What is the easiest way to replace one string with another sting in 1000 files?

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What is the easiest way to replace one string with another sting in 1000 files?

VoldemarG

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December 30, 2019 at 1:12 am

#3711056

I need to once in a while replace a string of about 200 characters in each text file (~ 2 Mb each) with another string of similar length? There are 1000+ files in the directory, and I want to loop through each, replace the string if found, save file, move to next one, and so on in the entire directory. All files have different name but same extension, either .aspx or .txt.
It doesn't have to be necessarily a T-SQL solution but ANY way that will not involve substantial programming or time-consuming efforts.
Likes to play Chess

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VoldemarG Hall of Fame Points: 3883 More actions · Answer 1

it is Windows 10 or Win Server 2016 OS.

Likes to play Chess

pietlinden SSC Guru Points: 63428 More actions · Answer 2

There's probably a better way, but one option is to automate Word.

Open file,

Run Replace

Save

Go to next file. (you can use DIR() to get the next file)

frederico_fonseca SSCoach Points: 16017 More actions · Answer 3

use powershell for that - easy in just a few lines.

see https://powershell.org/forums/topic/find-and-replace-strings-in-multiple-files/

Thom A SSC Guru Points: 99126 More actions · Answer 4

I agree that Powershell would be far easier, and could easily be executed by an Agent Task in SQL Server if needed. Should look something like this:

$Directory = "C:\temp\YourDirectory"

$Files = Get-ChildItem -Path $Directory #-Recurse #Uncomment if needed

foreach ($File in $Files)
{
    (Get-Content $File) -replace "Find String","Replacement String" | Set-Content $File
}

Thom~

Excuse my typos and sometimes awful grammar. My fingers work faster than my brain does.
Larnu.uk

Jonathan AC Roberts SSCoach Points: 18263 More actions · Answer 5

Notepad++ is quite good for this.

You can open multiple files and perform a replace on all files in one go.

BTylerWhite SSCommitted Points: 1569 More actions · Answer 6

Thom A wrote:

I agree that Powershell would be far easier, and could easily be executed by an Agent Task in SQL Server if needed. Should look something like this:
$Directory = "C:\temp\YourDirectory"

$Files = Get-ChildItem -Path $Directory #-Recurse #Uncomment if needed

foreach ($File in $Files)
{
    (Get-Content $File) -replace "Find String","Replacement String" | Set-Content $File
}

I really like Thom's answer. I would just consider adding the following to the $Files variable to filter to specific extensions you're looking for:

$Files = Get-ChildItem -Path $Directory -Include *.aspx, *.txt #-Recurse #Uncomment if needed

Thom A SSC Guru Points: 99126 More actions · Answer 7

BTylerWhite wrote:

I really like Thom's answer. I would just consider adding the following to the $Files variable to filter to specific extensions you're looking for:
$Files = Get-ChildItem -Path $Directory -Include *.aspx, *.txt #-Recurse #Uncomment if needed

Very good point, and an oversight on my part. I should have more carefully noted the OP was only looking at specific extensions. ????

Thom~

Excuse my typos and sometimes awful grammar. My fingers work faster than my brain does.
Larnu.uk