Extract Specific Lines from a rtf file and create a new file

Hello,

Thank you for posting back to me.  When I run the script I get the same results from when I run the powershell script.  For some reason it is copying over the whole document.  It makes a copy of the document and creates a new file.  

Any ideas?

Thank you.

Can you post a representative sample of the document (with any sensitive information redacted) using the Attach File box?

Here is a sample of what the file looks like in word:

7159  test,test 5909  Name  06/01/2009 88888 information #A022947 DD:DD 05/29/2009
4009 test2,test2 1979  Name 06/01/2009 7777  information   DD:DD 05/27/2009
246842 test3,test D606  Name 06/01/2009 6666  information DD:DD 05/26/2009
297174 test4,test4 1450  Name 06/01/2009 55555 information AT:AT 06/01/2009
100044 test5,test5 C940  Name 6/01/2009 70544  information DD:DD: 06/01/2009

There is more data to the file.  I replaced the information on the lines. But it is a sample.

Thank you.

Can you save the file as plain text rather than rtf?

How about using a DOS command as in:

    FINDSTR "1450" "c:\Users\dan\stephanie\test.rtf" >>"c:\Users\dan\stephanie\mantello.rtf"

Type: FINDSTR /? in DOS for further options.

Yes, I can save the file as a .txt file.

Just wondering, if the FINDSTR command worked....

FINDSTR doesn't look like it will give me an option to move those lines to another file.  When I use the FINDSTR command, it does not return what I am looking for.

Please don't insult me. Instead of saying "doesn't look like it will give me an option to move those lines to another file" why don't you try it? Here is the command again:

    FINDSTR "1450" "c:\Users\dan\stephanie\test.rtf" >>"c:\Users\dan\stephanie\mantello.rtf"

This will search through the file TEST.RTF for any lines containing the text "1450" and if it finds any, IT WILL COPY those lines to the file MANTELLO.RTF (providing of course the folder names you gave are correct).

t0t0,

Wasn't trying to insult you.  Didn't mean anything by it.  I did try it before I posted, it returns me the whole file instead of just the criteria I am looking for.  

Sorry, I disagree with you. The code I gave you will ONLY copy lines that contain the matching text. The format of the command I gave you is:

    FINDSTR [Text]  [Source File]  >>  [Destination File]

If it helps, mavigate to the folder which contains your source file (test.rtf) and then type this shorter version of the command:

    FINDSTR "1450" test.rtf >mantello.rtf

Now look at the file MANTELLO.RTF and confirm what you see by typing:

    TYPE MANTELLO.RTF

Is it possible you were typing:

   FINDSTR "1450" "c:\Users\dan\stephanie\test.rtf" >>"c:\Users\dan\stephanie\mantello.rtf"

instead of just:

    FINDSTR "1450" "c:\Users\dan\stephanie\test.rtf" >"c:\Users\dan\stephanie\mantello.rtf"

In which case you may have been 'appending' the output to MANTELLO.RTF rather tha creating it?

Please confirm.

t0t0,

I typed the command in correctly.  It gives me back a copy of the entire file.  

Thank you.

does every line in your source file contains the text: "1450"?

No, out of 5 pages of lines, there are only a hand full of lines that contain 1450.  

Please run this batch file to confirm the operation of the FINDSTR command:

@ECHO OFF
REM ----------------------------------------------------
REM Set SearchText to '1450' (default) or command line option
REM ----------------------------------------------------
SET SearchText=1450
IF NOT "%1"=="" SET SearchText=%1


REM ----------------------------------------------------
REM Reset files
REM ----------------------------------------------------
DEL 50URCE.RTF 2>NUL
DEL DE5T1NAT10N.RTF 2>NUL


REM ----------------------------------------------------
REM Display notes
REM ----------------------------------------------------
CLS
ECHO.
ECHO This program creates a file named 50URCE.RTF containing the 5 lines you
ECHO supplied to EE question (the first line is truncated to fit on the screen).
ECHO.
ECHO  7159  test,test 5909  Name  06/01/2009 88888 information #A022947 DD:DD 05/2
ECHO  4009 test2,test2 1979  Name 06/01/2009 7777  information   DD:DD 05/27/2009
ECHO  246842 test3,test D606  Name 06/01/2009 6666  information DD:DD 05/26/2009
ECHO  297174 test4,test4 1450  Name 06/01/2009 55555 information AT:AT 06/01/2009
ECHO  100044 test5,test5 C940  Name 6/01/2009 70544  information DD:DD: 06/01/2009
ECHO.
ECHO Then, the FINDSTR command is executed searching for any lines containing the
ECHO text "%SearchText%". These lines are then written to a file named DE5T1NAT10N.RTF.
ECHO.
ECHO Both filenames 50URCE.RTF and DE5T1NAT10N.RTF have the numbers 0 1 and 5
ECHO for the letters o i and s so they are unlikely to effect files on your PC.
ECHO.
PAUSE


REM ----------------------------------------------------
REM Create source file
REM ----------------------------------------------------
ECHO.
ECHO Creating source 50URCE.RTF file...
 >50URCE.RTF ECHO 7159  test,test 5909  Name  06/01/2009 88888 information #A022947 DD:DD 05/2
>>50URCE.RTF ECHO 4009 test2,test2 1979  Name 06/01/2009 7777  information   DD:DD 05/27/2009
>>50URCE.RTF ECHO 246842 test3,test D606  Name 06/01/2009 6666  information DD:DD 05/26/2009
>>50URCE.RTF ECHO 297174 test4,test4 1450  Name 06/01/2009 55555 information AT:AT 06/01/2009
>>50URCE.RTF ECHO 100044 test5,test5 C940  Name 6/01/2009 70544  information DD:DD: 06/01/2009
ECHO.


REM ----------------------------------------------------
REM Check if source file was created
REM ----------------------------------------------------
IF EXIST 50URCE.RTF (
   ECHO The 50URCE.RTF file was successfully created.
) ELSE (
   ECHO Error creating 50URCE.RTF file & EXIT /B
)
ECHO.
PAUSE


REM ----------------------------------------------------
REM Display contents of source file
REM ----------------------------------------------------
ECHO.
ECHO Contents of 50URCE.RTF file
ECHO -----------------------------------
MORE <50URCE.RTF
ECHO -----------------------------------
ECHO.
PAUSE


REM ----------------------------------------------------
REM Execute DOS command
REM ----------------------------------------------------
ECHO.
ECHO Executing the command: FINDSTR "%SearchText%" 50URCE.RTF ^> DE5T1NAT10N.RTF...
ECHO.
ECHO Searching 50URCE.RTF file for "%SearchText%"
ECHO.
FINDSTR "%SearchText%" 50URCE.RTF >DE5T1NAT10N.RTF

IF %ERRORLEVEL% EQU 0 (
   SET SearchResult=Found
) ELSE (
   SET SearchResult=NotFound
   COPY NUL >DE5T1NAT10N.RTF 1>NUL
)
ECHO Finished searchig file.
ECHO.

IF %SearchResult%==Found (
   ECHO The text "%SearchText%" was found in 50URCE.RTF file
   ECHO.
   ECHO Line/s have been written to DE5T1NAT10N.RTF file
) ELSE (
   ECHO The text "%SearchText%" was not found in 50URCE.RTF file
)
ECHO.
PAUSE

REM ----------------------------------------------------
REM Check file was created ok
REM ----------------------------------------------------
IF NOT EXIST DE5T1NAT10N.RTF (
   ECHO Error creating DE5T1NAT10N.RTF file
   EXIT /B
)


REM ----------------------------------------------------
REM Display contents of destination file
REM ----------------------------------------------------
ECHO.
ECHO Contents of DE5T1NAT10N.RTF file
ECHO -----------------------------------
MORE <DE5T1NAT10N.RTF
ECHO -----------------------------------
ECHO.
PAUSE

REM ----------------------------------------------------
REM Clean up
REM ----------------------------------------------------
ECHO.
ECHO Reseting variables...
SET Search=
ECHO.

ECHO Deleting 50URCE.RTF and DE5T1NAT10N.RTF files...
ECHO.
DEL 50URCE.RTF 2>NUL
DEL DE5T1NAT10N.RTF 2>NUL

REM ----------------------------------------------------
REM Check files were deleted ok
REM ----------------------------------------------------
IF EXIST 50URCE.RTF ECHO Error: Cannot delete S0URCE.RTF file
IF EXIST DE5T1NAT10N.RTF ECHO Error: Cannot delete DE5T1NAT10N.RTF file

REM ----------------------------------------------------
REM End
REM ----------------------------------------------------
ECHO End of program.
ECHO.

When I run that, it gives back the one entry that has the 1450 in it.   When I try to manipulate it to scan through the file I have, I end up getting back a copy of the entire file.

Hmmm.... that's interesting. So, you can see the problem then...

Please, if the data is not sensitive in one of your RTF files, attach one of them here to enable me to investigate why it works for some files and why it doesn't for others.

I had to change it to a .txt file to upload it.  You can rename it to .rtf so the format is normal.

Thank you.

Not sure if the upload went through.  It does not allow you to upload an .rtf file to the website.

Nope, there's no upload here... How about putting it into a ZIP file?

I've successfully tried this with my own RTF files. I really need to have a copy of one of your RTF files so that I can investigate why it won't work with yours.

I try to upload the file but it doesn't take. Here is the file as a .txt.  I use Microsoft Word to open it.  It sorts out the columns.

Thank you.

will report back later today!

Regarding the lines that are written out to a new file, do you want this in plain text format containing just the text as it appears in each column or do you want the file to be formatted like the original file with the page header and column names etc.

If the file can contain just the text as it appears in each column that would be great.  I don't need the headers.

Thank you!!

Hello,

Any luck with the file?

Thank you.

I will come back to you on this one very shortly.

Hey,

Just wanted to check and see if this was possible.

Thank you.

Please tend to this question.

Thank you.