Batch script commands to combine text(.csv) files 使用命令提示字元合併多個文字檔案

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copy *.csv all.csv #For flatten file structure 單一資料夾檔案合併

for /R %f in (*.txt) do type "%f" >> all.txt #For merging sub-folder files 多層資料夾檔案合併

There are lots of use cases that we have to handle numbers of fragment files . One of the the common operation is to combine text files into a single file. You may find section below helpful if you have to merge multiple text files. 

Scenario 

Case A : Combine csv data feed into single Excel sheet for filtering and analysis.

Case B : Collect all intranet system log for investigation .

The task is easy but can be time consuming , and the task actually can be done using command line within 3s. There are mainly two ways to combine text files in command line.

Method 1 
The simple way is using copy command for NO sub-directory file case   

Flatten file structure

The command 

copy *.csv all.csv

Result 

The Command above mainly choose the files to merge in the folder by selecting file extension .

It tells window to merge all .csv file in folder "C:/Users/Local User/Documents" into a file named as "all.csv".

Alternatively, you may also use the wildcard symbol * in file name like below :

The command  

copy b*.csv b_all.csv

Result 

The command merge .csv files with prefix letter "b" in filename into file named as "b_all.csv".

Method 2
The customized way is using for /R to handle recursive selection in sub-directory   

There are certain text log files in the sub-folders , those files need to be combined as well. 

Hence the folder has to be searched recursively in order to find out all the files inside sub-folders.

The command 

for /R %f in (*.txt) do type "%f" >> allLog.txt

Result 

All .txt file inside the folder "C:/Users/Local User/Documents" and its sub-folders will be merged into a file named as "allLog.txt".

Summary

- Text files could be merged using command "copy" or "for /R".

- The first method only apply to situation with flatten file structure while the second could      be applied to sub-folder structure.

- Wildcard symbol * could be used for filename or file extension selection.