How to get the exact match of a string in file using FIND or FINDSTR in dos

Question

I am trying to get the exact match of a path ("\Users\sachin.a.goyal\Desktop\test\") which is there in a file:

 Biggest.txt:
 1 number: 
 name = DMS 3.0 R2 - Deployment Workbook_APAC v4_WMT 
 size = 15634835 
 path = \Users\sachin.a.goyal\Desktop\test\ 
 2 number: 
 name = Scenarios 
 size = 254 
 path = \Users\sachin.a.goyal\Desktop\test\New folder\

I am using this command:

 findstr /x /c:"\Users\sachin.a.goyal\Desktop\test\" Biggest.txt

But after this command, DOS window is stucked. It is not giving any error but looks like it is expecting some other parameter. Please help.

Solution

The /x is not going to work as the entire line needs to match the search string, and in this case, it is prefixed with path =. Also, the \ symbols need to be escaped so they are not interpreted as commands. Finally, regular expression mode will help capture the right line, as it ends in a space then the end of line - the end of line can be represented as a $:

H:\>findstr /r /c:"\\Users\\sachin.a.goyal\\Desktop\\test\\ *$" biggest.txt
path = \Users\sachin.a.goyal\Desktop\test\

The reason for your search hanging is probably one of the \ was matching a command.

If you are using a variable to hold the path being searched for, you would still need to escape the backslashes. You can do this with the replace feature:

set path="c:\Users\sachin.a.goyal\Desktop\test\"
set path=%path:\=\\%
echo path
c:\\Users\\sachin.a.goyal\\Desktop\\test\\

The second line says, replace all backslahes with double backslashes. Unfortunately I don't have a Windows box to test on right now, but you may need to escape the backslashes still:

    set path=%path:\\=\\\\%

Comments

[Daniel Andersson]

Which operating system? It could be MS-DOS, but it is most likely just the command prompt in Windows [something]. I'm tagging the post "Windows" for the time being. If it explicitly is MS-DOS, feel free to change it.

[Sachin]

Thank you very much!!It worked. But The actual problem is that I have stored the path in a variable and I am matching the value of that variable in file. Then I have to save the path in the variable as you told with regular expression '\' ?

[Paul]

Yeah that should be fine - are you still getting stuck with the backslashes?

[Sachin]

Yes....that variable contains the path with single backslashes only

[Paul]

Can you test it by populating the var with double backslashes and if it works we'll figure a way to fix it

[Sachin]

Yes it works when populate the var like that code set var = \\Users\\sachin.a.goyal\\Desktop\\test\\ *$

[Sachin]

Now can u help me please how will I change the path stored in the variable as regular expression

[Paul]

Updated answer with variable escaping