I am writing a batch script which I wish to open a file and then change the second line of it. I want to find the string "cat" and replace it with a value that I have SET i.e. %var% . I only want this to happen on the second line (or for the first 3 times). How would you go about doing this?
I just solve it myself. It will lookup var on line two only.
#echo OFF
SETLOCAL ENABLEEXTENSIONS ENABLEDELAYEDEXPANSION
SET filename=%1
set LINENO=0
for /F "delims=" %%l in (%filename%) do (
SET /A LINENO=!LINENO!+1
IF "!LINENO!"=="2" ( call echo %%l ) ELSE ( echo %%l )
)
But I prefer using cscript (vbscript or even jscript).
First of all, using a batch file to achieve this, is messy (IMHO). You will have to use an external tool anyway to do the string replacement. I'd use some scripting language instead.
If you really want to use a batch, this will get you started.
This would be ugly to do with native batch scripting. I would either
Do this in VBScript. If you really need this in a batch file, you can call the VBScript file from the batch script. You can even pass in %var% as an argument to the VBScript.
Use a sed script. There are windows ports of Unix commands like GnuWin32, GNU Utilities for Win32 (I use these), or Cygwin.
I would create a script that would:
scan the input file
write to a second output file
delete the input
rename the output
As far as the dos commands to parse, I did a Google Search and came up with a good starting point:
#echo off
setlocal enabledelayedexpansion
set file=c:\file.txt
set output=output.txt
set maxlines=5000
set count=0
for /F "tokens=* usebackq" %%G in ("%file%") do (
if !count!==%maxlines% goto :eof
set line=%%G
set line=!line:*000000000000=--FOUND--!
if "!line:~0,9!"=="--FOUND--" (
echo %%G>>"%output%"
set /a count+=1
)
)
(Stolen from teh Intarwebnet)
Related
I want to rename 2 files "Data1.txt" to "Log1.rtf" and "Data2.txt" to "Log2.rtf"
I am currently using this code
#ECHO OFF
FOR %%I IN ("%~dp0*.txt") DO (
SET "ext=%%~xI"
SETLOCAL EnableDelayedExpansion
RENAME "%%I" "%%~nI!Log.rtf"
ENDLOCAL
)
But it give output "data1log.rtf" and "data2log.rtf"
of course:
RENAME "%%I" "%%~nI!Log.rtf"
But it give output data1log.rtf and data2log.rtf
btw. what do you try to achive with setlocal delayedexpansion and that single ! ?
EDIT: if you insist in doing it with for (because perhaps, you have many files to rename):
#echo off
setlocal enabledelayedexpansion
for %%i in (*.txt) do (
set file=%%i
set file=!file:Data=Log!
set file=!file:.txt=.rtf!
echo ren %%i !file!
)
the first set sets the variable file to the filename
the second one replaces Data with Log
the third one replaces .txt with .rtf
then rename original filename (%%i) to the changed filename (!file!)
(the echo is there to just show the command on screen instead of really renaming files. Good for testing. If you are sure, that the code does, what you want, just remove the echo)
the setlocal enabledelayedexpansion is needed to use a variable, that is changed inside a block (between ( and )) inside the same block. Therefore you have to use the variable as !var! instead of %var%
Note: of course this code could be improved, but as a beginner: keep it as simple (and readable) as possible. For example, this code will replace Data, but not data or DATA, it will not handle spaces in filenames, ...
It might work better if you used separate code to rename each of the files, or does that defeat the object?
this website shows how to rename a file using command line:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/56013-file-folder-rename-command-prompt.html
for %%a in ("%~dp0data*.txt"
) do for /f "delims=DdAaTt" %%b in ("%%~na"
) do echo ren "%%~fa" "log%%b.rtf"
It just iterates over the indicated list of files, and for each filename, uses the unnecesary characters as delimiters for an aditional for loop. That way only the number is left and used to rename the file.
Commands to rename are echoed to console. If output is correct, remove the echo command to rename the files.
User mv command to rename files in windows (Using CLI)
As mentioned in above answer, mv command can be used in windows as well to rename the filename. I tried rename and ren commands s suggested, but I was getting error: bash: ren: command not found.
Use below to change the filename:
mv filename new_filename
Without being able to install all sorts of fancy find and replace tools, I need to find and replace strings within text files with the command line from Windows Server 2008.
How would I do that?
Example:
text.md
Hello world!
Change to:
text.md
Hello everyone!
I'm looking for something like:
for /f %%A in (text.md) do (
set "line=%%A"
if defined line (
// and here the replacement
) ELSE echo.
)
Using repl.bat which you would put on the path (say in C:\Windows or a utility folder that you add to the path)
type "text.md"|repl "world" "everyone" >"text.tmp"
move /y "text.tmp" "text.md"
repl.bat is a SED-like helper batch file from - http://www.dostips.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=3855
findrepl.bat is GREP-like helper batch file from - http://www.dostips.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=4697
If you want plain batch techniques then it will depend on the exact task and text makeup.
This has worked for me:
(for /f "tokens=1,* delims=]" %%A in ('"type text.md|find /n /v """') do (
set "line=%%B"
if defined line (
call set "line=echo.%%line:world=everyone%%"
for /f "delims=" %%X in ('"echo."%%line%%""') do %%~X
) ELSE echo.
)) >text2.md
move /Y text2.md text.md
I am trying to convert text file eol to windows format from unix on windows xp machine using command line (batch file). how do I do that? what is the command for that? thanks.
This simple script is fast and works great except it converts every TAB character into 8 spaces. The number of spaces can be modified with the MORE /T option, but there is no way to preserve the TAB characters. Pass the file name (optionally with path) as the one and only argument.
#echo off
more %1 >%1.new
move /y %1.new %1 >nul
All that is needed is to read and echo each line. The FOR /F command is perfect, except it ignores empty lines. Here I use FINDSTR to prefix each line with the line number, followed by a :, thus preserving empty lines. Then I use search and replace to remove the number prefix. I must toggle delayed expansion on and off within the loop to preserve any ! that may appear. This script preserves TABs, but is limited to ~8191 bytes per line. It is also relatively slow. It will become very slow with very large files.
#echo off
setlocal disableDelayedExpansion
>%1.new (
for /f "delims=" %%A in ('findstr /n "^" %1') do (
set "ln=%%A"
setlocal enableDelayedExpansion
echo(!ln:*:=!
endlocal
)
)
move /y %1.new %1 >nul
Finally, here is a hybrid batch/JScript solution that is very fast, and does not have any limitations that I am aware of.
#if (#X)==(#Y) #end /* Harmless hybrid line that begins a JScript comment
::************ Batch portion ***********
#echo off
<%1 cscript //E:JScript //nologo "%~f0" >%1.new
move /y %1.new %1 >nul
exit /b
************* JScript portion **********/
while (!WScript.StdIn.AtEndOfStream) {
WScript.Stdout.WriteLine(WScript.StdIn.ReadLine());
}
rmtshare \\server\sharename$ | for /f "tokens=3,4,5 delims=\" %%A in ('find "Path"') DO
SET path1=%%A\%%B\%%C
echo %path1%
It will do everything up to the set area. I want to take out the physical path of the share and turn it into a variable to be used later. My approach is not working, I don't know what I am missing.
Make sure that the command you want to run in the FOR loop is on the same line (e.g. for /f ... do set path1=%%A\%%B\%%C or, if you have multiple commands, that they are grouped in parenthesis, like so:
for /f ... do (
echo "Setting path1"
set path1=%%A\%%B\%%C
)
...
(Also, do you have SETLOCAL EnableDelayedExpansion set? If so, you may need to use !path1! instead of %path1%.)
I believe SET is not persistent, you should use SETX to set a variable in command prompt and have it stay outside that CMD session,
afaik, SETX is native on windows 7, but is available on resource kits for older windows versions.
You need to include usebackq in your options like so:
for /f "usebackq tokens=3,4,5 delims=\" %%A in ...
I am writing a batch file script using Windows command and want to change each occurrence of some blank space with "," What is the simplest way to do that?
If your users are a list of words on one line in a text file, separated by spaces, eg:
one two three four
Create a batch file SpaceToComma.bat as follows:
#echo off
setlocal
for /F "tokens=* delims= " %%a in (%1) do #set data=%%a
echo %data: =,%
endlocal
Then run it, you'll get the words separated by commas. Is this what you want?
C:\>SpaceToComma.bat data.txt
one,two,three,four
If you have a multi-line file, then this will do it:
data.txt
one two three four
five six seven
SpaceToComma.bat
#echo off
setlocal
for /F "tokens=* delims= " %%a in (%1) do #call :processaline %%a
endlocal
goto :eof
:processaline
setlocal
set data=%*
echo %data: =,%
endlocal
goto:eof
Output
C:\>SpaceToComma.bat data.txt
one,two,three,four
five,six,seven
(There's probably a clever way of doing this without the subroutine, using the !data! syntax for delayed variable expansion, but I couldn't get it to work with the substitution syntax.)
If this is not what you want, then please explain and I can try to help.
(PS: I delight in using batch files where people insist it can't be done.)
You could download sed.exe from http://unxutils.sourceforge.net/ and run this command:
sed -e "s/ /,/" infile.txt >outfile.txt
Well it will depend a lot on how you are getting the data, but you may be able to finagle something with a For-Do construct. Make the field seperator be a space then build the string back in the do with a , between each token. Might I suggest a more robust scripting language? You should have VBScript on just about any relatively modern windows bow.