Batch whole-line replacement method for TXT files: uniformly replace lines containing specified keywords with new content

This article focuses on batch line replacement in TXT files, introducing how to import multiple text files in HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , set a list of keywords to search for and the new line content to replace with, thereby uniformly changing all lines containing specified keywords to the new content. The tutorial includes before-and-after effects, specific operation steps, and practical suggestions to prevent accidental replacements.

When handling a large amount of textual material, the most troublesome part is often not a single modification, but repeating the same modification many times. For instance, if a folder contains multiple TXT files and each has the same appendix titles in the first few lines, you now need to uniformly change these titles to new descriptions. If you do it manually, you would need to open 1.txt, find Annex A, modify the entire line, then find Annex B and continue modifying; then open 2.txt, 3.txt, 4.txt, and 5.txt to repeat the same operation. The more files there are, the more obvious the time consumption becomes.

A more efficient approach is to use software designed for batch office processing scenarios to handle all text files at once after setting up the rules. This article takes " HeSoft Doc Batch Tool " as an example to explain how to batch replace entire lines containing keywords in multiple TXT text files with new line content. This method is suitable for batch editing of txt files, plain text descriptions, directory lists, configuration texts, and similar files.

Applicable Scenario: What is Batch Entire Line Replacement in TXT Files

Batch entire line replacement in TXT files can be understood as three things: first, the processing object is not a single file but a batch of text files; second, the search basis is a certain keyword; third, the replacement scope is not the keyword itself, but the entire line of text containing that keyword.

Suitable for Uniformly Replacing Old Titles

In document organization, old titles often need to be uniformly adjusted according to a new template. For example, a line originally starting with "Annex A" followed by an old description, and now you only want to keep the new short title "Annex A - Q&A". In this case, entire line replacement is more suitable than partial replacement.

Suitable for Batch Maintenance of Tables of Contents and Appendices

Many TXT documents save table of contents, indexes, appendices, or explanatory information. If this content is distributed across multiple files, manual maintenance is rather tedious. Using a batch tool allows processing multiple files at once with the same rules, reducing repetitive work.

Suitable for Office Workers and Non-Technical Users

Some users may use scripts to process text, but scripting requires a certain technical foundation. HeSoft Doc Batch Tool adopts a graphical interface, presenting the operational flow as "select files, set options, set save location, start processing", making it more suitable for general office workers to complete batch text modifications.

Effect Preview: Comparison Before and After Replacement

Before Processing: Files to be Processed Include Multiple TXTs

In the folder before processing, you can see 5 TXT text files, named 1.txt, 2.txt, 3.txt, 4.txt, 5.txt respectively. These are the objects of this batch processing.

After opening 1.txt, there is an "Annexes" area at the top of the file, where the lines containing "Annex A", "Annex B", "Annex C", and "Annex D" need to be replaced. In the original content, these keywords are followed by longer explanatory text, such as "Food and drink standards..." and other old content.

After Processing: Target Lines Have Been Uniformly Replaced with New Content

After processing, open the file again, and the lines marked with a red box have become the new appendix names. Annex A corresponds to Q&A, Annex B to Safety Attentions, Annex C to Important Notes, and Annex D to Other Remarks. It can be seen that the old long descriptions are no longer retained; the entire lines have been replaced by the new content.

This processing result is very suitable for scenarios requiring "overwriting old lines with standard new lines". If only partial replacement were used, the old descriptions might still remain; whereas entire line replacement makes the result cleaner and more uniform.

Steps: From Importing Files to Completing Batch Replacement

Step 1: Open the Text Tools Category

On the left side of the main interface of HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , you can see different types of tool categories, including Word Tools, Excel Tools, PowerPoint Tools, PDF Tools, Text Tools, etc. Since the files being processed this time are TXT text files, select "Text Tools".

In the Text Tools list, click "Find and replace complete lines in text files based on keywords". This function description perfectly matches the requirements of this article: find complete lines in text files based on keywords, then delete or replace them with new text.

Step 2: Add or Import Files to be Processed

After entering the function page, the first step is to select the records to be processed. The upper right area of the interface shows buttons for "Add Files," "Import Files from Folder," "Clear," etc. If the number of files is small, you can click "Add Files"; if multiple Txt files are all in the same folder, using "Import Files from Folder" is more efficient.

After importing, the software will list the file information in a table. The screenshot shows 5 records, named 1.txt to 5.txt, with the path in the D drive test directory, and the extension txt. The summary at the bottom shows the record count as 5. The purpose of this page is to allow you to confirm the file scope before processing, avoiding adding irrelevant files to the task.

Step 3: Enter Processing Options and Select Search Method

Clicking "Next" leads to "Set Processing Options". In the "Set Keyword Options" area, first select the search method. The screenshot shows "Precise Text Search" is checked. For clear keywords like those in this example, precise search is more direct and less prone to misjudgments caused by complex rules.

In the additional options area, you can also see options like "Ignore letter case" and "Match the complete word, not part of the word". These options are not checked in the screenshot, so this example is explained based on the default unchecked state. When actually processing English text, if the case might be inconsistent, relevant options can be chosen carefully as needed.

Step 4: Enter the Keywords to Find

In the left "List of Keywords to Find", fill in the keywords line by line. For this example, Annex A, Annex B, Annex C, and Annex D are filled in. Each keyword line represents a search condition, and the software will scan the imported multiple TXT files line by line, looking for lines containing these keywords.

To ensure processing accuracy, keywords should be as unique as possible. If a keyword appears in multiple places in the file and you only want to modify one instance, you need to first confirm whether all these locations should be processed. This is because the logic of this function is to process the complete line containing the keyword; wherever the keyword appears may affect that line.

Step 5: Enter the Complete New Line for Replacement

In the right "Replaced Keyword List", fill in the new content line by line. The settings in the screenshot are: Annex A - Q&A, Annex B - Safety Attentions, Annex C - Important Notes, Annex D - Other Remarks. This content is the new line that will be written into the file after processing.

Pay special attention to the "one-to-one correspondence" here. The first keyword on the left corresponds to the first replacement text on the right, the second on the left to the second on the right. If you have many keywords, it is recommended to first organize them into two columns in a table: one column for the old keywords, one for the new line content. After verifying there are no errors, copy them into the software to reduce sequence errors.

Step 6: Set Save Location and Execute Start Processing

After setting the keywords and new line content, click "Next" at the bottom. The flow bar shows the next stage is "Set Save Location", followed by "Start Processing". The purpose of this step is to determine where the processing results will be saved. For important files, it is recommended not to directly overwrite the original data but to save them to a new directory first. After confirming there are no errors, you can replace the original files.

After entering "Start Processing", the software will batch process all imported files according to the previous settings. Once processing is complete, you can open 1.txt or another output file to check if the lines for Annex A to Annex D have been successfully replaced.

Common Questions or Notes

1. Will the keyword only replace the first line it finds?

The topic of this article is batch replacing all lines containing keywords in text files with new lines. Judging from the function name and example effects, it targets processing complete lines based on keywords. In actual use, if the same keyword appears multiple times in the same file, it is recommended to test with a sample file first to confirm whether all matching lines meet your processing expectations.

2. If the new content also contains the original keyword, will it affect the processing result?

The new content in the example still contains keywords like Annex A, Annex B, such as "Annex A - Q&A". Judging from the post-processing effect, this is allowed. The replaced line can continue to retain the original keyword, or be completely changed to a new expression, depending on your business needs.

3. Is it necessary to keep the text encoding consistent?

The text editor bottom bar in the screenshot shows information like UTF-8. When batch processing text, it is recommended to use common encodings as much as possible and perform spot checks on files after processing to see if they display normally. If your files come from different systems, there might be encoding differences, so it is best to test with a small number of files first.

4. How to avoid accidentally replacing important content?

The key to avoiding accidental replacement is setting accurate keywords. Do not use overly broad words; for example, entering just "Annex" might match multiple appendix lines. If you intend to replace A, B, C, and D separately, you should enter more specific ones like "Annex A", "Annex B", etc. Also, it is recommended to back up the original files before formal batch processing.

5. What is the difference between this method and Word batch replacement?

TXT files are plain text files with a relatively simple content structure; Word documents like doc, docx contain information such as formatting, styles, images, and tables. What this article introduces is the batch entire line replacement for TXT files under Text Tools. If you need to process Word, docx, doc, or other such files, you should select the tools related to Word within the software, avoiding mixing files of different formats in the same workflow.

Summary: Transforming TXT Entire Line Replacement from Manual to Batch

When the same keyword lines exist across multiple text files and need to be uniformly replaced with new content, manual editing is both time-consuming and error-prone. Using HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , you can use the "Find and replace complete lines in text files based on keywords" function under "Text Tools" to batch import files, set keywords, fill in the new lines for replacement, and then uniformly generate the processing results.

For users who frequently handle TXT documents, logs, configuration texts, and directory lists, this type of batch processing capability can significantly reduce repetitive work. It is recommended to back up the files before actual operation, organize the corresponding relationships between keywords and new content, and then execute the steps sequentially. This can not only improve office efficiency but also make batch text modifications more standardized and controllable.