How do I read through a directory of text files and find a line of data in each

How do you run this? From command line or can I put in a bat file?  I tried the bat file but nothing happened.  Also, the report.txt is saved where?  

The script seems to work without the report.txt part.  Is the > correct in your snippet?  Should there be some other parameter qualifier?

I just had to figure out how and where to save the report

Do you want a python script to process
- an individual file?
- a list of files?
- a subset of files in a specific directory?
- something else?

It was a list of files.  I also realize now that the output file needs to list the file name and also the word ERROR next to it.

Something like this perhaps?

import sys
import os.path
 
def FindText():
  argc = len( sys.argv )
  if argc < 3 :
    Usage()
  text  = sys.argv[ 1 ]
  files = sys.argv[ 2: ]
# print ' text: %s\nfiles: %s' % ( text, str( files ) )
  for filename in files :
    try :
      fh = open( filename )
      data = fh.read()
      fh.close()
      if data.find( text ) >= 0 :
        print filename, text
    except :
      sys.stderr.write( 'File not found: ' + filename + '\n' )
 
def Usage():
  print '''Command: FindText.py\n
   Role: To search text files for a specific text string\n
  Usage: python FindText.py textString fileName [fileName...]\n
Example: python FindText.py ERROR a.txt b.txt c.txt'''
  sys.exit()
 
if ( __name__ == '__main__' ) :
  FindText()
else :
  Usage()

Select allOpen in new window

I don't see where I can setup where the file directory is?

When I go to run it I can invalid syntax at the text = sys.argv[1]

it barks right before the word "text"

The filename parameters can include a complete path to the file.

If the filename contains a space (e.g., in the path), surround the filename in double quotes.

For example:

python FindText.py ERROR "C:\Program Files\My Files\A.txt" C:\Temp\B.txt

If a path is not included, then the file is expected to exist in the current directory.
So, you could do something like:

python C:\Utilities\FindText.py ERROR A.txt B.txt C.txt >output.log 2>error.log

Any files that don't exist will be listed in the "error.log" created by the preceding command.  Without specifying it, i.e.,

python C:\Utilities\FindText.py ERROR A.txt B.txt C.txt >output.log

The list of "File not found" messages would be seen on the screen, and the
list of files containing the specified text would be found in the specified output
file.

Does this make sense?

What do you get when you type the following at the command prompt?

python -V

What operating system are you using?

I'm using Python 2.4 and Windows XP

And you have the complete text of the script shown above?

Please paste, or attach what you actually have.

Thanks

I don't want to have to list each file name, there are hundreds of them.  Can the script just look for all the .txt files listed in a specific directory?

I'm not sure I was clear.  The word ERROR would be within the text file, not as part of the name of the file.

Q: Can the script just look for all the .txt files listed in a specific directory?
A: Sure.  One moment please

>> I'm not sure I was clear.
>> The word ERROR would be within the text file, not as part of the name of the file.

Understood.  The script, as written allows the first parameter to specify the text to be found.  That way, if you wanted to use the same script to look for some other text, all you would need to do would be to execute the script, and pass it the text to be found.

Let me revise the script to not require filenames, or the text...

What parameters would you like to specify?

The directory to be searched?

Anything?

The directory to be search and the text word within the file to look for

Something like this?

All you would need to do is:

- open a command prompt
- "cd" to the directory containing the .txt files to be searched
- execute the command, something like:

  python "C:\Utilities\FindText.py" >output.log

import sys
import os
 
def FindText():
  files = os.listdir( os.getcwd() )
  files.sort()
# print ' text: %s\nfiles: %s' % ( text, str( files ) )
  for filename in files :
    if filename[ -4: ] == '.txt' :
      try :
        f = open( filename )
        data = f.read()
        f.close()
        if data.find( 'ERROR' ) >= 0 :
          print filename, 'ERROR'
      except :
        pass
 
if ( __name__ == '__main__' ) :
  FindText()

Select allOpen in new window

oh, you've already closed the question.

nevermind.

please open another (perhaps related) question.