Hi, Is there a direct way to set the value of a variable to the output of a line command. For instance, I want to set the value of the variable str to the output given by a search command findstr in the file "input.txt". I can do it using the following codes findstr "apple" input.txt > dummy set /p str=<dummy echo.%str% del dummy I wonder can it be more simpler. I tried set /p str=<findstr "apple" input.txt and it gives an error. Thanks for any help and comment.

@echo off & setLocal EnableDelayedExpansion for /f "tokens=* delims=" %%a in ('findstr "apple" ^< input.txt') do ( set str=%%a ) ===================================== If at first you don't succeed, you're about average. M2

Hi, Thanks for the quick advice on the solution. I am facing another problem. I have the following code @echo off setLocal EnableDelayedExpansion for /f "tokens=* delims=" %%a in ('findstr "MATY(003)" input.txt') do ( set str=%%a echo.!str! ) for /f "skip=2 tokens=1* delims=]" %%a in ('find /v /n "" input.txt') do ( if "%%b"==!str! echo.SUCCESS ) The input.txt file has the following content dummy MATY(003)=00011, VMAT(1,003)=-2.400E3,1.0E0,,,, not blank not blank dummy end of file When the batch file is executed, I don't get the SUCCESS echo. I am puzzled why %%b in the 2nd FOR statement is not matching the !str! set in the 1st FOR statement. Is it because of some hidden characters? Please help.

Hi, Sorry to repost again. I found the answer. I should remove the quotes around %%b in the 2nd FOR statement. Sorry to create unneccesarry posts.