20

I want to find a string in a file using DOS:

For example

find "string" status.txt

And when it is found, I want to run a batch file.

What is the best way to do this?

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2
  • Does find return different errorlevel values depending on whether the string is found? If so, there's your solution right there. Commented Jan 6, 2010 at 0:50
  • 3
    Do you really mean MS-DOS or do you mean the cmd.exe batch interpreter on Windows? Commented Jan 6, 2010 at 1:19

6 Answers 6

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29

It's been awhile since I've done anything with batch files but I think that the following works:

find /c "string" file
if %errorlevel% equ 1 goto notfound
echo found
goto done
:notfound
echo notfound
goto done
:done

This is really a proof of concept; clean up as it suits your needs. The key is that find returns an errorlevel of 1 if string is not in file. We branch to notfound in this case otherwise we handle the found case.

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1 Comment

It's better to use if errorlevel 1. It has slightly different semantics, though, but is overall more robust.
10 
C:\test>find /c "string" file | find ": 0" 1>nul && echo "execute command here"
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2 Comments

This was my initial approach but I don't like relying on the output of find henceforth containing : 0. I couldn't find (pun intended) documentation supporting this and think the errorlevel approach might be more future proof.
I edited the answer to add the /c switch. Otherwise 'find' does not report count (": 0")
8 
@echo off
cls
MD %homedrive%\TEMPBBDVD\
CLS
TIMEOUT /T 1 >NUL
CLS
systeminfo >%homedrive%\TEMPBBDVD\info.txt
cls
timeout /t 3 >nul
cls
find "x64-based PC" %homedrive%\TEMPBBDVD\info.txt >nul
if %errorlevel% equ 1 goto 32bitsok
goto 64bitsok
cls

:commandlineerror
cls
echo error, command failed or you not are using windows OS.
pause >nul
cls
exit

:64bitsok
cls
echo done, system of 64 bits
pause >nul
cls
del /q /f %homedrive%\TEMPBBDVD\info.txt >nul
cls
timeout /t 1 >nul
cls
RD %homedrive%\TEMPBBDVD\ >nul
cls
exit

:32bitsok
cls
echo done, system of 32 bits
pause >nul
cls
del /q /f %homedrive%\TEMPBBDVD\info.txt >nul
cls
timeout /t 1 >nul
cls
RD %homedrive%\TEMPBBDVD\ >nul
cls
exit
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Comments

7

We have two commands, first is "condition_command", second is "result_command". If we need run "result_command" when "condition_command" is successful (errorlevel=0):

condition_command && result_command

If we need run "result_command" when "condition_command" is fail:

condition_command || result_command

Therefore for run "some_command" in case when we have "string" in the file "status.txt":

find "string" status.txt 1>nul && some_command

in case when we have not "string" in the file "status.txt":

find "string" status.txt 1>nul || some_command
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6

As the answer is marked correct then it's a Windows Dos prompt script and this will work too:

find "string" status.txt >nul && call "my batch file.bat"
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2 Comments

access denied on windows
@Jack That's a problem with your permissions on the files or folder you are using.
-1

That's more straightforward:

find /c "string" file
if %errorlevel% not equ 1 goto something
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1 Comment

gives error not was unexpected at this time.

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