Export Import Array

[graser]

Dear Mathematica Users!

I have a question for you about Exporting and Importing array.
Let's say there is a array (or vector) like,
vectors =
Table[{x, y, z}, {x, -1, 1, .25}, {y, -1, 1, .25}, {z, -1, 1, .25}];

If I export vectors as "XLS" format and import the XLS file,
TT= Import["vector.xls", "XLS"];

Some funny thing happen like
TT[[1, 1, 1]] should be {-1,-1,-1} so that If I do TT[[1, 1, 1,1]] , it should give -1.

But instead of that, TT[[1, 1, 1]] gives a string as "{-1., -1., -1.}" .

If I export vectors as "Table" format and import the table file,
TR= Import["vector.data", "Table"];
It gives something like.. {"{{-1.,", "-1.,", "-1.},",.... All double comma.


Do you know how to properly export vector (or array) ?

And if I import string instead of vecotor like TT, How to convert TT like string to array?
"{-1., -1., -1.}" -> {-1,-1,-1}

Thanks!

[Bob Hanlon]

One way:

steps = {.05, .1, .2, .25};


{dx, dy, dz} = Table[RandomChoice[steps], {3}]


{0.2, 0.05, 0.1}

vectors = Table[{x, y, z},

{x, -1, 1, dx},
{y, -1, 1, dy},
{z, -1, 1, dz}];


dim = Dimensions[vectors]


{11, 41, 21, 3}


Export["vectors.csv", Flatten[vectors, 2]];


vectors2 = Fold[Partition[#1, #2] &,
Import["vectors.csv"],
dim // Most // Rest // Reverse];


vectors == vectors2


True



Bob Hanlon