How do I read only the first line of a text file using batch

Here's one approach.  You can also do it with the PROMPT command, but since you asked for the FOR approach.

cd c:\eom\print\
findstr /m "F44Q" * >F44Q.TXT
for /f %%A in (F44Q.txt) DO {
  MOVE %%A C:\EOM\ORGS\F44Q\
  goto :ExitFor
}
:ExitFor

~bp

You can also do this without the temporary file if you wanted, reading the output of the FINDSTR directly into the FOR, like:

cd c:\eom\print\
for /f %%A in ('findstr /m "F44Q"') DO {
  MOVE %%A C:\EOM\ORGS\F44Q\
  goto :ExitFor
}
:ExitFor

more info here:

http://ss64.com/nt/for_cmd.html

~bp

I have multiple codes in the files on the first line that determine what folder it belongs in  The fix that you helped me with still found the string F44Q on other lines than the first one.  Any line after the first one may have the F44Q but doesn't belong in the F44Q directory.

that didn't seem to work at all.  I replaced the word here with where I wanted the files to go.  when it runs it doesn't appear to do anything

below is the code i tried from the last post

@echo off
setlocal enabledelayedexpansion
set search=F44Q
cd /d C:\users\chris.knapp\eom\print\

set line=
for /f "tokens=*" %%A in ('findstr /m "%search%" *') do call :check %%A

exit /b

:check
for /f "tokens=*" %%L in ('type "%~1"') do (
  set line=%%L
  if not "!line!"=="!line:%search%=!" (
    echo %1.  Do MOVE %1 C:\users\chris.knapp\eom\orgs\F44Q\
  )
  exit /b
)

if this helps the search word i need to find in each file is always the first second or third word on the first line

It should work like this, have tested it as is.  It isn't actually moving files at the moment, only echoing to the screen (sorry if obvious!).  Is it showing anything?

It should run findstr down each file to find the text and any it finds it in it then parses line 1 for the text.  Add an echo %~1 just after the :check line to see each file that findstr found for starters.

If you replace the :check section as below it will show a bit more:

:check
echo ... START %~1
for /f "tokens=*" %%L in ('type "%~1"') do (
  set line=%%L
  echo ... %~1 , !line!
  if not "!line!"=="!line:%search%=!" (
    echo %1.  Do MOVE %1 C:\users\chris.knapp\eom\orgs\F44Q\
  )
  exit /b
)

it appears to be finding the correct files but doesn't move them  this is the move line
echo %1.  Do MOVE %1 C:\users\chris.knapp\eom\orgs\F44Q\

i checked and the location I'm trying to move it to is correct

ok then it is working but not running a move command yet, the echo is just showing you what it could do. Leave the echo if you wish then add a move command to the next line or replace the whole echo line with just a move command.

Will type it up like that for you when not on mobile in a bit!

It was almost perfect had one little problem needed to remove the do statement from the move lien

No problem,  I had mean't it as "do your move here" rather than a command already.  Sorry if it caused confusion.

Steve

Steve,

I'm really swamped at the office this week, but had hoped to try this slightly differently.  Why not do the FINDSTR with the /N option?  This will produce a single output of all lines in all files, and then that couple be fed into a second FIND looking for ":1:".  That resultant list would be just the files that had the desired string in the first line.  Then that output could be processed in the FOR /F grabbing off the filename at the left.

Try this on the folder where the files are to get the idea:

findstr /N "F44Q" * | find ":1:"

Feels easier, what you think Steve?

~bp

Nice!  I didn't know you could use /N with the multiple files method and have it actually display the filename on each line, but it seems that it does -- I had asumed it worked the same as FIND which only shows the filename once and the found line with line number in [], i.e.

find /N "F44Q" *.txt | find "[1]" works but only shows the line not the filename...

In which case then I would scrap what you have and replace it with something as suggested by Bill:

for /f "tokens=1 delims=:" %%a in ('findstr /N "f44Q" * ^| find ":1"') do (
  echo Found line 1 as F44Q in %%a
  MOVE "%%a" etc.
)

Damn extra : missing there in the second find command (as otherwise it will find line 1x 1xx 1xxx etc. too)