title: Matlab. indexing 1 file with different length columns and rows
body: <p>I have been given multiple very large files that I need to process. I have worked on somewhat simlar but these are unlike anything I've had.  Looks like someone copied and pasted a bunch of different length excel files together and converted to a text file.  </p>
  
  <p>I need to separate them out.  The even more fun part is besides columns 2-6 I need the last 3 columns of each set. Whoever and whatever created these files adds and subtracts columns in the middle which changes the location of last 3 columns.  I would manually do this but it's A LOT of data and a format I'll be receiving more of.  </p>
  
  <p>I need to parse all data out by Track number and save to separate new files.    Matlab throws up errors at just about everything I do. I think I can solve the columns problem with an if statement asking about number of columns but Haven't gotten there because I can't figure out how separate the data out yet.  ugh.</p>
  
  <p>Not really sure how to make a pretty table but this is basically what it looks like.. </p>
  
  <p>Notice:</p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>Different length rows.</li>
  <li>Different number of columns </li>
  <li>and the additional columns are generated before last 3 columns(which I need the last 3)</li>
  <li>the mixing of numbers and letters(sort of).   </li>
  <li>Oh Yeah... no headers for the columns either </li>
  </ul>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>Track     252556<br>
    Advance -163.71 04/15/18    13:33:22    37.1112 -76.27  -27.03  -2.14   -5.12   -163.71<br>
    Advance -163.71 04/15/18    13:33:22    37.1350 -76.27  -27.02  -2.56   -8.11   -163.71<br>
    Advance -163.71 04/15/18    13:33:22    37.1588 -76.26  -27.01  -2.98   -11.10  -163.71<br>
    Advance -163.73 04/15/18    13:33:22    37.1826 -76.26  -27.01  -3.40   -14.09  -163.73<br>
    Track   266565<br>
    Advance -163.76 04/15/18    13:33:24    37.3730 -76.24  -26.92  14.70   -6.77   -38.02  -163.76<br>
    Advance -163.75 04/15/18    13:33:24    37.3968 -76.23  -26.92  16.10   -7.19   -41.01  -163.75<br>
    Advance -163.77 04/15/18    13:33:24    37.4206 -76.23  -26.91  17.50   -7.61   -44.00  -163.77<br>
    Advance -163.77 04/15/18    13:33:24    37.4444 -76.23  -26.90  18.90   -8.03   -46.99  -163.77<br>
    Track   65229<br>
    Advance -163.79 04/15/18    13:33:25    37.4682 -76.22  -26.89  20.30   D   -8.45   -49.98  -163.79<br>
    Advance -163.79 04/15/18    13:33:25    37.4920 -76.22  -26.89  21.70   D   -8.87   -52.98  -163.79<br>
    Advance -163.81 04/15/18    13:33:25    37.5158 -76.22  -26.87  23.10   D   -9.29   -55.97  -163.81<br>
    Advance -163.81 04/15/18    13:33:25    37.5396 -76.21  -26.87  24.50   D   -9.71   -58.96  -163.81<br>
    Track   65229<br>
    Advance -163.83 04/15/18    13:33:25    37.5634 -76.21  -26.86  -10.13  -61.95  -163.83<br>
    Advance -163.85 04/15/18    13:33:26    37.5872 -76.21  -26.84  -10.56  -64.94  -163.85<br>
    Advance -163.88 04/15/18    13:33:26    37.6110 -76.21  -26.83  -10.98  -67.93  -163.88<br>
    Advance -163.89 04/15/18    13:33:26    37.6348 -76.20  -26.81  -11.40  -70.92  -163.89<br>
    Advance -163.91 04/15/18    13:33:26    37.6586 -76.20  -26.80  -11.82  -73.91  -163.91<br>
    Advance -163.92 04/15/18    13:33:26    37.6824 -76.27  -26.77  -12.24  -76.90  -163.92     </p>
  </blockquote>