Replace entire lines by keyword across multiple text files: batch process TXT content using regular expressions

If rows containing specific keywords exist in multiple text files and need to be uniformly replaced with new row content, this can be accomplished using batch processing office software. This article focuses on the text tool functionality of HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , demonstrating how to import multiple txt files, select and use formulas to perform fuzzy text searches, input regular expressions to match four-digit numbers, and replace all matched complete rows with specified content – suitable for batch cleanup and standardization of text documents.

In office scenarios such as data archiving, organizing system exports, and maintaining project documentation, TXT text files remain quite common. They have no complex formatting, making them easy to save and transfer, but when the number of files increases, batch modification becomes repetitive labor. Especially when you need to modify entire lines based on a specific keyword, ordinary copy-pasting is hard to ensure efficiency and accuracy.

For example, multiple TXT files all contain a line with the year 2020, and the original line content is long. Now, if a line contains this year, you want to uniformly replace the entire line with Annex A - Q&A. If done manually, this task requires opening files one by one, searching for 2020, then selecting the entire line and rewriting it. This article will introduce how to use HeSoft Doc Batch Tool to perform fuzzy search using regular expressions or wildcard-style formulas to batch replace entire lines containing a keyword across multiple text files.

Applicable Scenarios: Batch Office Tasks Requiring Rule-Based Text Line Positioning

The key point of keyword-based entire line replacement is that the keyword is only responsible for positioning, and the final replacement target is the entire line. This differs from ordinary keyword replacement, which is suitable for swapping one word for another. Entire line replacement is suited for changing records containing a specific identifier into new records entirely.

It applies to many long-tail office needs, such as batch replacing header lines containing a year in TXT files, batch replacing record lines containing error codes in log files, batch replacing setting lines containing a specific port or number in configuration files, uniformly batch replacing description lines containing customer IDs in exported lists, or batch processing system-generated plain text reports. If you also handle Word documents simultaneously, you can extend related needs to formats like doc and docx, but the examples in this article focus on TXT plain text files.

Effect Preview: From Multiple Files to Unified Replacement Results

Before Processing: Files to be Processed are Concentrated in One Batch

From the pre-processing screenshot, you can see there are 5 text files in the current folder, named 1.txt, 2.txt, 3.txt, 4.txt, 5.txt. They all belong to the same batch of data needing processing.

After opening 1.txt, the third line in the text content contains 2020. This line was originally a longer Annex A descriptive line. The 2020 highlighted by the red box is the key content to be hit by this search rule.

After Processing: The Target Line Becomes New Standard Text

After processing is complete, the entire line originally containing 2020 is replaced with Annex A - Q&A. Other lines in the file, such as Annex B, Annex C, Annex D, and the Contents list, remain unchanged by the batch process.

This comparison helps us confirm two points: first, the rule successfully identified the target line containing a four-digit number; second, the function performs an entire line replacement, not just modifying the local characters "2020".

Operational Steps: Batch Replace Entire Lines in TXT with HeSoft Doc Batch Tool

Step 1: Open the Text Tool and Select the Complete Line Replacement Function

After starting HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , click "Text Tool" in the left-hand category list. The software's main interface will list batch processing capabilities related to text files. According to the screenshot, you need to select "Find and replace complete lines in text files based on keywords".

The expected result of this step is entering a wizard page dedicated to processing complete lines of text. After selecting this function, subsequent settings will center around file import, keyword rules, save location, and starting the process. It is suitable for batch processing files, centralizing repetitive modification tasks originally scattered across multiple TXT files.

Step 2: Add Files or Import Files from a Folder

After entering the function page, the interface shows "Step 1: Select the records to process." Buttons for "Add Files," "Import Files from Folder," "Clear," "More," etc., can be seen in the upper right corner. The example has already added 5 TXT files, located in the D:\test directory.

After importing files, you should check the list first. Focus on the Name, Path, Extension, and Record Count columns to confirm no wrong files were selected. If only processing TXT files, ensure the Extension column displays "txt". After confirming accuracy, click "Next" at the bottom. This inspection is crucial because batch processing efficiency is high, but its premise is an accurate input file range.

Step 3: Choose to Use Formula Fuzzy Find Text

After arriving at the "Set Processing Options" page, first configure the find mode. The interface offers "Precise text find" and "Formula Fuzzy find text." This example requires using a regular expression to match four-digit numbers, so choose "Formula Fuzzy find text".

Enter \d{4} in the "Keyword list to find," representing matching four consecutive digits. The "2020" in the example file meets this condition. Next, enter Annex A - Q&A in the "Replacement keyword list." Since the current function replaces the entire line, this text will be written as the new line content, not just replacing the matched four digits.

If your actual target keywords are fixed Chinese words, English phrases, or specific codes, you can also use "Precise text find" based on the situation. If the target consists of regular patterns like dates, numbers, or years, using "Formula Fuzzy find text" is more convenient.

Step 4: Enter Save Location Settings and Start Batch Processing

After setting the rules, click "Next" to proceed to the "Set Save Location" step. It is recommended to save the output results to a separate folder, making it easy to compare differences before and after processing while preserving the original files. Then, proceed to the "Start Processing" step to execute the batch task. After processing finishes, you can open one of the output TXT files to check the results and confirm that lines containing the target keyword have been changed to the new line content.

Common Issues and Notes

1. Do Not Set the Expression Range Too Broadly

\d{4} will match any four consecutive digits. If other lines in the file also contain four-digit numbers, they might also be identified as target lines. Therefore, in real projects, you should set more precise keywords or expressions based on the text structure. For important data, it's recommended to first test with a small sample copy.

2. The Replacement Content Should Be Written as a Complete Line

In the right-side "Replacement keyword list," you should fill in the exact entire line of text you wish to see as the result. For example, if you want the result to be "Annex A - Q&A," fill in this complete sentence. Do not just fill in "Q&A" unless you specifically want the entire line to only contain Q&A.

3. Pay Attention to the Case-Sensitive Option

There is an "Ignore letter case" option in the interface. If your keyword is in English and the case is inconsistent, you can check this box as needed. If case itself represents different meanings, use this option with caution.

4. Verify the File List Before Batch Processing

In the first step, the file list displays paths and extensions. Before batch processing, confirm the processing scope to avoid adding irrelevant files to the task. For a large number of files, after using "Import Files from Folder," it's even more important to check if the record count meets expectations.

5. Do Not Mix Text Tools with Word or PDF Tools

This article's example processes TXT text files. The software interface also includes categories for Word Tools, Excel Tools, PowerPoint Tools, PDF Tools, etc. If you need to process doc, docx, or PDF files, you should enter the corresponding category and select the appropriate function to avoid using the wrong processing entry.

Summary: Turn Repetitive Modifications into One-Time Rule-Based Processing

Replacing entire lines based on keywords in multiple TXT files is a typical batch office task. Using HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , you can first import multiple text files, then locate target lines via precise find or formula fuzzy find, and finally uniformly replace the matching lines with new standard content. Compared to manually opening files one by one for modification, this method is faster, more consistent, and better suited for handling a large number of files. It is recommended to test the expression and replacement content with a small number of files before formal batch execution, confirming that the before-and-after effects meet expectations, before applying batch processing to the entire folder.