Hello.

Here comes a batch file that shows how to read the last line of a text
file:

=====
@Echo Off

If %1!==! (
Echo Read and display the last line of a text file
Echo.
Echo Syntax: %~n0 filename.txt
Goto :EOF)

If Not Exist %1 (
Echo File not found - %1
Goto :EOF)

SetLocal

::String that will be used to identify the last line
Set
_=vb043527nc502374v520345c7n20345vb7230457c2n305v72b345v02n3v50237cb230b5v

::Copy the file to the temp folder
Copy %1 %temp%.\tmp.tmp >NUL

::Append unique identifier string to the end of the temp file
Echo %_% >> %temp%.\tmp.tmp

:etermine the line number of the last line
For /F "delims=[]" %%a In ('Find /N "%_%" ^< %temp%.\tmp.tmp') Do Set
_=%%a

::Set lastline variable to the line next to last line of the original
file
Set /A _ -= 2
For /F "Tokens=* Skip=%_%" %%A In (%1) Do Set lastline=%%a

::Cleanup
If Exist %temp%.\tmp.tmp Del %temp%.\tmp.tmp

:isplay line
Echo %lastline%

EndLocal
=====

Have fun

--
Frank-Peter Schultze, http://www.fpschultze.de

On 16 Dec 2005 07:02:20 -0800, fpschultze wrote:

> Hello.
>
> Here comes a batch file that shows how to read the last line of a text
> file:

Does W2K have the more extensions of XP?

@echo off
setlocal EnableExtensions
for /f %%a in ('find /c /v "" ^< %1') do set /a var=%%a-1
more +%var% %1

Seems a lot of work just to find the last line. Brute force seems to work
for me.

for /f "delims=" %%s in (%1) do set LASTLINE=%%s
echo %LASTLINE%

Maybe I don't understand the problem. Also, if the set statement above
doesn't work, there's always echo %%s > %TEMP%\lastline.tmp, then reading
that file's only line into LASTLINE. I don't understand the need to run
FIND.

23} How do I get the n'th, the first and the last line of a text file?
24} How do I get the m'th item on the n'th line of a text file?

144994 Dec 7 2005 ftp://garbo.uwasa.fi/pc/link/tscmd.zip
tscmd.zip Useful NT/2000/XP script tricks and tips, T.Salmi

All the best, Timo

--
Prof. Timo Salmi ftp & http://garbo.uwasa.fi/ archives 193.166.120.5
Department of Accounting and Business Finance ; University of Vaasa
private.php?do=newpm&u= <http://www.uwasa.fi/~ts/> ; FIN-65101, Finland
Timo's FAQ materials at http://www.uwasa.fi/~ts/http/tsfaq.html

On Fri, 16 Dec 2005 09:13:32 -0800, Harlan Grove wrote:

> Seems a lot of work just to find the last line. Brute force seems to work
> for me.
>
> for /f "delims=" %%s in (%1) do set LASTLINE=%%s
> echo %LASTLINE%
>
> Maybe I don't understand the problem. Also, if the set statement above
> doesn't work, there's always echo %%s > %TEMP%\lastline.tmp, then reading
> that file's only line into LASTLINE. I don't understand the need to run
> FIND.

It just shows that there's more than one way to skin a cat.

In alt.msdos.batch.nt Harlan Grove <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> Seems a lot of work just to find the last line. Brute force seems to work
> for me.

> for /f "delims=" %%s in (%1) do set LASTLINE=%%s
> echo %LASTLINE%

> Maybe I don't understand the problem. Also, if the set statement above
> doesn't work, there's always echo %%s > %TEMP%\lastline.tmp, then reading
> that file's only line into LASTLINE. I don't understand the need to run
> FIND.

Both SET and ECHO have problems when the last line contains "<" or ">".

--
Gary L. Smith
Columbus, Ohio

"foxidrive" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> On Fri, 16 Dec 2005 09:13:32 -0800, Harlan Grove wrote:
>
>> Seems a lot of work just to find the last line. Brute force seems to work
>> for me.
>>
>> for /f "delims=" %%s in (%1) do set LASTLINE=%%s
>> echo %LASTLINE%
>>
>> Maybe I don't understand the problem. Also, if the set statement above
>> doesn't work, there's always echo %%s > %TEMP%\lastline.tmp, then reading
>> that file's only line into LASTLINE. I don't understand the need to run
>> FIND.
>
> It just shows that there's more than one way to skin a cat.

LOL. And sometimes skinning a cat is a good description of the convolutions
it takes to do some things in batch!

/Al

On Sun, 18 Dec 2005 03:28:14 -0000, Gary Smith <(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:

>Both SET and ECHO have problems when the last line contains "<" or ">".

Too true. Other characters can cause problems as well. I doubt it is
possible to have a routine to accurately get the last line of a text
file 100% of the time with only pure batch techniques. Though Herbert
will likely provide a .com creator for this issue (which would be
welcome), 16 bit apps don't work in 64 bit machines, AFAIK.

One can quote the string to handle redirection characters, but that
technique fails if the string has quotes within it. Strings with a
single set of double-quotes in the middle along with redirection
characters are very difficult to handle, such as:

This is > a very " slippery < string.

Ampersands in the string can cause unwanted behavior, if the
sub-string that follows contains valid commands, such as:

This is a test & del *.*

VBscript/WSH may be a better way to tackle this for a built-in
solution. Tom (welcome back), Al and others discussed this recently
in another group.

http://groups.google.com/group/micro...05343ff7cadd12

Cheers,
Clay Calvert
(E-Mail Removed)
Replace "Z" with "L"

"Gary Smith" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

fup2 microsoft.public.win2000.cmdprompt.admin set, since FOR /F is
available on NT++ only.

> In alt.msdos.batch.nt Harlan Grove <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> > Seems a lot of work just to find the last line. Brute force seems to work
> > for me.
>
> > for /f "delims=" %%s in (%1) do set LASTLINE=%%s
> > echo %LASTLINE%
>
> > Maybe I don't understand the problem. Also, if the set statement above
> > doesn't work, there's always echo %%s > %TEMP%\lastline.tmp, then reading
> > that file's only line into LASTLINE. I don't understand the need to run
> > FIND.
>
> Both SET and ECHO have problems when the last line contains "<" or ">".

And FOR will dissect %1 if it contains blanks, or use it literal when
properly enclosed in quotes.
Unfortunately one can't write "%~1" or '%~1' since both "" and '' have
special meaning with FOR /F.

Strange beast that cat is...
Stefan

What code would I need to display contents of line x from the bottom? e.g.
the sixth line from the bottom?

Don

"fpschultze" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hello.
>
> Here comes a batch file that shows how to read the last line of a text
> file:
>
> =====
> @Echo Off
>
> If %1!==! (
> Echo Read and display the last line of a text file
> Echo.
> Echo Syntax: %~n0 filename.txt
> Goto :EOF)
>
> If Not Exist %1 (
> Echo File not found - %1
> Goto :EOF)
>
> SetLocal
>
> ::String that will be used to identify the last line
> Set
> _=vb043527nc502374v520345c7n20345vb7230457c2n305v72b345v02n3v50237cb230b5v
>
> ::Copy the file to the temp folder
> Copy %1 %temp%.\tmp.tmp >NUL
>
> ::Append unique identifier string to the end of the temp file
> Echo %_% >> %temp%.\tmp.tmp
>
> :etermine the line number of the last line
> For /F "delims=[]" %%a In ('Find /N "%_%" ^< %temp%.\tmp.tmp') Do Set
> _=%%a
>
> ::Set lastline variable to the line next to last line of the original
> file
> Set /A _ -= 2
> For /F "Tokens=* Skip=%_%" %%A In (%1) Do Set lastline=%%a
>
> ::Cleanup
> If Exist %temp%.\tmp.tmp Del %temp%.\tmp.tmp
>
> :isplay line
> Echo %lastline%
>
> EndLocal
> =====
>
> Have fun
>
> --
> Frank-Peter Schultze, http://www.fpschultze.de
>