FFIND text that includes "

[Salri]

How can I use FFIND to search files if I want to specify text that includes embedded double quotes? I want to find all lines that include "enum" including the double quotes. For example, the following isn't giving me what I want:

ffind /L /L5 /T"enum" /V *.json > c:\work\enum.txt

I've tried two, three and four double quotes on either side of enum. For example, ffind /L /L5 /T"""enum""" /V *.json > c:\work\enum.txt doesn't match anything.

However, if I use the /W dialog and enter "enum" for text, it seems to produce the correct matching lines. So, how do I do that on the command line? I need the /L5 but don't see how to do that in the dialog.

Thanks,
Sal

 

[vefatica]

v:\> echo "foo"^r^nfoo
"foo"
foo

v:\> echo "foo"^r^n | ffind /kmvt"^qfoo^q"
"foo"

v:\>

 

[vefatica]

v:\> echo "foo"^r^nfoo
"foo"
foo

v:\> echo "foo"^r^n | ffind /kmvt"^qfoo^q"
"foo"

v:\>

I'm curious about how to do the same with a regular expression (FFIND /E). Does anyone know how?

 

[RogerB]

I'm curious about how to do the same with a regular expression (FFIND /E). Does anyone know how?

d:\temp>type foo.txt
foo
"foo"
Barney McGrew
Cuthbert
Dibble
Grub

d:\temp>ffind /kmve\"foo\" foo.txt
"foo"

d:\temp>echo "foo"^r^n | ffind /kmve\"foo\"
"foo"

 

[vefatica]

Thanks, RogerB. But what if the regular expression contains a space? Then you'd need quotes for TCC also and the obvious doesn't work.

v:\> echo "1 2 3"^r^n1 2 3
"1 2 3"
1 2 3

v:\> echo "1 2 3"^r^n1 2 3 | ffind /kmve"\"1 2 3\""

v:\>

 

[Salri]

Of these examples, the use of ^q works. The use of \" produces different results, because it includes matches of \", which is common in JSON files and used to escape a double quote :). These are false matches in my use case.

Here is what works:

ffind /LL5VT"^qenum^q" js:*.json > c:\work\enum.txt

The match results are also the same as that which is produced using the dialog. Thus, conclusion is that ^q is the solution.

Where is the ^q documented?

Thanks!

 

[RogerB]

Thanks, RogerB. But what if the regular expression contains a space? Then you'd need quotes for TCC also and the obvious doesn't work.

Despite what it says in the help, using quotes doesn't seem to be necessary in regular expression searches...

d:\temp>type foo.txt
foo
"foo"
Barney McGrew
"Barney McGrew"
Cuthbert
Dibble
Grub

d:\temp>ffind /kmveBarney McGrew foo.txt
Barney McGrew
"Barney McGrew"

d:\temp>ffind /kmve\"Barney McGrew\" foo.txt
"Barney McGrew"

d:\temp>echo "1 2 3"^r^n1 2 3 | ffind /kmve\"1 2 3\"
"1 2 3"

... although it wouldn't surprise me if a use case turns up where it doesn't work.

 

[RogerB]

Of these examples, the use of ^q works. The use of \" produces different results, because it includes matches of \", which is common in JSON files and used to escape a double quote :). These are false matches in my use case.

Did you spot that the examples using the \" are regular expression searches (i.e ffind /e, and not ffind /t)? If you did test it with /e then apologies.

Where is the ^q documented?

If you look in the help under TCC > Command Line > Escape Character you'll find this:

Codes for Escape Characters

b backspace
c comma ,
e the ASCII ESC character (code 27)
f form feed
k back quote `
n line feed
q double quote "
r carriage return
s space
t horizontal tab character