diff --git a/import/save_table_as_hdf5.m b/import/save_table_as_hdf5.m
index 7b6c1bf..5391e72 100644
--- a/import/save_table_as_hdf5.m
+++ b/import/save_table_as_hdf5.m
@@ -10,6 +10,11 @@ function success = save_table_as_hdf5(input_table, filename)
 % Email: juan.florez-ospina@psi.ch
 
 if istable(input_table)
+    
+    string_columns = input_table(:,vartype("string")).Properties.VariableNames;
+    input_table = convertvars(input_table,string_columns,'cellstr');
+    % split multicolumn variables
+    input_table = splitvars(input_table);
     column_names = input_table.Properties.VariableNames;
 else
     success = 0;
@@ -58,44 +63,50 @@ cell_table = input_table(:,rest_columns);
 [rows, cols] = size(input_table);
 
 for i = 1 : rows
-    group_name = strcat("/MEAS",string(i),"/");
-    for j = 1 : length(rest_columns)
-        dataset_name = strcat("DS",string(rest_columns_idx(j)));
-
-        % Some table entries do not provide direct access to the object
-        % of interest, but may contain either {object} or {{object}}. 
-        % The following loop solves that problem. TODO: is this generic enough? 
-
-        data = cell_table{i,column_names{rest_columns_idx(j)}}{1}; % <=> data = cell_table{i,rest_columns{j}}{1};
-
-        while iscell(data)
-            data = data{1};
+    group_name = strcat("/MEAS_",string(i),"/");
+    if ~isempty(rest_columns)
+        for j = 1 : length(rest_columns)
+            dataset_name = strcat("DS",string(rest_columns_idx(j)));
+    
+            % Some table entries do not provide direct access to the object
+            % of interest, but may contain either {object} or {{object}}. 
+            % The following loop solves that problem. TODO: is this generic enough? 
+    
+            data = cell_table{i,column_names{rest_columns_idx(j)}}{1}; % <=> data = cell_table{i,rest_columns{j}}{1};
+    
+            while iscell(data)
+                data = data{1};
+            end
+            % when there is no data, we still need to provide a valid size
+            if ~isempty(data)
+                sz = size(data);
+            else
+                sz = [1,1];
+            end
+            %%%%
+            % Group's dataset: Create dataset of size sz in a certain group 
+            h5create(filename, strcat(group_name,dataset_name),sz);
+            % Dataset's attribute: Add attribute with dataset_name equal to column_name
+            attr = "column_name";        
+            attr_value = column_names{rest_columns_idx(j)}; % <=> rest_columns{j};
+            h5writeatt(filename,strcat(group_name,dataset_name),attr,attr_value)
+    
+            %attr = "column_name_idx";        
+            %attr_value = rest_columns_idx(j); % <=> rest_columns{j};
+            %h5writeatt(filename,strcat(group_name,dataset_name),attr,attr_value)
+    
+            % Assign 'data' to the dataset. 'data' has to be of admissible type. 
+            try            
+                h5write(filename,strcat(group_name,dataset_name),data)
+            catch exception
+                disp(exception)
+                %h5write(filename,strcat(group_name,dataset_name),cell_table{i,rest_columns{j}})
+            end
         end
-        % when there is no data, we still need to provide a valid size
-        if ~isempty(data)
-            sz = size(data);
-        else
-            sz = [1,1];
-        end
-        %%%%
-        % Group's dataset: Create dataset of size sz in a certain group 
+    else
+        dataset_name = "DS_EMPTY";
+        sz = [1,1];
         h5create(filename, strcat(group_name,dataset_name),sz);
-        % Dataset's attribute: Add attribute with dataset_name equal to column_name
-        attr = "column_name";        
-        attr_value = column_names{rest_columns_idx(j)}; % <=> rest_columns{j};
-        h5writeatt(filename,strcat(group_name,dataset_name),attr,attr_value)
-
-        %attr = "column_name_idx";        
-        %attr_value = rest_columns_idx(j); % <=> rest_columns{j};
-        %h5writeatt(filename,strcat(group_name,dataset_name),attr,attr_value)
-
-        % Assign 'data' to the dataset. 'data' has to be of admissible type. 
-        try            
-            h5write(filename,strcat(group_name,dataset_name),data)
-        catch exception
-            disp(exception)
-            %h5write(filename,strcat(group_name,dataset_name),cell_table{i,rest_columns{j}})
-        end
     end
 
     % Group's attribute: Assign group attributes