Replace substring in text file with a batch script

Question

I need to deploy a batch update to hundreds of services via our Control Panel, and need to replace a sub-string in a specific file when doing so. How can I use a batch file to change the following and rewrite it to the same file rather than a new file?

hostName = "Server UK (Public/Veteran) 116621";

to

hostName = "Server UK (Public/Veteran) 224421";

Here's an SO [post](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/5477209/how-to-replace-text-in-text-file-using-bat-file-script#5477419) that may help — gwillie, Dec 19 '13 at 01:52

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered Dec 19 '13 at 12:16

Here is another way to do it with pure batch. This does write to another file but then moves it without prompting, overwriting the original with the changes.

@echo off
setlocal enabledelayedexpansion
(for /f "tokens=*" %%f in (file.cfg) do if not "%%f"=="" (
        set "line=%%f"
        set "line=!line:116621=224421!"
        echo(!line!
)) > tmp.cfg
Move /y tmp.cfg file.cfg

And here is a way with a Hybrid VBS/Batch

@echo off
setlocal

call :FindReplace "116621" "224421" file.cfg
exit /b 

:FindReplace <findstr> <replstr> <file>
set tmp="%temp%\tmp.txt"
If not exist %temp%\_.vbs call :MakeReplace
for /f "tokens=*" %%a in ('dir "%3" /s /b /a-d /on') do (
  for /f "usebackq" %%b in (`Findstr /mic:"%~1" "%%a"`) do (
    echo(&Echo Replacing "%~1" with "%~2" in file %%~nxa
    <%%a cscript //nologo %temp%\_.vbs "%~1" "%~2">%tmp%
    if exist %tmp% move /Y %tmp% "%%~dpnxa">nul
  )
)
del %temp%\_.vbs
exit /b

:MakeReplace
>%temp%\_.vbs echo with Wscript
>>%temp%\_.vbs echo set args=.arguments
>>%temp%\_.vbs echo .StdOut.Write _
>>%temp%\_.vbs echo Replace(.StdIn.ReadAll,args(0),args(1),1,-1,1)
>>%temp%\_.vbs echo end with

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Dec 19 '13 at 02:20

0

just try sed for Windows

for %%a in (*.txt) do sed -ri.bak "s#hostName = \"Server UK \(Public/Veteran\) 116621\"#hostName = \"Server UK (Public/Veteran) 224421\"#g" "%%~a"

answered Dec 19 '13 at 02:20

Endoro

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D3F4ULT · Answer 3 · 2013-12-19T13:37:58.683

You can use this routine to replace a string with another string in a file, saving in a separate file or overwriting the original, just past the fourth parameter to save it in a separate file, otherwise, do not pass the parameter and will be replaced with the new content.

@echo off
@break off
@title Replace substring in text file with a batch script - D3F4ULT
@color 0a
@cls

:: Routine to replace an input string by a string output in the contents of a file.

setlocal EnableDelayedExpansion

REM Examples

REM call:replace-string-file-from-to "config.cfg" "116621" "224421"
REM call:replace-string-file-from-to "config.cfg" "116621" "224421" "config.cfg"
REM call:replace-string-file-from-to "config.cfg" "116621" "224421" "configuration.dat"
REM call:replace-string-file-from-to "%UserProfile%\Downloads\config.cfg" "116621" "224421" "%UserProfile%\Downloads\configuration.dat"

REM Calling Routine
call:replace-string-file-from-to "config.cfg" "116621" "224421"

exit

:replace-string-file-from-to

:: %~1 = File [In]  [Mandatory]
:: %~2 = From [In]  [Mandatory]
:: %~3 = To   [In]  [Mandatory]
:: %~4 = Out  [Out] [Optional]

REM Mandatory Parameters
if "%~1" EQU "" echo Error %%~1 not defined&&echo.&&ping -n 4 localhost>nul&&exit /B 1
if "%~2" EQU "" echo Error %%~2 not defined&&echo.&&ping -n 4 localhost>nul&&exit /B 1
if "%~3" EQU "" echo Error %%~3 not defined&&echo.&&ping -n 4 localhost>nul&&exit /B 1

if exist "%~dpnx1" (
  set "INPUT_FILE_LOCATION=%~dpnx1"
  cd /D "%~dp1"
) else if exist "%~dp0\%~nx1" (
  set "INPUT_FILE_LOCATION=%~dp0%~nx1"
  cd /D "%~dp0"
) else if exist "!CD!\%~nx1" (
  set "INPUT_FILE_LOCATION=!CD!\%~nx1"
  cd /D "!CD!"
)

if not defined INPUT_FILE_LOCATION (
  echo ERROR
  echo.
  echo File not found = '%~nx1'
  echo.
  echo Exiting...
  echo.
  ping -n 8 localhost>nul
  exit /B 1
)

set "INPUT_FILE_FOLDER=%~dp1"
set "INPUT_FILE_NAME=%~n1"
set "INPUT_FILE_EXTENSION=%~x1"

if "%~4" EQU "" (
  set "OUTPUT_FILE_LOCATION=!INPUT_FILE_FOLDER!!INPUT_FILE_NAME!__new__!INPUT_FILE_EXTENSION!"
  set "INOUT_DEL_MOVE=true"
) else if "%~dpnx1" EQU "%~dpnx4" (
  set "OUTPUT_FILE_LOCATION=!INPUT_FILE_FOLDER!!INPUT_FILE_NAME!__new__!INPUT_FILE_EXTENSION!"
  set "INOUT_DEL_MOVE=true"
) else (
  set "OUTPUT_FILE_FOLDER=%~dp4"
  set "OUTPUT_FILE_NAME=%~n4"
  set "OUTPUT_FILE_EXTENSION=%~x4"
  set "OUTPUT_FILE_LOCATION=!OUTPUT_FILE_FOLDER!!OUTPUT_FILE_NAME!!OUTPUT_FILE_EXTENSION!"
)

if exist "!OUTPUT_FILE_LOCATION!" (
  del /f /q "!OUTPUT_FILE_LOCATION!">nul
)

for /F "usebackq tokens=*" %%A in ( "!INPUT_FILE_LOCATION!" ) do (
  set "string=%%~A"
  set "string=!string:%~2=%~3!"
  echo !string!>>"!OUTPUT_FILE_LOCATION!"
)

if defined INOUT_DEL_MOVE (
  if exist "!INPUT_FILE_LOCATION!" (
    del /f /q "!INPUT_FILE_LOCATION!">nul
  )
  if exist "!OUTPUT_FILE_LOCATION!" (
    move /y "!OUTPUT_FILE_LOCATION!" "!INPUT_FILE_LOCATION!">nul
  )
)

goto:eof

Replace substring in text file with a batch script

3 Answers3