Windows batch files do not show consistently in Notepad

I am afraid I can't upload the files as they are propriety information.

I use ConText programmers editor (an excellent editor - see) and that honours the line-ends but Notepad does not.

Okay, understand.

Yes, many text editors are smart enough to treat either a single <CR> or a single <LF> as a line termination indicator if they don't see the standard <CR><LF> pair present.

So I guess I'm still where I mentioned earlier.  I expect that the files on those Windows machines are different than on the other Windows machine, with regard to the EOL characters.  If ConText has a HEX view mode that shows all characters including the EOL ones then you could see that.

And if so, then the question becomes what was done differently in placing those files on the different Windows machines, that changed the EOL sequence.  Certainly this is common when FTP from a Unix box is involved, but you haven't mentioned that so I won't assume.

Notepad is not as 'smart' as most text editors, it needs the <CR><LF> pair to behave properly I believe.

~bp

Bill: This is exactly what I was thinking.

The files are installed / created by third party software installation and quite possibly were originally created or stored on a UNIX box.

I had the same thought about using a hex editor to check the end-of-line terminators. Do you know a good open-source one that can be used commercially ?

It's not fancy, but I have used some of their other tools so picked this up at one point as well.

https://www.funduc.com/fshexedit.htm

There are a number of free options out there, if you want to explore further take a look at this wiki page:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_hex_editors

~bp

I have used Notepad++ and set the 'View | Show Symbol | Show End Of Line' and it confirms that the Batch file must have either been created or FTPed to a Unix system as the end of line char is just a 'LF'.

That still does not explain why sometimes Notepad shows the lines correctly and sometimes with all the lines run together. Maybe when settings in the application change it modifies the batch file but since it is now on a Windows box it uses CR+LF  ?

Have you tried running the unix2dos tool I suggested and linked to above?

No I haven't used that tool. I don't want to change the file (or risk changing the reliant software's functionality) - I just wanted to explain why sometimes the lines are run all-together and sometimes appear fine. The suggestion I have given is the only thing I can think of.

In actual fact, if I wanted to change the EOL markers, Notepad++ will do this easily from a menu selection.

That still does not explain why sometimes Notepad shows the lines correctly and sometimes with all the lines run together.

Have you also looked at the file with Notepad++ on a system where the line wrapping is handled properly, and if so do you see <CR><LF> as the end of line sequence there?  I have to think you will, and if that is the case then something different is happening in the way the files are created or moved to the different Windows machines.  Hard to guess what that could be without more info, but if you want to detail the creation and distribution of the file that would be a start.

~bp

It turned out that it was not a file difference but a mistake on the user's part who identified the issue. However it was useful to know that the EOL markers cannot be changed in Windows by Notepad++ can change the EOL markers in a file.