Read a Matlab text array into NumPy array

matlab_to_np_txt_array.py

def read_matlab_float(strin):
    strin = strin.strip()
    tokens = strin.split("e")
    sign_ = tokens[1][0]
    if sign_ == "-":
        sign = -1.0
    else:
        sign = 1.0
    p = float(tokens[1][1:].strip())
    mant = float(tokens[0])
    return( mant * np.power(10.0, (sign*p)) )

def read_matlab_txt_array(filepath, delimiter=","):
    with open(filepath) as f:
        rows_ = f.readlines()
        rows = [ row.strip().split(delimiter) for row in rows_ ]
        output = np.zeros( (len(rows), len(rows[0])) )
        for i in range(len(rows)):
            for j in range(len(rows[i])):
                output[i,j] = read_matlab_float(rows[i][j])
    return(output)
        
    
test = "1.122949e-13"
read_matlab_float(test)