Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!mips!bridge2!molehill.ESD.3Com.COM!michaelm From: michaelm@ESD.3Com.COM (Michael McNeil) Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.programmer Subject: Re: "finding" text in files Message-ID: Date: 4 Jun 91 02:48:36 GMT References: <16428@darkstar.ucsc.edu> Sender: news@bridge2.ESD.3Com.COM Lines: 48 Nntp-Posting-Host: molehill.esd.3com.com ted@helios.ucsc.edu (Ted Cantrall) writes: >We are getting ready to go from DOS 3.3 to 4.01 so we can use our larger >disks more effectively. As a result of having many partitions, there are >many batch files that refer to E: or F: that will have to be modified when >those partitions go away. So the question is: > Is there any way to use DOS filters (like FIND) to print a list of the >batch files that contain an "E:" or an "F:"? The problem with useing FIND >directly is that it won't take wild cards so I'd have to manually feed it >all the batch file names. (computers are suppose to be smart) :-) I find the DOS "FIND" utility useful, even if it can't take wildcards, by calling it from a batch file (which I call "GREP.BAT") which *is* capable of utilizing wildcards -- through the "FOR" batch file syntax. Simply put a "FOR" line in your batch file, calling "FIND" like this: FOR %%F IN (%2 %3 %4 %5 %6 %7 %8 %9) DO FIND "%1" %%F Then call "GREP" passing it up to eight *wildcarded* filenames, like so: GREP string FILE1 ... FILE8 For example, GREP E: D:\BIN\*.BAT will locate all "E:" strings in batch files within the given directory. Actually, I like putting a "SHIFT" before the "FOR" so as to pick up one more parameter, for a total of nine. If you do this, change the "FOR" to take cognizance of the additional zeroth parameter, viz.: SHIFT FOR %%F IN (%1 %2 %3 %4 %5 %6 %7 %8 %9) DO FIND "%0" %%F >Please reply by E-Mail as I am way behind in reading news. > Thanks to all (any) who answer... > >-ted- ted@helios.ucsc.edu -- Michael McNeil Mail: Michael_McNeil@3Mail.3Com.COM 3Com Corporation News: michaelm@molehill.ESD.3Com.COM Santa Clara, California Work telephone: (408) 492-1790 x 5-208 If I could remember all those names [referring to the growing population of subatomic particles], I would have been a botanist. Enrico Fermi, early 1950s