Batch Files: How to concatenate each line in a text file? - batch-file

Question

I have a text file with text on each line. I would like to be able to put each line in one long line along with a space. So, if the text file has:
Bob
Jack
Sam
I want the result to be
Bob Jack Sam
Below are two methods that I am working on but I am stuck. Anything in brackets [] means that I know the syntax is completely wrong; I only put it there to show my thought process. The commented sections are just me experimenting and I have left them in case anyone wants to comment on what they would do / why they do what they do.
Method 1:
#echo off
SETLOCAL EnableDelayedExpansion
SET count=1
FOR /F "tokens=* delims= usebackq" %%x IN ("afile.txt") DO (
SET var!count!=%%x
for %%a in (!count!) do (
!var%%a! = !var%%a! & " "
echo !var%%a!
)
SET /a count=!count!+1
echo !count!
)
::echo !var1! !var2! !var3!
start "" firefox.exe !var%%a!-1
ENDLOCAL
::echo "endlocal" %var1% %var2% %var3%
Method 2:
#echo off
SETLOCAL EnableDelayedExpansion
SET count=1
FOR /F "tokens=* delims= usebackq" %%x IN ("afile.txt") DO (
SET var!count!=%%x
call echo %%var!count!%%
SET /a count=!count!+1
echo !count!
)
::echo !var1! !var2! !var3!
start "" firefox.exe ^
[i = 1]
[for i to !count! do (]
call echo %%var!count!%% & " " & " "^
ENDLOCAL
::echo "endlocal" %var1% %var2% %var3%

Answer 1

If you only have three values, you can directly retrieve them from the file
< input.txt (
set /p "line1="
set /p "line2="
set /p "line3="
)
set "var=%line1% %line2% %line3%"
echo("%var%"
If you don't know the number of values, use a for /f command to read the lines and concatenate the contents into a variable.
#echo off
setlocal enableextensions enabledelayedexpansion
set "var="
for /f "usebackq delims=" %%a in ("input.txt") do set "var=!var!%%a "
echo("%var%"
But if the data can contain exclamation signs, the delayed expansion state will remove them (and the text surounded by them). To avoid it, this can be used
#echo off
setlocal enableextensions disabledelayedexpansion
set "var="
for /f "usebackq delims=" %%a in ("input.txt") do (
setlocal enabledelayedexpansion
for /f "tokens=* delims=¬" %%b in ("¬!var!") do endlocal & set "var=%%b%%a "
)
echo("%var%"
where the setlocal/endlocal and the inner for are used to avoid problems with ! character
Or you can try something like this
#echo off
setlocal enableextensions disabledelayedexpansion
for /f "delims=" %%a in ('
"<nul cmd /q /c "for /f "usebackq delims=" %%z in ("input.txt"^) do (set /p ".=%%z "^)""
') do set "var=%%a"
echo("%var%"
It runs a cmd instance to output the input lines as only one output line (<nul set /p is used to ouput the data without line feeds, so all data is in the same line). This is wrapped in a for to retrieve the output inside a variable

Answer 2

Would this work for you?
#echo off
SET var=
SETLOCAL EnableDelayedExpansion
FOR /f %%i in (afile.txt) DO (
SET var=!var!%%i
)
echo !var!
ENDLOCAL
Notice there is a space after the SET var=!var!%%i[Space Here] to separate each word in each row
EDIT:
If you want to display the current value in the loop just print %%i with NO concatenation. After the FOR loop finishes it will print the last value assigned to the variable
#echo off
SET var=
SETLOCAL EnableDelayedExpansion
for /f %%i in (input.txt) do (
SET var=%%i
echo !var!
)
echo %var%
Will print:
Bob
Jack
Sam
Sam

Answer 3

Try this: Post Edited.
#Echo off
Set "File=Recent_Log.txt"
Set "Output=My_Log.txt"
(
For /F %%F in (%File%) Do (
Set /p ".=%%~F "
)
) > "%Output%" < Nul
Goto :Eof

Answer 4

Because this is the first link after a Google search, I post my solution(Windows 7/10 .bat):
for %%f in (h:\blaba\*.*) do (type "%%f" & echo.) >> h:\sfsdf\dd.txt
NOTE: When your directory/filename contains spaces use double quotes.