Dias I need your help!!I need to understand how the "maxdatenum" works as I am getting problem when latest date is 4/1/09 instead of 3/31/09.It is still extracting only 3/31/09 even if latest date is 4/1/09 or later.
please help me understand.I have googled for this but no use.
Apologies for the stupid error in my code. The script was supposed to extract the first 8 characters of each line which are MM/DD/YY e.g. 04/01/09 and re arrange them to make a number for the date in the form YYYYMMDD e.g. 20090331 or 20090401 such that a later date makes a greater number. However by a stupid error I had the month and day transposed. I would have caught it if I had tested with a month later than March. Fixed below.

Code: [Select]@echo off
setlocal enabledelayedexpansion

set filename=test0401.txt

REM pass 1 - determine latest date
echo Examining file - determining latest date
set maxdatenum=0
set lastdate=

for /f "delims=" %%L in ( ' type "%filename%" ' ) do (
set thisline=%%L
set datestamp=!thisline:~0,8!

REM Fixed
set dateM=!datestamp:~0,2!
REM was previously !datestamp:~3,2!

REM Fixed
set dateD=!datestamp:~3,2!
REM was previously !datestamp:~0,2!

set dateY=20!datestamp:~6,2!

REM Datenum=YYYYMMDD
REM e.g. 20093103
REM e.g. 20090401

set datenum=!dateY!!dateM!!dateD!

if !datenum! GTR !maxdatenum! (
set maxdatenum=!datenum!
set lastdate=!datestamp!
echo Found date : !datestamp!
)
)
echo Latest date found : %lastdate%
REM filenames cannot have / character
set filenamedate=%lastdate:/=-%
REM pass 2 extract latest date's lines
REM containing DOWNLOAD because only pairs have this line
set alreadydone=
REM The filename transferred is TOKEN 6
for /f "tokens=1-26 delims= " %%L in ( ' type "%filename%" ^| find "%lastdate%" ^| find "DOWNLOAD"' ) do (
set filename=%%~nxQ
REM Echo Found filename : !filename!
REM Find number part within transferred filename
REM Delimiter is underscore character
for /f "delims=_" %%A in ("!filename!") do (
set number=%%A
echo !alreadydone! | find ",!number!,">nul || (
set alreadydone=,!number!,!alreadydone!
echo.
REM Echo File number part : !number!
Set Outfile=%filenamedate%-!number!.txt
Echo Creating file : !outfile!
if exist "!outfile!.tmp" del "!outfile!.tmp"
if exist "!outfile!" del "!outfile!"
REM Examine entire log file and extract lines containing CURRENT
REM transferred file number
REM group each filenumber pair together, ignore lines containing message.txt
REM Write to temp file first
for /f "delims=" %%B in ( ' type "%filename%" ^| find "%lastdate%" ^| find "!number!" ^| find /v "message.txt"' ) do (
Echo %%B>>"!outfile!.tmp"
)
REM Only take latest pair for each file number
REM Count lines in output
set numlines=0&for /f "delims=" %%C in ( ' type "!outfile!.tmp"' ) do set /a numlines+=1
REM Subtract 2, this GIVES the first line to take
set /a startline=!numlines!-2
REM Transfer last 2 lines of tmp file to
REM real output file
set line=1
for /f "delims=" %%C in ( ' type "!outfile!.tmp"' ) do (

if !line! GTR !startline! (
echo %%C>>!outfile!
echo %%C
)
set /a line+=1
)
del "!outfile!.tmp"
)
)
)
Echo.
Yes I guessed you have add the date format numbers but when I tried to correct it and refered to other topics in google I did not find any.Thank you so MUCH for your time.It works perfect now.