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Merging text files together with batch commands?

I would like to be able to merge the contents of all text files in a root folder and its children folders into one output text file. Is this possible with batch commands (I'm using winxp), or is there a free app that can accomplish this? Either or is fine. Much obliged.

Lee W, MVP

Yes, you can do this in a batch file. A sample of your data and directory structure would help, but you can use a for loop and the copy command with the /a switch -

For example:

Echo.>SingleFile.txt
FOR /f "tokens=*" %%a in ('dir /b *.txt') do copy /a SingleFile.txt+%%a SingleFile.txt

dbrunton

If you know the children folders and files its easy.

Example

copy /a \a.txt + /a \folder1\b.txt + /a \folderb\c.txt output.txt /a

Wildcards can be used.

If you don't know the children folders then some of the other gurus here can supply the answer.

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GuruGary

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Gorba916

ASKER

Thanks leew! I decided I wanted to try this on a series of XML files.

And your slightly modified command:

Echo.>SingleFile.txt
FOR /f "tokens=*" %%a in ('dir /b *.xml') do copy /a SingleFile.txt+%%a SingleFile.xml

Unfortunately only the last file on the list becomes SingleFile.xml... they aren't combining. Any ideas?

Gorba916

ASKER

Thanks GuruGary! It worked... with some modifications of course...

@echo off
setlocal
set RootFolder=D:\CFusionMX\wwwroot\GameMusicJukebox\
set OutputFile=D:\CFusionMX\wwwroot\GameMusicJukebox\Output.xml

for /f "delims=" %%a in ('dir "%RootFolder%*.xml" /b /s /a') do type "%%a" >>%OutputFile%

worked!