Using PowerShell command and backtick newline inside Windows batch

Question

I am trying to write a Windows batch file which will replace occurrences of angled brackets (><) with a newline in between.

I am new to PowerShell, but in searching though possible solutions, I have found the following works from PowerShell:

(get-content input.txt) -replace "><", ">`n<"  | set-content output.txt

To use this within a windows batch, I need to wrap it inside

    powershell -command "arguments"

So the final command is something like:

powershell -command "(gc input.txt) -replace '><', '>`n<'  | sc output.txt"

However, this of course does not work because the single quotes around the replace text causes the grave quote escape character to be treated literally.

I have searched far and wide on the correct combination of escape characters to use to allow the PowerShell escape character to be recognised and have found a similar answer in here, but when I try this suggestion, I get a "< was unexpected at this time" error. I think what I need is more complicated because my search string also contains the angled brackets.

The general purpose fix for quoting problems is the -EncodedCommand parameter, described here stackoverflow.com/a/47173505/478656 — TessellatingHeckler
– TessellatingHeckler, Commented Nov 9, 2017 at 4:54

Shawn Esterman · Accepted Answer · 2017-11-09 04:46:50Z

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Look at the powershell.exe command line options. You can use a script block:

powershell -command {(gc input.txt) -replace "><", ">`n<"  | sc output.txt}

answered Nov 9, 2017 at 4:46

Shawn Esterman

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TessellatingHeckler Over a year ago

You can only use a scriptblock argument if you are already in PowerShell; the command prompt interpreter doesn't know what a PowerShell scriptblock is, and this doesn't work in a batch file, and tries to run sc.exe for managing services.

TessellatingHeckler · Accepted Answer · 2017-11-09 04:48:58Z

1

Avoid using the escape character and double quotes?

powershell -command "(gc d:\t\input.txt) -replace '><', ('>'+[char]10+'<')  | sc d:\t\output.txt"

answered Nov 9, 2017 at 4:48

TessellatingHeckler

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Comments

Peter Mortensen · Accepted Answer · 2018-09-16 23:04:44Z

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I have solved the problem. I also used delayed expansion, so the final command is:

powershell -Command "(gc !inputfile!) -replace (\"^>^<\", \"^>`n^<\")  | sc !outputfile!"

So it actually uses three different types of escape characters! Combination of \ and ^ and `.

I wish I could say I worked it out logically, but in the end it was just a random attempt using different escapes on the ><.

But this is now a good reference on how to use PowerShell inside Windows batch without using single quotes which turn escape characters into literals.

edited Sep 16, 2018 at 23:04

Peter Mortensen

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answered Nov 10, 2017 at 0:00

JohnG

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