How do I display a text file content in CMD?

Question

I want to display the content of a text file in a CMD window. In addition, I want to see the new lines that added to file, like tail -f command in Unix.

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/187587/looking-for-a-windows-equivalent-of-the-unix-tail-command — bryanph, Jun 20 '13 at 15:19
If one of these answers has solved your problem, please mark the answer. — Michael Yaeger, Sep 10 '16 at 02:29
Possible duplicate of [Looking for a windows equivalent of the unix tail command](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/187587/looking-for-a-windows-equivalent-of-the-unix-tail-command) — Archmede, Jun 05 '17 at 19:15

score 385 · Answer 1 · edited Nov 04 '18 at 14:48

385

You can use the more command. For example:

more filename.txt

Take a look at GNU utilities for Win32 or download it:

edited Nov 04 '18 at 14:48

Peter Mortensen

28,342
21
95
123

answered Jun 20 '13 at 15:21

limcy_at_mip

3,915
1
13
2

How is this similar to tail -f? tail -f loops forever. How did you replicate the -f of it? – Elie Saad Jan 17 '18 at 10:16
6

This doesnt answer the question. Not sure why its rated so high. OP was looking for 2 things - a windows alternative to cat, and an alternative to tail -f. If you're going to install the GNU utilities for windows, you can then use those things. – speciesUnknown Apr 15 '19 at 14:30

score 220 · Answer 2 · edited Nov 04 '18 at 14:49

220

We can use the 'type' command to see file contents in cmd.

Example -

type abc.txt

More information can be found HERE.

edited Nov 04 '18 at 14:49

Peter Mortensen

28,342
21
95
123

answered Dec 25 '15 at 01:22

Anmol Saraf

13,067
9
47
59

1

I like this answer because it's not interactive. `more` shows N screens at a time that you have to click through – user2023861 Dec 06 '17 at 16:54

score 26 · Answer 3 · edited May 23 '17 at 11:47

I don't think there is a built-in function for that

xxxx.txt > con

This opens the files in the default text editor in windows...

type xxxx.txt

This displays the file in the current window. Maybe this has params you can use...

There is a similar question here: CMD.EXE batch script to display last 10 lines from a txt file So there is a "more" command to display a file from the given line, or you can use the GNU Utilities for Win32 what bryanph suggested in his link.

score 8 · Answer 4 · edited Nov 04 '18 at 09:09

8

You can use the 'more' command to see the content of the file:

more filename.txt

edited Nov 04 '18 at 09:09

Peter Mortensen

28,342
21
95
123

answered Jun 05 '17 at 19:12

H.Marroquin

107
1
2

3

Welcome to StackOverflow and thanks for trying to help. Please explain how the windows version of more can be used to automatically see newly arriving lines in a text file. That would make your answer more directly relate to OPs question, i.e. demonstrate the "tail -f"-compatibility OP wants. – Yunnosch Jun 05 '17 at 19:59

score 5 · Answer 5 · edited Nov 04 '18 at 09:02

5

Using a single PowerShell command to retrieve the file ending:

powershell -nologo "& "Get-Content -Wait c:\logFile.log -Tail 10"

It applies to PowerShell 3.0 and newer.

Another option is to create a file called TAIL.CMD with this code:

powershell -nologo "& "Get-Content -Wait %1 -Tail %2"

edited Nov 04 '18 at 09:02

Peter Mortensen

28,342
21
95
123

answered Feb 17 '16 at 12:59

Eyal

131
1
8

It works, but it's too slow, as PowerShell may take 2 or 3 seconds to start. – Anic17 Jun 21 '20 at 20:35

score 2 · Answer 6 · answered May 18 '16 at 18:50

2

To do this, you can use Microsoft's more advanced command-line shell called "Windows PowerShell." It should come standard on the latest versions of Windows, but you can download it from Microsoft if you don't already have it installed.

To get the last five lines in the text file simply read the file using Get-Content, then have Select-Object pick out the last five items/lines for you:

Get-Content c:\scripts\test.txt | Select-Object -last 5

Source: Using the Get-Content Cmdlet

answered May 18 '16 at 18:50

Michael Yaeger

579
9
30

@Eyal 's answer is more fitting being called from the cmd, and the code is better using Tail than piping into Select-Object. You can't do -Wait while doing Select Object as well. This is not what the OP is requesting. – Elie Saad Jan 17 '18 at 10:30

score 2 · Answer 7 · edited Nov 04 '18 at 09:03

2

If you want it to display the content of the file live, and update when the file is altered, just use this script:

@echo off
:start
cls
type myfile.txt
goto start

That will repeat forever until you close the cmd window.

edited Nov 04 '18 at 09:03

Peter Mortensen

28,342
21
95
123

answered Mar 11 '17 at 03:08

Johnny G Gaming

29
4

This does not replicate the functionality of tail. – Preet Sangha Mar 11 '18 at 20:57

score 2 · Answer 8 · answered Jun 14 '20 at 16:01

You can do that in some methods:

One is the type command: type filename Another is the more command: more filename With more you can also do that: type filename | more

The last option is using a for for /f "usebackq delims=" %%A in (filename) do (echo.%%A) This will go for each line and display it's content. This is an equivalent of the type command, but it's another method of reading the content.

If you are asking what to use, use the more command as it will make a pause.

score 1 · Answer 9 · edited Nov 04 '18 at 08:59

1

There is no built in option available with Windows. To constantly monitor logs you can use this free application BareTailPro.

edited Nov 04 '18 at 08:59

Peter Mortensen

28,342
21
95
123

answered Jun 20 '13 at 15:21

Sudheej

1,615
6
21
46

score 1 · Answer 10 · edited Nov 04 '18 at 09:01

1

You can get the TAIL utility from the Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit Tools.

Here are additional details -- Tail command for Windows (CMD).

edited Nov 04 '18 at 09:01

Peter Mortensen

28,342
21
95
123

answered Feb 08 '16 at 13:22

noni

53
1
7

Link only answers should be posted as comments – NSNoob Feb 08 '16 at 13:44

score 0 · Answer 11 · edited Jul 10 '20 at 17:37

If you want to display for example all .config (or .ini) file name and file content into one doc for user reference (and by this I mean user not knowing shell command i.e. 95% of them), you can try this :

FORFILES /M *myFile.ini /C "cmd /c echo File name : @file >> %temp%\stdout.txt && type @path >> %temp%\stdout.txt && echo. >> %temp%\stdout.txt" | type %temp%\stdout.txt

Explanation :

ForFiles : loop on a directory (and child, etc) each file meeting criteria
- able to return the current file name being process (@file)
- able to return the full path file being process (@path)
Type : Output the file content

Ps : The last pipe command is pointing the %temp% file and output the aggregate content. If you wish to copy/paste in some documentation, just open the stdout.txt file in textpad.

score 0 · Answer 12 · answered Apr 20 '21 at 02:28

0

To show content of a file:

type file.txt - cmd

cat file.txt - bash/powershell

answered Apr 20 '21 at 02:28

LaurentBaj

65
6

score -1 · Answer 13 · edited Jan 29 '16 at 14:19

-1

tail -3 d:\text_file.txt

tail -1 d:\text_file.txt

I assume this was added to Windows cmd.exe at some point.

edited Jan 29 '16 at 14:19

Ian

28,526
18
60
94

answered Jan 29 '16 at 14:14

noni

7
1

2

no, `tail` is still not a standard windows command. Usually it's part of an addon like cygwin, GNU or others. – Stephan Jan 29 '16 at 14:20
This is not a good answer, you are just saying that this has been implemented into Windows, but no, please check your information before answering. – Anic17 Jun 14 '20 at 16:03

How do I display a text file content in CMD?

13 Answers13

Linked