How to get a particular line from a file into a batch variable?

I have a batch file that gets it variable from a remote text file using a code something like this-

set /p var=< examplepath\example.txt

But the problem is that it will copy only the first line into the variable. Therefore I need to use one file for every variable. How to get all the data from only one file with variables taking their data from different lines?

For example I have this file example.txt,

• data1
• data2
• data3

I want the set /p function to set var1=data1 , var2=data2 , var3=data3

How do we do this?

1

3 Answers

@echo off
cd /d "%~dp0"
setlocal enabledelayedexpansion
For /F tokens^=* %%i in ('type "example.txt"
')do set /a "_cnt+=1+0" && call set "_var!_cnt!=%%~i"
For /L %%L in (1 1 !_cnt!)do For /F tokens^=*usebackq %%i in (
`echo[!_var%%~L!`)do if not defined _var_ (set "_var_=_var%%L=!_var%%~L!" ) else set "_var_=!_var_!, _var%%~L=!_var%%~L!"
echo\!_var_!>example2.txt && set /p _var=<example2.txt
echo\!_var! && for /L %%L in (1 1 !_cnt!)do echo\!_var%%~L!
endlocal && goto :EOF 

• Outputs:

_var1=data1, _var2=data2, _var3=data3 // - From echo\!_var!
data1 // |
data2 // | From For /L loop
data3 // |

---

1. Implement a counter inside a For /F loop taking line by line from your file:

For /F tokens^=* %%i in ('type "example.txt"
')do set /a "_cnt+=1+0" && ... 

2. Each line will be saved isolated in the variable _var + counter

... && call set "_var!_cnt!=%%~i"

3. Implement a For /L loop starting at 1 and incrementing to the value defined in the counter == ! _cnt!

For /L %%L in (1 1 !_cnt!)do ...

4. Concatenate the string _var with the variable in loop %%L, in order to recover the value of each line saved in _var%%L to use it in an additional For /F loop

... do For /F tokens^=*usebackq %%i in (
`echo[!_var%%~L!`)do

5. Use a conditional if, where the _var_ variable has already been defined, define it in order to add more strings in the variable or, just define it with the value of the first line (var%%L == var1 == data1)

... do if not defined _var_ (set "_var_=_var%%L=!_var%%~L!" ) else set "_var_=!_var_!, _var%%~L=!_var%%~L!"

6. If for a reason you need this variable defined by set /p, echo the variable _var redirected to another file, and use it

echo\!_var_!>example2.txt && set /p _var=!<example2.txt

---

Obs.: 1 Remember item 4.: Concatenate the string _var with the variable in loop %%L, in order to recover the value of each line saved in _var%%L to use it in an additional For /F loop

echo\!_var! && for /L %%L in (1 1 !_cnt!)do echo\!_var%%~L!

Ob.: 2 Both the variable _var_ and _var, have the same content/strings/lines saved in them

echo\!_var!
echo\!_var_!

---

---

• Some further reading:

  [√] If /?

  [√] Set /?

  [√] Echo /?

  [√] For /F /?

  [√] For /L /?

  [√] Redirection

  [√] Enable/DisableDelayedExpansion | Enable/DisableExtensions

3lines.txt

apple
bear
cat

test.bat

@echo off
setlocal enabledelayedexpansion
set line=1
for /f "delims=" %%L in (3lines.txt) do ( if "!line!"=="1" set var1=%%L if "!line!"=="2" set var2=%%L if "!line!"=="3" set var3=%%L set /a line+=1 )
echo var1=%var1%
echo var2=%var2%
echo var3=%var3%

output:

var1=apple
var2=bear
var3=cat

If you put the variable names in the text file, you can do the read in one line

3lines-2.txt

var1=Andy
var2=Bob
var3=Chris

test2.bat

@echo off
for /f "delims=" %%L in (3lines-2.txt) do set %%L
echo var1=%var1%
echo var2=%var2%
echo var3=%var3%

output

var1=Andy
var2=Bob
var3=Chris

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