Batch find and replace string adds blank line

Question

I got this code (in this question) that finds and replaces string but it adds a blank new line at the end of the output file and makes it not usable.

@echo off &setlocal
set "Russian=g_language = Russian"
set "English=g_language = English"

set "textfile=user.cfg"
set "newfile=user.bak"

Call :SwapLang Russian

:search
Color 9B
@echo off&prompt :&mode con cols=60 lines=16


echo.
echo.
echo.
echo.
echo.
echo.
echo.
echo                      PLEASE RUN NOTEPAD
echo.
echo.
echo.
echo.
echo.

:search
TIMEOUT /T 2
TASKLIST|FIND "notepad.exe"
IF %ERRORLEVEL% equ 0 (GOTO found) ELSE (GOTO search)

:found

Call :SwapLang English

Goto :Eof

:SwapLang %1 byRef
( for /f "delims=" %%i in (%textfile%) do (
  set "line=%%i"
  setlocal EnableDelayedExpansion
  If /I "!line:~0,12!" Equ "g_language =" (
    echo(!%1!
  ) Else (
    echo(!line!
  )
  endlocal
)) > "%newfile%"
del %textfile%
rename %newfile%  %textfile%
Goto :Eof

INPUT FILE: It has 6 line with no blank line.

sys_usefrontline = 1
net_frontline_address = s1.gmru.net
net_frontline_port = 5050
g_language = Russian
cl_promoPageWidth = 820
cl_promoPageHeight = 726

OUTPUT1 FILE: It has 7 lines, last line is blank (can't be shown here).

sys_usefrontline = 1
net_frontline_address = s1.gmru.net
net_frontline_port = 5050
g_language = Russian
cl_promoPageWidth = 820
cl_promoPageHeight = 726

OUTPUT2 FILE: It has 7 lines, last line is blank(can't be shown here).

sys_usefrontline = 1
net_frontline_address = s1.gmru.net
net_frontline_port = 5050
g_language = English
cl_promoPageWidth = 820
cl_promoPageHeight = 726

Could someone help me with this?

There is nothing in the code to produce an additional line. Do you mean "The last line in my Input File has no termination (`CRLF`)"? Does the `CRLF` really make the file unusable? — Stephan, Aug 27 '17 at 17:59
@Stephan Echo always terminates a line with a cr/lf. The very last line of the file didn't and shouldn't have a cr/lf. I went to PowerShell but it's Set-Content did the same. Only way around I found was dot net's `[IO.File]::WriteAllText()` — , Aug 27 '17 at 20:46

score 0 · Accepted Answer · 2017-08-27T20:36:09.580

0

Batch isn't ideal for editing files. This batch uses PowerShell to do the editing with a Regular Expression:

:: Q:\Test\2017\08\25\SO_45879928.cmd
@echo off &setlocal

set "textfile=user.cfg"

Call :SwapLang Russian

:search
Color 9B
@echo off&prompt :&mode con cols=60 lines=16
echo.
echo.
echo                      PLEASE RUN NOTEPAD
echo.
echo.
:search
TIMEOUT /T 2
TASKLIST|FIND "notepad.exe"
IF %ERRORLEVEL% equ 0 (GOTO found) ELSE (GOTO search)

:found

Call :SwapLang English

Goto :Eof

:SwapLang %1
Powershell -NoP -C "$txt=(gc %textfile% -raw) -replace '(?<=g_language = )(English|Russian)','%1';[IO.File]::WriteAllText('%textfile%', $txt)"

Goto :Eof

edited Aug 27 '17 at 20:36

answered Aug 27 '17 at 18:44

Result is same as for batch from above. I think I will give up from this approach and try copy>rename file approach. – Mac Maca Aug 27 '17 at 20:20
Looks like `sc` or `Set-Content` also puts a terminating cd/lf to the end of the file [refernce](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/30751320/powershell-replace-content-in-file-adds-redundent-carriage-return) Workaround from the answer in the reference incorporated in my answer here. Should work now. – Aug 27 '17 at 20:24
@ LotPings I have to thank you for your time and effort that you invested in answering my questions! – Mac Maca Aug 27 '17 at 20:56
The most welcome thank is: If you find an answer helpful you should consider to [accept the answer](http://stackoverflow.com/help/accepted-answer) and/or [vote up](https://stackoverflow.com/help/why-vote) – Aug 27 '17 at 20:58
Now it deletes file content in first pass @ `Call :SwapLang Russian` – Mac Maca Aug 27 '17 at 20:59
I checked with the very last version and found no problem? Do the other values in the file change regularly? What about a simple `copy /y Russian.cfg user.cfg` or `copy /y English.cfg user.cfg`? – Aug 27 '17 at 21:12

score 0 · Answer 2 · edited Jun 20 '20 at 09:12

I've solved your original question: Batch check and replace string then wait for a process by just 2 command lines using msr.exe as following: (full message is there, with a colorful screenshot)

msr -p user.cfg -it "(g_language\s*=\s*)\w*" -o "${1}Russian" -R

msr -p user.cfg -it "(g_language\s*=\s*)\w*" -o "${1}English" -R

Additonaly, for your questions here, also 1 command to remove tail new lines:

msr -p your-files-dirs -S -t "[\r\n]+$" -o "" -R

Or remove tail white-spaces and new lines:

msr -p your-files-dirs -S -t "\s+$" -o "" -R

According to stackoverflow rules, say again here: msr.exe/msr.gcc*/msr.cygwin etc is in my open project https://github.com/qualiu/msr tools directory, as a general tool to Match/Search/Replace files/pipe lines/blocks.

Batch find and replace string adds blank line

2 Answers2