Hello, I am trying to write a batch file that will take all files that have a character string embeded in the name and combine those into a file. for example it these are the files in the directory: aflksjfkj_JOE_0987098708.txt 987s089_JOE_hiu9087uig.txt 90a8hsdfan_JOE_asjkdfhlaj.txt 98089a7sfh_MIKE_adkajhdfkj.txt askldakfjkl_MIKE_aldkjfklajdf.txt aljkfdakl8907_MIKE_jksdf.txt and I want to end up with two files MIKE_files.txt JOE_files.txt It has to be generic so whether it is _JOE_ or _MIKE_ or any name between the "_" it will combine all the files with that character string into a single file and does it for all the different names in the folder. Thanks for any advice

Change variable "directory" from "test" to the directory of the files. You don't need to put a full path including drive. If you were to run it as is, if the batch file was in a folder that contained a folder called "test" it would work. So, if your batch file is in a folder called "stuff" and inside that folder was a folder called "more stuff" that had all of your text files in it, you would change the variable "directory" from "test" to "more stuff". BTW, the batch file cannot be in the same directory as the "directory" variable. @echo off set directory=test set charnum=0 setlocal enabledelayedexpansion for %%a in ("!directory!\*.txt") do ( set fname=%%a call :loop ) exit :loop if "!fname!" == "!directory!\!name!_files.txt" goto end set /a charnum=!charnum!+1 call set char=%%fname:~!charnum!,1%% if "!char!" == "_" ( if not defined fchar set fchar=!charnum! && goto loop set lchar=!charnum! set /a fchar=!fchar!+1 set /a lchar=!lchar!-!fchar! call set name=%%fname:~!fchar!,!lchar!%% type "!fname!">>"!directory!\!name!_files.txt" echo+>>"!directory!\!name!_files.txt" set charnum=-1 set fchar= goto end ) goto loop :end There are no stupid questions, just stupid people.