FOR /F on multiple files

[miskox]

According to HELP FOR /F should be able to handle multiple files at once:

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for /F ["ParsingKeywords"] {%% | %}variable in (filenameset) do command [CommandLineOptions]

The filenameset argument specifies one or more file names. Each file is opened, read and processed before going on to the next file in filenameset. To override the default parsing behavior, specify "ParsingKeywords". This is a quoted string that contains one or more keywords to specify different parsing options. 

So this should allow me to display all records in all .txt files in _some_dir folder:

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for /f "tokens=1" %%f in (_some_dir\*.txt) do echo %%f

This returns file not found error.

Jeb's solution on SO (http://stackoverflow.com/questions/9645 ... tch-script) :

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for %%f in (*.txt) do (
    FOR /F %%L IN (%%f) DO (
      echo %%L
  )
)

Jeb's solution works. Is Microsoft's version possible?

Saso

[ShadowThief]

you can say

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for /F %%f in ('dir \b somedir\*.txt') do echo %%f

[foxidrive]

This is one way - it can be enhanced further to remove the filenames - if your records do not start with a : character

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findstr "^" *.txt

[miskox]

@ShadowThief: your solution returns filenames only. I need each record from each file (total number of records without empty lines).

@foxi: your solution partially works: it shows empty lines, too.

I decided to use Jeb's solution for now.

Saso

[foxidrive]

@foxi: your solution partially works: it shows empty lines, too.

Did you say that you want to exclude blank lines?

If it's like the other thread and you have numerals in every record then replace "^" with "[0-9]"

[miskox]

@foxi: my mistake. You are right. The main question in this thread is about FOR /F command not working as it should (according to the Operating System's help). My another thread is about blank lines.

Your solution is very good.

Sorry again.

Saso

[foxidrive]

miskox, this works at the command prompt:

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for /f %f in (file1.txt file2.txt) do @echo %f

[miskox]

I don't know what are the filenames so I tried with

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for /f %%f in (_some_folder\*.txt) set /a cnt=cnt+1

but it returns an error (though MS says it should work).

Looks like Jeb's solution is the one I will use (I already implemented it).

Thank you all. Foxi, sorry again for the misunderstanding.

Saso

[penpen]

Where did Micrsoft say, that you may use wildcards, when using "for /F"?
Wildcards are only allowed on the 'pure' and '/D' "for" cmd, regarding "help for".

penpen

[miskox]

Where did Micrsoft say, that you may use wildcards, when using "for /F"?
Wildcards are only allowed on the 'pure' and '/D' "for" cmd, regarding "help for".

penpen

I re-read the help and you are right: I mistakenly thought that 'set' and 'filenameset' are the same (=same rules apply - obviously not) (set can have wildcards, filenameset is just a list of files).

Saso