Tabular - Recursive import

Importing data recursively enables to create a search pattern that will scan different folders and only select the relevant files. This can be extremely valuable when the data is spread across multiple folder. For example, you might have run hundreds of simulations, and each simulation creates a folder with results in different files, and you might want to select the same file for all simulations (for example, results.csv). This is something that you can do in the platform. If you create a new Import & Export > Tabular step, switch to Import Type Folders to enable the recursive import mode. A new field called File Pattern appears:

Tabular step with Import Type set to Folders and the File Pattern field highlighted

In this mode you add folders instead of files to the datasets selection. Click on Add/Edit datasets. The file selection dialog opens. Folder entries have two clickable regions which behave differently:

If you click on the folder icon at the beginning of the entry the folder is selected.
If you click on the folder name you enter the folder and its content is shown. If you click.

File selection dialog with callouts marking the folder icon and folder name of a folder entry

File selection dialog with two folders selected and listed under selected files

The importer goes through all selected folders and imports files which match the specified search pattern. The search pattern is specified in the field File Pattern.

How does the search pattern work?

Basic patterns (selecting all files in folders):


`*`	Wildcard, represents any character. All files in the selected folder(s) are imported.
`*.csv`	All `.csv` files in the selected folder(s) are imported.
`/.csv`	The importer imports all `.csv` files from the selected folder and from all folders one folder level below the selected ones.
`*/.csv`	The importer goes through all subfolders below the selected folders and imports all .csv files which are found.

In all examples above you can replace .csv by any file ending you want to import.

File Pattern field with a wildcard search pattern entered

You can improve the search by including further Strings in the search pattern. The Wildcard character can be used multiple times within one search pattern:


`*/findme_.csv`	Importing all `.csv` files in all subfolders below the selected folder which start with the string `findme_`.
`*/findme_ABC*.csv`	Like above but the files also need to include the string `ABC`.

​How does the search pattern work?

How does the search pattern work?