How to batch modify entire lines containing specified keywords in TXT files, suitable for configuration and list texts

When there are lines in TXT configuration files, manifest files, or documentation that need to be adjusted uniformly across documents, you can locate and replace entire lines of content using keywords. This article demonstrates using HeSoft Doc Batch Tool to batch replace lines containing Annex A, Annex B, Annex C, and Annex D in multiple text files with new descriptive lines. The article covers applicable scenarios, before-and-after comparisons, file import, keyword rule settings, saving processes, and precautions, helping users quickly master batch text modification methods.

In office and technical documentation organization, TXT files are often used to save configurations, checklists, notes, logs, or exported plain text content. Its advantages are being lightweight, universal, and easy to open; but the disadvantage is also obvious: when there are many files, batch modification is not convenient. Especially when what needs to be modified is not a single word, but "the entire line containing a certain keyword," ordinary copy-pasting is prone to errors.

For example, now there are multiple TXT files, each containing lines like Annex A, Annex B, Annex C, Annex D. The old content is followed by a long description, and now they need to be changed to new standard descriptions: Annex A - Q&A, Annex B - Safety Attentions, Annex C - Important Notes, Annex D - Other Remarks. If processed manually, each file would require searching and replacing more than 4 times; if the number of files expands, the workload will increase rapidly.

HeSoft Doc Batch Tool is a batch processing software for office files, suitable for streamlining such repetitive file processing tasks. This article will use the TXT files in the screenshots as an example to explain how to batch modify entire lines in TXT files that contain specified keywords, and finally summarize points to note during use.

Applicable Scenarios: Which content is suitable for locating entire line replacements using keywords

The core logic of replacing entire lines by keyword is: first use the keyword to find the target line, then replace the entire line with the new line you specify. Therefore, it is suitable for text where the target line has obvious identifiers. For example, the beginning of a line is a certain number, chapter name, parameter name, tag name, or fixed English phrase. As long as this keyword can stably appear in the target line, it can be used as a matching basis.

In configuration files, you might need to batch modify lines containing a specific parameter name; in checklist files, you might need to uniformly replace certain classification descriptions; in training materials, you might need to batch update old chapter titles to new ones; in project documents, you might need to delete or replace lines containing outdated identifiers. Compared to manual file-by-file processing, batch tools are more suitable for such tasks with clear rules and a large number of files.

Although this article uses TXT as an example, the idea can also help understand the batch processing of other office files: Word documents like doc and docx usually need to be processed by paragraph or text content; Excel files like xlsx and xls might need to be processed by cell or worksheet; PDF has its own independent structure. Choosing the correct tool category can make batch processing more stable.

Effect Preview: Pre-processing TXT files containing old version description lines

Before processing, multiple TXT text files were prepared in the folder, named 1.txt to 5.txt. They all belong to this batch processing scope. For such similar files, if each one contains similar old content, it is very suitable for importing into the software for unified processing at once.

Opening one of them, 1.txt, you can see the Annexes area at the top of the text. The lines containing Annex A, Annex B, Annex C, and Annex D within the red box are the target lines that need to be replaced. Each line contains a clear keyword, and the keyword is followed by an old version description. For example, after Annex A there is a long descriptive text, and after Annex B there is an old title.

If using ordinary replacement, only replacing some words in the old description might not ensure the entire line fully meets the new specifications; if manually selecting the entire line to delete and then typing the new line, the operation needs to be repeated for each file. A more reliable way is to use "Annex A" as the keyword and "Annex A - Q&A" as the complete replacement line, letting the software handle it automatically.

Post-processing Effect: Lines matching the keyword are transformed into new complete text

After processing, check the text files again, and the content in the red boxes has been uniformly updated. The original old descriptions are no longer displayed, replaced by the new complete lines. Annex A corresponds to Q&A, Annex B to Safety Attentions, Annex C to Important Notes, and Annex D to Other Remarks.

This result indicates that the software did not just replace part of the characters, but replaced the entire line containing the specified keyword. This is crucial for batch cleaning and standardization of text files. It ensures that each line ultimately becomes the preset standard content, reducing format inconsistencies caused by manual editing.

Operation Step 1: Access "Find and replace complete lines based on keywords" from the text tool

Open HeSoft Doc Batch Tool and select "Text Tools" in the left toolbar. The right side will display batch functions related to text files. According to the screenshot, the function name selected this time is "Find and replace complete lines in text files based on keywords." The description below the function card explains that it can batch delete or replace entire lines containing a certain keyword in text files with new text.

This function is chosen because our goal is not simple "keyword replacement," but "entire line replacement." If your need is to uniformly replace several types of lines in multiple TXT files with standard lines, you should choose this function that processes by complete line. After entering, the software will guide you step-by-step through file selection, processing option settings, save location setup, and starting the process.

Operation Step 2: Add or import TXT files from a folder that need processing

After entering the function page, the first step is to select the records to be processed. In the upper right corner of the page, you can see "Add File" and "Import Files from Folder." If the number of files is small, you can add them manually; if multiple TXT files are all in the same directory, importing from a folder aligns better with the batch processing mindset.

The screenshot shows that 5 files have been successfully imported, with the list displaying 1.txt, 2.txt, 3.txt, 4.txt, 5.txt, all with the txt extension. The list also shows the file path, creation time, and modification time, making it easy to confirm the file source before processing. The summary at the bottom shows the record count as 5, indicating that 5 records will be processed this time.

In this step, it is recommended for users to adopt a verification habit. First, check if the extension is correct to avoid importing unrelated files; second, check if the path is correct, confirming it is the target folder; finally, see if the record count meets expectations. If too many files were imported, they can be removed in the operation column; if a redo is needed, use the "Clear" button on the page. After confirming everything is correct, click "Next."

Operation Step 3: Fill in the search keywords and the complete replacement lines

The second step is to set the processing options. In the screenshot, "Exact Text Search" is selected, which is suitable for situations with clear keywords. For example, Annex A, Annex B, Annex C, and Annex D are all fixed texts, and using exact search allows for clearer control over the matching scope.

In the left "List of keywords to search," fill in the content to be found line by line. The example fills in four keywords: Annex A, Annex B, Annex C, Annex D. They correspond respectively to the four types of target lines in the pre-processing text. The software will search for entire lines containing these keywords in each TXT file.

In the right "List of replacement keywords," fill in the new line corresponding to each keyword. In the example, Annex A corresponds to "Annex A - Q&A", Annex B to "Annex B - Safety Attentions", Annex C to "Annex C - Important Notes", and Annex D to "Annex D - Other Remarks". The line number relationship between the left and right sides is very important and must maintain a one-to-one correspondence.

The interface also displays additional options, such as "Ignore case" and "Match whole word instead of part of the word." If the case in your text might be inconsistent, you can consider whether to check ignore case based on the situation; if you are worried that the keyword is just part of a longer word, you can also combine the match whole word option for control. The example does not use complex rules, only Exact Text Search is used.

Operation Step 4: Save results and start processing

After completing the keyword and replacement content settings, click "Next" at the bottom. The progress bar shows the third step as "Set save location." This step is used to determine the storage location for the processed files. For batch modification operations, it is recommended not to directly mix the results with the original files, especially when testing rules for the first time, output to a separate directory for easy comparison and checking.

After setting the save location, enter the fourth step "Start Processing." According to the previous settings, the software will iterate through the imported TXT files, checking line by line if they contain a keyword. If a line contains Annex A, it is replaced with the new content from the first line on the right; if it contains Annex B, it is replaced with the new content from the second line on the right. Multiple files will be batch processed according to the same set of rules, thus avoiding repetitive work.

After processing is complete, it is recommended to at least open one or two result files for verification. Focus on checking: whether all target lines have been replaced; whether non-target lines remain unchanged; whether the new line content matches the rules; whether the file encoding and line breaks display normally. After confirming no errors, use the processed results for formal archiving or subsequent release.

Common Issues and Notes

1. Could the keyword match lines that should not be replaced? If the keyword is set too short, it is possible. For example, only writing A or Annex would create a very wide matching scope. It is recommended to use keywords that can uniquely locate the target line, such as more specific texts like Annex A, Annex B.

2. Can multiple keywords be replaced simultaneously? Yes. As seen in the screenshot, the left keyword list supports multi-line input, and the right replacement list also supports multi-line correspondence. This example sets 4 groups of rules at once and executes them on 5 files in batch.

3. What happens if the replacement list is empty? The prompt in the screenshot says "Leaving it blank means deletion." Therefore, if you do not want to delete the target line, do not leave the corresponding right line empty. When replacement is needed, fill in the complete new line content.

4. Should I back up before batch processing? Backup is recommended. The advantage of batch processing is speed, but if a rule is written incorrectly, the scope of impact will also be large. Keeping the original files or outputting to a new folder allows you to quickly roll back if problems are discovered.

5. Why does the number of lines seem unchanged after processing? If lines are only replaced rather than deleted, the number of lines usually does not change significantly. In the example, the target lines remain 4, only the content of each line is replaced with new text.

6. Can it be used for Chinese text? As long as the text file can be read normally, keywords can be in Chinese, English, or mixed content. When processing Chinese, pay more attention to the file encoding and spot-check the display effect after processing.

Summary: Batch modifying specified lines in TXT makes text maintenance more efficient

Batch modifying entire lines in TXT files containing specified keywords is a very practical method for office file processing. It is suitable for tasks with clear rules, a large number of files, and target lines that can be located by keywords. Through HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , users can import multiple text files into a list, set search keywords and the complete replacement lines, then save and process them uniformly.

Compared to manually opening and modifying files one by one, this method can significantly save time and reduce issues of missed changes, wrong changes, and format inconsistencies. If you are processing configuration texts, checklist texts, description documents, or template TXT files, it is recommended to first verify the keyword rules with a small number of samples, and then perform batch processing on the complete folder. This ensures both efficiency and reliable results.