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I have a two-dimensional list of data pairs {x,y} where the first column in the pair sometimes contains a unique "tag". When this tag is found using Cases, the value in y is returned.

A sample of this data is given here:

    sample={{{0.057, 574}, {"CH4", 25831.9}, {"C2H6", 0.0231548},{"C2H2", 
   0.000066748}}, {{"CH4", 25722.}, {"C2H6", 0.023806}}, {{"CH4", 
   24290.8}, {"C2H6", 0.345365}, {"C2H4", 0.400931}, {2.122, 
   4391}, {"C2H2", 0.0964659}, {3.123, 16139}, {3.26, 67}, {5.219, 
   4116}, {5.629, 298}, {6.054, 251}, {7.109, 187}, {7.217, 
   33246}, {$Failed, 3870}, {8.605, 12177}}, {{"CH4", 
   24074.3}, {"C2H6", 0.34487}, {"C2H4", 0.388133}, {2.124, 
   5206}, {2.22, 1754}, {2.453, 219}, {"C2H2", 0.0903442}, {2.895, 
   545}, {3.124, 15727}, {3.396, 540}, {3.489, 125}, {5.222, 
   4186}, {5.634, 311}, {6.375, 21249}, {7.109, 108}, {7.22, 
   30703}, {7.654, 3772}, {8.612, 11314}, {9.677, 3225}}}

So, I want to apply a search using Cases, for example for "C2H4" in the first column and return the corresponding value in the second column.

My code to do this is:

list = Table[Cases[sample[[i]], {x_, y_} /; x == "C2H4" :> y ],{i,1,Length[sample]}]

However, this returns the list:

{{}, {}, {0.400931}, {0.388133}}

I would like to replace the first two blank elements of this list with zeroes, for preference, I would like to do this within the "Cases" function that I have defined.

I can't seem to make anything work. Any ideas...?

Cheers! :)

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  • 3
    $\begingroup$ So, Replace[Cases[#, {"C2H4", y_} :> y], {} -> 0] & /@ sample? $\endgroup$ – J. M. will be back soon♦ May 17 '17 at 15:32
  • $\begingroup$ The empty lists are due to the tag not appearing in the first two sublists. You could flatten the data first: getValues[data_, tag_] := Select[Flatten[data, 1], #[[1]] === tag &][[All, 2]]. Call with getValues[sample,"C2H4"] $\endgroup$ – David Keith May 17 '17 at 16:19
  • $\begingroup$ Thanks JM and David for your responses. I applied JM's suggestion in the end. The answer was frustratingly simple! $\endgroup$ – Butters May 18 '17 at 12:14

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