I am developing a script using MSDOS batch files for searching for strings in a directory My requirement is as follows I have a text file with a set of labels I have to search if each label is used in any one of the files present in the directory If its used in any one of the files, then i should be log it in the used variables.txt If a variable is not used in any file, then i should log it in notused.txt example Input text file input.txt contains the following data label1 label3 label5 in the source directory there are 2 files a.txt and b.txt the contents of a.txt is label1: uses label1 the contents of b.txt is label5: uses label5 when i run my batch file i should get 2 files as output usedvariables.txt that contains label1 label5 and notused.txt that contains label3 I am using MSDOS 5.0 and i am unable to get it using the find command Code used enclosed. @echo on del found.txt del notfound.txt for /f "delims=" %%i in (input.txt) do ( call :chkscript.bat %%i ) :chkscript.bat SET name=%~1 FOR /f "delims=" %%q IN ('dir /b C:\temp\') DO ( FIND "%name%" /C /I %%q IF %ERRORLEVEL% == 0 CALL :found %name% PAUSE ) :notfound rem echo %name%>>notfound.txt ECHO Name not found" GOTO :EOF :found echo %~1>>found.txt GOTO :EOF

for /f %%a in (input.txt) do ( find /i "%%a" *.txt >nul 2>&1 && (echo found %%a) || (echo not found %%a) ) tested on winxp cmd, not sure about msdos5.0

I am using MSDOS 5.0 Seriously? Then your script has a lot of issues. @echo on -- Valid :) del found.txt -- Valid :) del notfound.txt -- Valid :) for /f "delims=" %%i in (input.txt) do ( -- Invalid :( call :chkscript.bat %%i -- Invalid :( -- Valid :) ) -- Invalid :( -- Valid :) -- Valid :) :chkscript.bat -- Valid :) SET name=%~1 -- Technically valid :/ FOR /f "delims=" %%q IN ('dir /b C:\temp\') DO ( -- Invalid :( FIND "%name%" /C /I %%q -- Technically valid :/ IF %ERRORLEVEL% == 0 CALL :found %name% -- Invalid :( PAUSE -- Valid :) ) -- Invalid :( :notfound -- Valid :) rem echo %name%>>notfound.txt -- Valid :) ECHO Name not found" -- Valid :) GOTO :EOF -- Invalid :( -- Valid :) :found -- Valid :) echo %~1>>found.txt -- Technically valid :/ GOTO :EOF -- Invalid :( That's 13 valids to 24 total lines. Almost half (or more than half, if you remove the blank lines) of that script won't work in true MS-DOS.

R2, LOL ===================================== If at first you don't succeed, you're about average. M2

This is just nitpicking but wouldn't "goto :eof" class as "Technically valid :/" provided that the script has a label called :eof? (I can see that it doesn't)

Judago: This is just nitpicking but wouldn't "goto :eof" class as "Technically valid :/" provided that the script has a label called :eof? Had he an :EOF, then it'd be valid, yes. As written, however, the GOTO will throw an error. And yes, which is my classification for the invalid lines. (Technically valid are lines I don't think will throw an error, but won't do/give him what he wants.)