--- MITgcm_contrib/mitgcm_tools/mitgcmhistory.m	2007/12/10 05:28:50	1.3
+++ MITgcm_contrib/mitgcm_tools/mitgcmhistory.m	2007/12/12 23:42:46	1.4
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@
   eval(['!grep ' varargin{k} ' ' file ' | sed s/.\*=// | sed s/NAN/1.23456789/ > ' tfile])
 
   % vals(:,k)=textread(tfile,'%f');
-
   % When output file is from an ongoing integration, one or more of
   % the diagnostics may be missing at the last available time step.
   % The code below accomodates this difference in length.
@@ -32,7 +31,24 @@
    lngt=length(vals(:,k));
   else
    tmp=textread(tfile,'%f');
-   % allow 
+   if abs(length(tmp)-lngt)>1
+    % try to read one line at a time in order to deal with special case
+    % of values like, e.g.: "  -2.9248686233802-321"
+    fid=fopen(tfile);
+    n=0;
+    while(~feof(fid))
+     n=n+1;
+     tmp2=fgetl(fid);
+     val=sscanf(tmp2,'%f');
+     if length(val)>1
+      tmp(n)=0;
+     else
+      tmp(n)=val;
+     end
+    end
+    fid=fclose(fid);
+    tmp=tmp(1:n);
+   end
    if abs(length(tmp)-lngt)>1
     error(sprintf('An error occured while scanning for: %s',varargin{k}));
    else