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Re: Importing binary file is toooooo slow...

• To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
• Subject: [mg54206] Re: [mg54159] Importing binary file is toooooo slow...
• From: Clifford Martin <camartin at snet.net>
• Date: Sun, 13 Feb 2005 00:21:35 -0500 (EST)
• Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com

Actually I don't think you're doing anything wrong.
Mathematica just doesn't do binary file handling very
well ---but if you use the Experimental Binary Import
its much faster.

<<Experimental`BinaryImport

then commands like you used. It should be faster but
still slow by any other modern program standards. I
generally find Mathematica unsuitable for large binary
files. It is orders of magnitude slower than its major
competitor. Unfortunately!

CAM

--- "J. K. Smith" <rob at pi-overe.com> wrote:

> I'm using v.4.2.1.0 --
> 
> I am importing (wrong word?) binary data from a
> file:
> 
> << Utilities`BinaryFiles`
> 
> y = ReadListBinary["filename", SignedInt16, 
> ByteOrder->LeastSignificantByteFirst];
> 
> The file is only 34k bytes long but it takes 16
> seconds to do it. This 
> isn't a slow machine so clearly I'm doing something
> wrong again.
> 
> I would appreciate any suggestions on how to make
> this thing sizzle as I 
> feel sure it can.  Right now I'm dead if I have to
> do a big file.
> 
> Thanks
> 
> remove the dash if emailing
> 
> 

• Follow-Ups:
  • Re: Re: Importing binary file is toooooo slow...
    • From: "Yasvir A. Tesiram, PhD" <tesiramy@omrf.ouhsc.edu>