\HeaderA{readImaGeneHeader}{Read ImaGene Header Information}{readImaGeneHeader}
\keyword{file}{readImaGeneHeader}
\begin{Description}\relax
Read the header information from an ImaGene image analysis output file.
This function is used internally by \code{read.maimages} and is not usually called directly by users.
\end{Description}
\begin{Usage}
\begin{verbatim}
readImaGeneHeader(file)
\end{verbatim}
\end{Usage}
\begin{Arguments}
\begin{ldescription}
\item[\code{file}] character string giving file name or path
\end{ldescription}
\end{Arguments}
\begin{Details}\relax
The raw data files exported by the image analysis software ImaGene include a number of header lines which contain information about the printing and scanning processes.
This function extracts that information and locates the line where the intensity data begins.
\end{Details}
\begin{Value}
A list containing information read from the header of the ImaGene file.
Each Begin-End environment found in the file header will become a recursive list in the output object, with components corresponding to fields in the file.
See the ImaGene documentation for further information.
The output object will also contain a component \code{NHeaderRecords}giving the number of lines in the file before the intensity data begins.
\end{Value}
\begin{Author}\relax
Gordon Smyth
\end{Author}
\begin{References}\relax
\url{http://www.biodiscovery.com/imagene.asp}
\end{References}
\begin{SeeAlso}\relax
\code{\LinkA{read.imagene}{read.imagene}}

An overview of LIMMA functions to read data is given in \LinkA{03.ReadingData}{03.ReadingData}.
\end{SeeAlso}
\begin{Examples}
\begin{ExampleCode}## Not run: 
h <- readImaGeneHeader("myImaGenefile.txt")
names(h)
h$NHeaderRecords
h[["Field Dimensions"]]
## End(Not run)
\end{ExampleCode}
\end{Examples}

