Hello,
I want to verify the content of the text read from the input file, before I transfer it to an out file.
I did try to put its content into a variable, but it doesn't work.
Some body can help me please?
Thanks.

for /F "tokens=1* delims=]" %%j in ('type "%param%" ^| find /V /N ""') do (
Set subStr=%%k:~0,12%%
)

However the following works:
for /F "tokens=1* delims=]" %%j in ('type "%param%" ^| find /V /N ""') do (
echo.%%k>> "OutputFile"
)
You have to set it as a variable or it will on work within a for loop. Thanks for the answer...
But, if you want me to understand, could you WRITE down please.
Thanks.SET var=%%k

Then when you want to use the info from %%k, use %var% instead. I did try it before, and one more time now, but %var% is set Null.
So when I do
SET var=%%k
echo %var%
--> I get "ECHO is off." (that's because the variable is set to NULL)

If you want to whole example, look what I've send this morning around 10:30

ThanksIn the FOR loop, make sure that TOKENS=*Newbie batch lesson #2 (That means you, helpmeh, who ought to know this by now!)

delayed expansion

When a batch file is run, normally, all variables are expanded ONCE ONLY, at parse time. This happens before the code is run.

In a FOR loop or other place where code is between parentheses, attempting to set a variable whose value is not known at parse time causes it to be set to a null value (a blank) so that attempting to echo the variable is interpreted by cmd.exe as just echo by itself.

Unless you use delayed expansion:

1. use the setlocal COMMAND with the option enabledelayedexpansion
2. within the parenthetical structure, use exclamation marks ! instead of PERCENT signs %

Code: [Select]
@echo off

REM Do this once, e.g. at the start of the batch file
setlocal enabledelayedexpansion

FOR /F "tokens=1* delims=]" %%j IN ('type "%param%" ^| find /V /N ""') DO (

REM get the value held in the FOR metavariable into a variable
REM so we can slice it
set subStr=%%k

REM example: using echo to show value
echo Value 1 of subStr=!subStr!

REM now we can cut it down to its FIRST 12 CHARS
Set subStr=!subStr:~0,12!

REM example: using echo to show value
echo Value 2 of subStr=!subStr!

)


Incidentally, to protect against null variables producing "ECHO is off." messages at runtime, you can put some text, or at least a dot, after the echo, for example like this

echo.%var%

but if you get things right, you should not need to do this.



Thank you very much.
It works great.
The exclamation mark did all the difference.