hi i need to find a line from a text file and put it into a variable. this doesn't work: set fip= find "[1]" type o.txt

Use this, instead: find "[1]" < o.txt > %temp%.\$ for /F "tokens=*" %%S in (%temp%.\$) do set fip=%%S del %temp%.\$ Or this: for /F "tokens=*" %%S in (FINDSTR "[1]" o.txt) do set fip=%%S Just be aware that the behavior of FIND and FINDSTR are very different in some cases. For more information, type "FINDSTR/?" and "FOR/?" on the command prompt. -- Leonardo Pignataro - Secret_Doom -- secret_doom@hotmail.com www.batch.hpg.com.br _____________________________________________________________

The second method is wrong, sorry. This is it: for /F "tokens=*" %%S in ('FINDSTR "[1]" o.txt') do set fip=%%S And you can yet shrink that first method (the one using FIND) to this: for /F "skip=2 tokens=*" %%S in ('FIND "[1]" o.txt') do set fip=%%S This last one is actually the method/syntax I recommend. I shouldn't even have mentioned the other ones. -- Leonardo Pignataro - Secret_Doom -- secret_doom@hotmail.com www.batch.hpg.com.br ______________________________________________________________________

Secret_Doom tank again :-) last thing i need for my project is to delete the last character that is in the variable(that was takken for the .txt file). i know that: set mesg=%mesg:~3% will delete the 3 first character,but how can i delete only the last character from the variable. tanx again.

This is it: set mesg=%mesg:~,-1% -- Leonardo Pignataro - Secret_Doom -- secret_doom@hotmail.com www.batch.hpg.com.br

Secret_Doom thank you you helped a lot. :-)