getting and parsing last line (windows)

paulunderwood · 2006-12-07, 01:19

Under Windows, I have a log file which has, for example, the last line:

10000000000+99905361 is 5-prp

I want to use this to start the program again with parameter "-s99905361". Please help.

wblipp · 2006-12-07, 05:03

What tools are permitted? I'd probably use PERL to write a batch file, and then wrap that in another batch file that calls the PERL then calls the PERL-created batch file. A port of the UNIX tool "tail" would also be handy. If it must be stock Windows, it might be possible to cook something up with a batch file named 10000000000 and the find command, but that would take some playing around to make it work.

paulunderwood · 2006-12-07, 13:39

Windows without Perl, I am affraid. I am pretty sure there is a way, by scanning the log file and storing each line into a variable so that when the file has been read the variable will contain the last line. Then it is a question of parsing the contents of the variable. But the details escape me

antiroach · 2006-12-07, 15:04

Are you able to install cygwin? If so you can use the standard linux tools to accomplish this.

antiroach · 2006-12-07, 15:06

Are you able to install cygwin? If so you can use the standard linux tools to accomplish this. Or you can always write up a C program to do this.

Ken_g6 · 2006-12-07, 15:17

I don't see you getting away with this from a batch file without at least sed. Maybe tail, too, if you can find it.

Alternativley, some VBScript might do it for you. I know you can parse a line with a RegExp, and start a program with "SystemUtil.Run", but I don't know how to open a file in VBScript.

Edit: Here's how.

wblipp · 2006-12-07, 17:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by paulunderwood

by scanning the log file and storing each line into a variable

The hard part of doing this with no addon tools is getting ANY line of the log file into a variable. Back in DOS 4.1 the standard trick was to treat the first token of the log file as a batch file name and execute the log file, causing the remaining tokens on the line to be positional parameters of the batch file. You don't know the first token, "10000000000+99905361" in your example, so that doesn't work directly.

It's possible that recent versions of Windows include a command that will read input, but I don't know of any. The best I've been able to concoct uses three key ideas:
1. Using findstr to get a prefix on the line which is shell executable
2. Using variable string substitution to replace the embedded "-" with a blank
3. Redirecting output to files with the file extension ".bat" so that you can then treat the output as a shell script.

The steps are:

1. make a copy of the log with the name "Call A.". Include the blank and have the file extension be blank.

2. create filelist.txt with the single line "Call A ". No quotes in the file, but be sure the blank is after the A.

3. findstr /Fflist.txt "PSP" > b.bat
This creates a file where every line begins Call A,

4. Create a file named a.bat that has
echo off
set X = %1
echo d %X:-= % > c.bat

every time this runs, it overwites c.bat with a line that has d then two tokens parsed from the first token

5. Create a file named d.bat that has
ProgramName -s%2

6. After the findstr, use "Call b.bat"

7. After the b.bat, "Call c.bat"

This can be cleaned up in a few ways - some of the batch files can be replaced with calls to CMD, or some of the batch files can be combined with labels and flags.

And of course it's MUCH cleaner to copy off the internet a sed and tail program that work in windows.

Uncwilly · 2006-12-07, 18:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by paulunderwood

10000000000+99905361 is 5-prp

Will "10000000000+" always be part of the last line? We assume that it is not unique to the last line.

paulunderwood · 2006-12-07, 19:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncwilly

Will "10000000000+" always be part of the last line? We assume that it is not unique to the last line.

Every line has "10000000000+".

It is beginning to look like I will need some extra-windows program, but I am studying William's solution...

Also, I will revise some DOS programming, hoping that this will still work in XP.

Uncwilly · 2006-12-07, 21:20

If we were still in Win3, we could use recorder. But a .vbs could do it.
Use it to fire up Note/WordPad. Ctrl-end to the bottom of the file, move right, highlight, ctrl-c, etc. You can even use it to launch your app.

See this link:
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/8c6yea83.aspx

smh · 2006-12-07, 21:28

I was going to suggest edlin, but i can't figure out how to use ^Z in a batch file.

Assuming you have a file with only the prp's in it (findstr prp out.txt > prp.txt)

edlin prp.txt

1R10000000000+^Zprogram -S
1R is 5-prp^Z
e

The ^Z is a CTRL-Z

If i use a batch file it's always seen as a normal ^Z.

There are windows versions of most unix commands online though

2006-12-07, 01:19	#1
paulunderwood Sep 2002 Database er0rr 2²·5·181 Posts	getting and parsing last line (windows) Under Windows, I have a log file which has, for example, the last line: 10000000000+99905361 is 5-prp I want to use this to start the program again with parameter "-s99905361". Please help.

2006-12-07, 15:17	#6
Ken_g6 Jan 2005 Caught in a sieve 613₈ Posts	I don't see you getting away with this from a batch file without at least sed. Maybe tail, too, if you can find it. Alternativley, some VBScript might do it for you. I know you can parse a line with a RegExp, and start a program with "SystemUtil.Run", but I don't know how to open a file in VBScript. Edit: Here's how. Last fiddled with by Ken_g6 on 2006-12-07 at 15:26

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2006-12-07, 05:03	#2
wblipp "William" May 2003 New Haven 3·787 Posts	What tools are permitted? I'd probably use PERL to write a batch file, and then wrap that in another batch file that calls the PERL then calls the PERL-created batch file. A port of the UNIX tool "tail" would also be handy. If it must be stock Windows, it might be possible to cook something up with a batch file named 10000000000 and the find command, but that would take some playing around to make it work.

2006-12-07, 13:39	#3
paulunderwood Sep 2002 Database er0rr 3620₁₀ Posts	Windows without Perl, I am affraid. I am pretty sure there is a way, by scanning the log file and storing each line into a variable so that when the file has been read the variable will contain the last line. Then it is a question of parsing the contents of the variable. But the details escape me

2006-12-07, 15:04	#4
antiroach Jun 2003 2²×61 Posts	Are you able to install cygwin? If so you can use the standard linux tools to accomplish this.

2006-12-07, 15:06	#5
antiroach Jun 2003 2²×61 Posts	Are you able to install cygwin? If so you can use the standard linux tools to accomplish this. Or you can always write up a C program to do this.

2006-12-07, 21:20	#10
Uncwilly 6809 > 6502 """"""""""""""""""" Aug 2003 101×103 Posts 9,491 Posts	If we were still in Win3, we could use recorder. But a .vbs could do it. Use it to fire up Note/WordPad. Ctrl-end to the bottom of the file, move right, highlight, ctrl-c, etc. You can even use it to launch your app. See this link: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/8c6yea83.aspx

2006-12-07, 21:28	#11
smh "Sander" Oct 2002 52.345322,5.52471 29·41 Posts	I was going to suggest edlin, but i can't figure out how to use ^Z in a batch file. Assuming you have a file with only the prp's in it (findstr prp out.txt > prp.txt) edlin prp.txt 1R10000000000+^Zprogram -S 1R is 5-prp^Z e The ^Z is a CTRL-Z If i use a batch file it's always seen as a normal ^Z. There are windows versions of most unix commands online though