Batch remove first character of all text files in a folder

[tiro_silex]

Hey,

I have a series of files (*.mail, but they are essentially *.txt) in a single folder.
I would like a batch script to delete the first character (which should always be a "-") within each text file (so not editing the filename, but the file's content).
(Optionally it can delete all "-" characters in the text files, but I would prefer to just delete the first one).
I'd like this edited straight in the existing file, no output files, etc.
For now I have been using Notepad++'s "Find in Files"-function, which works well, but I would prefer a batch-based solution.

Can someone help me out?
Thanks!

[Ben Mar]

Just try this:

Code: Select all

@echo off
for %%a in (*.txt) do @(
   findrepl "^-" "" < %%a > %%~na.tmp
   del %%a
   ren %%~na.tmp %%a
)

This uses a native Windows batch script called findrepl.bat (by aacini)
It can also be found here: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=4697
Place it in the same folder as the batch file, or in a folder that is on the system path.

[dbenham]

You can use JREPL.BAT. The following works from the command line - no batch required:

Code: Select all

for %F in (*.txt) do @jrepl "^-" "" /jendln "skip=true" /f "%F" /o -

If used in a batch script, then

Code: Select all

@echo off
for %%F in (*.txt) do call jrepl "^-" "" /jendln "skip=true" /f "%%F" /o -

Dave Benham