How to write a search pattern to include a space in findstr?

 

 

The sample file itself

C:\>type lines.txt
Load frmXYZ                         // This line should match.
If ABCFormLoaded Then Unload frmPQR // This line should NOT match.
pears Load frm grapes pineapples    // This line should match.
                                    // This blank line should NOT match.
LOAD FRMXYZ                         // This line should match.
IF ABCFORMLOADED THEN UNLOAD FRMPQR // This line should NOT match.
PEARS LOAD FRM GRAPES PINEAPPLES    // This line should match.
                                    // This blank line should NOT match.
load frmxyz                         // This line should match.
if abcformloaded then unload frmpqr // This line should NOT match.
pears load frm grapes pineapples    // This line should match.

Wrong. With regular execution space is treated as delimiter.

C:\>type lines.txt | findstr /N "Load frm"
1:Load frmXYZ                         // This line should match.
2:If ABCFormLoaded Then Unload frmPQR // This line should NOT match.
3:pears Load frm grapes pineapples    // This line should match.
9:load frmxyz                         // This line should match.
10:if abcformloaded then unload frmpqr // This line should NOT match.
11:pears load frm grapes pineapples    // This line should match.

Wrong: With Regex option space is STILL treated as delimiter.

C:\>type lines.txt | findstr /N /R "Load frm"
1:Load frmXYZ                         // This line should match.
2:If ABCFormLoaded Then Unload frmPQR // This line should NOT match.
3:pears Load frm grapes pineapples    // This line should match.
9:load frmxyz                         // This line should match.
10:if abcformloaded then unload frmpqr // This line should NOT match.
11:pears load frm grapes pineapples    // This line should match.    

More right but still wrong. With /C option we now get preserved spaces but don't find other character cases.

C:\>type lines.txt | findstr /N /R /C:"Load frm"
1:Load frmXYZ                         // This line should match.
3:pears Load frm grapes pineapples    // This line should match.

Wrong. /I for "Ignore Case" does not help. We get matches from within words we did not want.

C:\>type lines.txt | findstr /N /R /I /C:"Load frm"
1:Load frmXYZ                         // This line should match.
2:If ABCFormLoaded Then Unload frmPQR // This line should NOT match.
3:pears Load frm grapes pineapples    // This line should match.
5:LOAD FRMXYZ                         // This line should match.
6:IF ABCFORMLOADED THEN UNLOAD FRMPQR // This line should NOT match.
7:PEARS LOAD FRM GRAPES PINEAPPLES    // This line should match.
9:load frmxyz                         // This line should match.
10:if abcformloaded then unload frmpqr // This line should NOT match.
11:pears load frm grapes pineapples    // This line should match.

Right. Use special "Beginning of word" regex symbol. Matches beginning-of-line or space.

Either case sensitive:

C:\>type lines.txt | findstr /N /R /C:"\<Load frm"
1:Load frmXYZ                         // This line should match.
3:pears Load frm grapes pineapples    // This line should match.

or ignoring case

C:\>type lines.txt | findstr /N /R /I /C:"\<Load frm"
1:Load frmXYZ                         // This line should match.
3:pears Load frm grapes pineapples    // This line should match.
5:LOAD FRMXYZ                         // This line should match.
7:PEARS LOAD FRM GRAPES PINEAPPLES    // This line should match.
9:load frmxyz                         // This line should match.
11:pears load frm grapes pineapples    // This line should match.

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/9789563/how-to-write-a-search-pattern-to-include-a-space-in-findstr