Easiest way to add a text to the beginning of another text file in Command Line (Windows)
echo "my line" > newFile.txt
type myOriginalFile.txt >> newFile.txt
type newFile.txt > myOriginalFile.txt
Untested. Double >> means 'append'
Another variation on the theme.
(echo New Line 1) >file.txt.new
type file.txt >>file.txt.new
move /y file.txt.new file.txt
Advantages over other posted answers:
- minimal number of steps
- no temp file left over
- parentheses prevents unwanted trailing space in first line
- the move command "instantaneously" replaces the old version with the new
- the original file remains unchanged until the last instant when it is replaced
- the final content is only written once - potentially important if the file is huge.
The following sequence will do what you want, adding the line "new first line
" to the file.txt
file.
ren file.txt temp.txt
echo.new first line>file.txt
type temp.txt >>file.txt
del temp.txt
Note the structure of the echo. "echo.
" allows you to put spaces at the beginning of the line if necessary and abutting the ">
" redirection character ensures there's no trailing spaces (unless you want them, of course).