Examples of common import/create calls are provided below.

It is convenient to set up one or more import directory paths up front. For example:

<code>
string $importDir= $modelHome + "/V1/primaryData"
</code>

===== Specifying data directly through a parameter =====

<code>
hhVehOwnRelProp_hhs[hhs] = import (; data="1.03 2.01 2.32 2.38 2.41 2.41 2.31")
</code>

===== csv file =====

==== basic import ====

This is an example of importing into a very simple mask variable, //zoneMask[z]//, indexed by a single pre-defined informant, //zone//. Here is the top of the source data file //zonesMask.csv//:

<file>
"zone","maskValue"
201,1
202,1
211,0
212,1
213,0
214,1
.
.
.
</file>

And here is the code:

<code>
zoneMask[z] = import (; dataFormat=coordinate, fileFormat=text, \
	allCoord=on, delimiter=",", firstLine=2, \
	file=$importDir/zonesMask.csv)
</code>

Note: 
  * the use of the //firstLine=2// parameter to skip over the header row
  * no element name modification is required

Alternatively one may use the heading parameter to skip over the first line:

<code>
zoneMask[z] = import (; dataFormat=coordinate, fileFormat=text, \
    allCoord=on, delimiter=",", heading=on, \
    file=$importDir/zonesMask.csv)
</code>

==== advanced import examples ====

<code>
local occPrivDwellCustSC_1[pzans,dtd] = create (; \
	dim=PLUMzoneAllNS, dim=dwellType_data, \
	entityFrom=occPrivDwellCustSC[pzans,dt,byrs][$index], \
	dataFormat=coordinate, fileFormat=text, \
	allCoord=off, delimiter=",", firstLine=2, \
	searchElemName1=",", replaceElemName1="", \
	searchElemName2="/", replaceElemName2="_", \
	searchElemName3="-", replaceElemName3="_", \
	replaceWhiteSpaceInElemName="_", \
	stripLeadingWhiteSpace=off, \
	searchData=",", replaceData="" , \
	file=$importDir/dwellUnitsByType.csv)
</code>
==== read localinformants ====

Read informant definition from column:

<code>
localinformant age_0510002[] = create (; object=set, delimiter=",", \
	allowDuplicate=on, \
	elemNamesFromColNum=3, firstLine=2, \
	searchElemName1=",", replaceElemName1="", \
	searchElemName2="/", replaceElemName2="_", \
	searchElemName3="-", replaceElemName3="_", \
	replaceWhiteSpaceInElemName="_", \
	stripLeadingWhiteSpace=off, \
	file=$importDir/051-0002.csv)
</code>

Read informant definition from line:

<code>
localinformant date_0510002[] = create (; object=set, delimiter=",", \
	allowDuplicate=off, \
	elemNamesFromLineNum=1, firstCol=4, \
	searchElemName1=",", replaceElemName1="", \
	searchElemName2="/", replaceElemName2="_", \
	searchElemName3="-", replaceElemName3="_", \
	replaceWhiteSpaceInElemName="_", \
	stripLeadingWhiteSpace=off, \
	file=$importDir/051-0002.csv)
</code>


===== tab delimited text odometer (block) format =====
This format is useful for migrating data between models in a human-readable format, as opposed to binary //tool//-format files.

<code>
immigration[s,ts1,a][$index] = import (; dataFormat=odometer, fileFormat=text, \
	firstCol=2, file=$importDir_V3/immigration.txt)
</code>

reads from the following (header not shown):

<file>
!	sex=male
! 	0		1		2	
"1977"	1.049407e+02	1.314661e+02	1.317941e+02
"1978"	9.129648e+01	1.133035e+02	1.212180e+02
"1979"	8.643492e+01	9.573391e+01	9.366822e+01
"1980"	9.673356e+01	9.806976e+01	9.806976e+01
</file>

Note the use of the ''firstCol=2'' for objects of rank 2 or greater. See the [[howtos:workwithdata:export_quick_reference#tab_delimited_text_odometer_block_format|corresponding export call]].

===== TOOL file =====

<code>
USUseComByInd_19982008[com_du,indio_du,t_19982008] = import (; \
	format=tool, dataFile=$importDir_ind/USUseComByInd_19982008)
</code>