Click Finish after selecting these options to import the file.
TIPS
The Pre-Filter Operations allow you to perform common transformations
on the data. For example, to convert water levels or depths contained in the import
file to displacement (drawdown) values, subtract the static water level or depth from all
of the readings in the file. You can perform this transformation by selecting the
option in Time Filters group to subtract a constant from the displacement
values and entering the static water level or depth (see example below). Other
useful options allow you to multiply time and displacement values by a constant. For
example, to convert negative displacements to positive values, check the option for
multiplying displacement values and enter a constant of -1.
Click Filters to choose options for filtering data imported from the
file. Select Retain change in log time >= minimum to retain a
fixed number of readings per log cycle time. For example, to retain 10 readings per
log cycle, enter a value of 0.1 (=1/10) for this option. Other options allow you to
specify a retention interval (e.g., retain every fifth observation), a minimum change in
displacement for retaining observations (i.e., discard readings until the change in
displacement exceeds the minimum value), and a time window for applying the filters.
You can select more than one filter option for your import file.
- After importing the file, AQTESOLV for Windows
shows a summary of the data read from the file. Click OK to
continue.
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