reading v 7.3 mat file in python

Question

I am trying to read a matlab file with the following code

import scipy.io
mat = scipy.io.loadmat(\'test.mat\')

and it gives me the followin

Answer 1

According to the Scipy cookbook. http://wiki.scipy.org/Cookbook/Reading_mat_files,

Beginning at release 7.3 of Matlab, mat files are actually saved using the HDF5 format by default (except if you use the -vX flag at save time, see help save in Matlab). These files can be read in Python using, for instance, the PyTables or h5py package. Reading Matlab structures in mat files does not seem supported at this point.

Perhaps you could use Octave to re-save using the -vX flag.