When similar lines like Annex A and Annex B exist in multiple TXT text files, opening files one by one to manually delete them is highly inefficient. This article takes HeSoft Doc Batch Tool as an example to explain how to use the full-line find and replace function in a text tool to import multiple text files, use a formula to fuzzy-find the text input Annex [A-Z], and leave the replacement content blank, thereby batch-deleting all matching entire lines. This method is suitable for cleaning up repeated content such as directories, appendices, logs, and exported text, and can effectively improve the efficiency of office file processing.
In daily office work, a lot of text materials don't exist as single files but appear in batches. For example, TXT reports exported from systems, plain text copied and organized from web pages, and text materials converted from Word or PDF documents are often scattered across multiple files. If all these files contain a batch of unwanted lines, such as appendix descriptions starting with Annex A, Annex B, Annex C, manually deleting each one would be extremely tedious.
This article will focus on a specific problem: how to use wildcard or regular expression rules to batch delete all specified lines in many text files. In the example, we want to delete entire lines matching Annex [A-Z] within multiple TXT files. With office software oriented towards batch file processing like HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , users only need to configure the search rule once to uniformly clean up multiple text files, avoiding the mechanical operations of repeatedly opening files, finding keywords, deleting lines, and saving files.
Applicable Scenario: Batch Deleting Similar Text Lines Instead of Modifying Files Individually
If the text lines you encounter are completely identical, you can also complete the deletion using ordinary keyword search; but often, the lines to be deleted are only similar in format, not exactly the same. For example, in this case, several lines of content start with Annex A, Annex B, Annex C, Annex D, followed by different descriptions. If only searching by exact text, you would need to maintain multiple keywords; using wildcards or regular expressions allows one rule to match a type of content.
This method is suitable for the following office scenarios: batch deleting appendix lines in multiple TXT files; batch cleaning unwanted chapter lines in a directory; batch deleting whole lines containing specific numbers or levels in logs; batch processing descriptive lines in data export files; batch cleaning text files converted from docx, doc, PDF, HTML. Its characteristics are a large number of files, relatively uniform rules, and high repetitiveness in manual processing.
As seen in the list of files before processing, the example folder contains five text files: 1.txt, 2.txt, 3.txt, 4.txt, 5.txt. These types of files are very suitable for batch import and unified processing using batch processing tools.
Effect Preview: Annex Lines Needing Deletion Distributed Before the Main Body Before Processing
Upon opening one of the text files, you can see an Annexes title at the beginning of the file, followed by several consecutive lines starting with Annex A, Annex B, Annex C, Annex D. These lines are the targets to be deleted this time. The specific text following them is different, but they all share a common prefix structure: Annex plus a space plus a capital letter.
This is exactly where wildcards and regular expressions come into play. We don't need to input the complete content of each line separately; we only need one rule to express this common structure. Compared to manual deletion, rule matching is more suitable for batch files because it can execute the same judgment for each file, resulting in more uniform processing outcomes.
Post-Processing Effect: Entire Lines from Annex A to Annex D Disappear, Directory Content Preserved
After processing is complete, examining the output text file shows that lines such as Annex A, Annex B, Annex C, Annex D originally marked with red boxes have been deleted. The remaining content continues after the Annexes title, preserving Contents and subsequent directory entries like Introduction, Key changes from A Regulations, Software specification, etc.
It's important to note here that the processing result is not just replacing the characters "Annex A" with empty space but deleting the entire line containing this matching content. Therefore, the situation where only the prefix is deleted but the latter half of the descriptive text is left behind will not occur. For text cleaning, this line-based processing method is cleaner and makes it easier to maintain the text structure.
Operation Step 1: Find the Complete Line Find and Replace Function in the Text Tool
After launching HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , first enter the Text Tool from the left navigation. The interface lists multiple batch functions related to text files, such as finding and replacing keywords in text, deleting whitespace in text, converting text to Word, converting text to PDF, etc. This task involves deleting whole lines containing a specified pattern, so you should choose the option to find and replace complete lines in text files based on keywords.
There are two key pieces of information in this function name: one is "based on keyword search," indicating the software will first locate content based on the text or rules you set; the other is "replace complete lines," indicating that after a match, the processing target is the entire line, not a single word. For users needing to batch delete all lines, choosing the correct function is more critical than subsequent settings. If you select ordinary keyword replacement instead, it might not achieve the effect of deleting entire lines.
Operation Step 2: Batch Import the TXT Files to be Processed
After entering this function, the page displays a step-by-step process. The first step is to select the records to process. In the screenshot, the upper right corner of the interface provides buttons for Add File, Import Files from Folder, Clear, More, etc. The table below shows the imported files, including 1.txt to 5.txt, all with the .txt extension, located in the D:\test path.
If all your files are in the same folder, using "Import Files from Folder" is more convenient; if you only want to process some of them, use "Add File" to select. After importing, you need to check the names, paths, and extensions in the table to ensure no unrelated files were added to the task. The bottom of the table shows the record count is 5, indicating the current batch task will process 5 text files.
The purpose of this step is to establish an accurate processing scope. The efficiency gains of batch processing come from handling multiple files at once, but this relies on having the correct file list. It is recommended to spend a few seconds checking the task list before officially starting, especially when there are other TXT files mixed in the folder, making it even more important to confirm whether all need processing.
Operation Step 3: Enable Formula Fuzzy Search and Enter Annex [A-Z]
Once the file list is confirmed to be correct, click Next to enter the processing options settings. At this point, you need to set the search method and keyword list. The selection shown in the screenshot is "Use formula fuzzy search text," which is suitable for matching a type of similar text, rather than just a fixed word.
Enter Annex [A-Z] in the keyword list needing search. From the example results, this rule is used to match texts like Annex A, Annex B, Annex C, Annex D. Because we are using the find and replace complete lines function, any complete line containing content matching this rule will be selected for processing.
The keyword list for replacement on the right remains blank. The interface hint indicates that leaving it blank means deletion, so the empty state here does not mean ignoring the process, but rather deleting the matched complete line. If you wish to replace these lines with uniform prompt text, you can fill in the replacement content on the right; but the goal of this article is to delete all matching lines, so leaving it blank is correct.
When setting rules, pay attention to spaces and capitalization. The text in the example has Annex followed by a space, then a capital letter. If your file is written as Annex-A, ANNEX A, or annex a, the rule might need corresponding adjustments. The interface also has an option to ignore letter case; whether to check it should be decided based on the actual text content.
Operation Step 4: Set the Output Location and Execute Batch Processing
After completing the keyword settings, click Next. According to the process at the top of the page, subsequent steps involve setting the save location and starting processing. Batch deleting text lines is a batch modification of file content. It's recommended not to directly overwrite the sole original file, especially when using a rule for the first time. A safer approach is to select a new save location, or make a copy of the folder as a backup beforehand.
Entering the start processing phase, the software will process the text files one by one according to the task list. For each file, it will search for complete lines containing the Annex [A-Z] pattern and, with the replacement content empty, delete those lines. After processing is complete, opening the output file to check the results: the target Annex lines should be removed, while other non-matching directory lines and body text content should continue to be preserved.
The value of this step lies in concentrating repetitive actions into a single execution. Whether it's 5 files, 50 files, or more TXT files, as long as the rules are consistent, they can all be processed through the same workflow. Compared to manual editing, batch processing not only saves time but also makes it easier to maintain consistent processing standards.
Frequently Asked Questions and Notes
1. What is the relationship between wildcards, regular expressions, and formula fuzzy search?
In this type of batch text processing, users typically hope to use a single expression to match a group of similar content. The search method in the screenshot is "Use formula fuzzy search text," and its practical effect is making the search rule more flexible than ordinary exact matching. For content like Annex A to Annex Z, Annex [A-Z] can express a range of capital letters.
2. What happens if the replacement area is not left blank?
If you fill in content in the replacement keyword list, the software will process the hit lines according to the complete line replacement logic. That is, the target line might be replaced by the new text you filled in, rather than being deleted. This article aims to achieve batch deletion, so the right-side list needs to remain blank.
3. Do I need to open and check files individually before processing?
It is not necessarily required to check all files individually, but it is recommended to at least spot-check a few representative files to confirm the format of the content to be deleted is consistent. If the writing style varies greatly between different files, it might be necessary to add or adjust matching rules. The prerequisite for batch processing is that the rules can accurately cover the target content.
4. Does this method only apply to TXT files?
This article demonstrates batch processing of TXT files under the Text Tool. For formats like Word documents, docx, doc, PDF, etc., you need to select the corresponding tool based on the file type or convert them to text format first. Plain text files have a simple structure and are most suitable for this line-based find and delete method.
5. How to avoid accidental deletion?
The key to avoiding accidental deletion is to narrow the matching scope. Don't write rules too broadly; for example, just writing Annex might delete all lines containing Annex, not just entries like Annex A to Annex Z. Using more specific rules like Annex [A-Z] can improve matching accuracy. Before formal processing, it's best to test with sample files first.
Summary: Drive Batch Cleanup with Rules for More Efficient Text Processing
Batch deleting specified lines in multiple TXT text files is not suitable for manual, file-by-file editing. As long as these lines share a common format, you can use the "Find and replace complete lines in text files based on keywords" function in HeSoft Doc Batch Tool to complete the cleanup at once through formula fuzzy text search and rules like Annex [A-Z].
The entire process can be summarized as follows: enter the Text Tool, select the complete line find and replace function, import multiple TXT files, set the fuzzy search rule, leave the replacement content blank, set the save location, and start processing. Doing this not only improves efficiency but also reduces repetitive labor and human errors. For users who frequently process large volumes of text files, log files, exported materials, or plain text content converted from Word or PDF, it is recommended to incorporate this batch processing method as part of your daily office tool workflow.