Can import delimited input data from files in a .zip folder?

[Roger Newson]

I am using Stata/SE Version 13.1 under Windows 7. Just to be sure: Would I be right in guessing that the import delimited command cannot read directly from text files in a .zip folder, and that the user must decompress these compressed text files in order to be able to read them using the import delimited command in Stata? I ask because I am currently working with a multi-gigabyte data base containing multiple .zip folders containing .txt files. The Windows 7 file explorer gives the impression that a .zip folder is just another folder, but the ability to access the files contained inside is a bit more limited than with other folders (although I can still edit compressed text files using TextPad on my system). It would save space for me to be able to read text files in .zip folders using Stata. Can this possibly be done?

Best wishes

Roger

[ben earnhart]

It depends on how they were compressed.

If they were compressed by right-clicking-->send to zipfile, or by using a zip utility, such that they show up with a zip icon, no-go.

If they were compressed with -->folder-->properties-->advanced-->"compress this folder to save space" and show up as blue, you'll get the space saving benefits of a zipfile but never notice in usage. Access might be slightly slower, but not that I've noticed. Sounds like you have a set of actual zipfiles, though, not something compressed by the built-in file/folder compression.

You could use the Stata -zipfile- command to unzip and re-zip them each time you use them, but that would get old, fast.

What I'd recommend would be to unzip them all, then compress the entire folder using the second method of Windows 7 file compression that I mentioned. By compressing them with the file/folder properties, you save space on your hard drive, but accessing them is transparent to all programs including Stata.

See: http://www.howtogeek.com/133264/how-...might-want-to/

[YYing Huang]

I also have the same question as OP. I wonder if there is an efficient way to achieve it?

[Jesse Wursten]

Hi, I would recommend either unzipping it in windows explorer or using the -unzipfile- command mentioned in #2.