function [A] = importAbaqus(filename)
% reads xy data from an abaqus.rpt file
%
% in abaqus viewer you must use the option
% "separate table for each XY data"
%
% looks for different tables and saves each as an 
% individual matrix within a structure
%
% to plot the first set of data, simply type:
%   plot(A(1).data(:,1),A(1).data(:,2))
% to plot the second set of data:
%   plot(A(2).data(:,1),A(2).data(:,2))
%
fid = fopen(filename,'r');
dataset = 0;
% repeats infinitely until a "break" is encountered
while 1
    % read line from file
    tline = fgetl(fid);
    % if output is not a character, then its the end of file, so break
    if ~ischar(tline), break, end
    % check if we've found a new dataset... this is indicated by a blank
    % line, cause otherwise we are reading numbers
    if (strcmp(tline,''))
        % because we have found a new dataset, then we are done creating the
        % previous dataset which is stored in "x", so we save that to our
        % structure A and clear "x" to prepare for the next dataset.
        if (dataset > 0)
            A(dataset).data = x;
            clear x;
        end
        dataset = dataset + 1;
        index = 1;
        % read blank lines until we find the dataset name or end of file
        tline = fgetl(fid);
        while(strcmp(tline,''))
            tline = fgetl(fid);
            % if output is not a character, then its the end of file, so
            % break
            if ~ischar(tline), break, end
        end
        % read one blank line before data starts
        tline = fgetl(fid);
        % read the first line of data
        tline = fgetl(fid);
    end
    % check for end of file
    if ~ischar(tline), break, end
    % this assumes that we've found the start of a dataset and have read
    % the first line of the data, so we convert it to a number and save it
    % at the end of the array "x".
    x(index,:)= str2num(tline);
    index=index+1;
end
fclose(fid);