How to split large text file in windows?

Question

I have a log file with size of 2.5 GB. Is there any way to split this file into smaller files using windows command prompt?

Answer 1

Of course there is! Win CMD can do a lot more than just split text files :)

Split a text file into separate files of 'max' lines each:

Split text file (max lines each):
: Initialize
set input=file.txt
set max=10000

set /a line=1 >nul
set /a file=1 >nul
set out=!file!_%input%
set /a max+=1 >nul

echo Number of lines in %input%:
find /c /v "" < %input%

: Split file
for /f "tokens=* delims=[" %i in ('type "%input%" ^| find /v /n ""') do (

if !line!==%max% (
set /a line=1 >nul
set /a file+=1 >nul
set out=!file!_%input%
echo Writing file: !out!
)

REM Write next file
set a=%i
set a=!a:*]=]!
echo:!a:~1!>>out!
set /a line+=1 >nul
)

If above code hangs or crashes, this example code splits files faster (by writing data to intermediate files instead of keeping everything in memory):

eg. To split a file with 7,600 lines into smaller files of maximum 3000 lines.

1. Generate regexp string/pattern files with set command to be fed to /g flag of findstr

list1.txt

\[[0-9]\]
\[[0-9][0-9]\]
\[[0-9][0-9][0-9]\]
\[[0-2][0-9][0-9][0-9]\]

list2.txt

\[[3-5][0-9][0-9][0-9]\]

list3.txt

\[[6-9][0-9][0-9][0-9]\]

2. Split the file into smaller files:

type "%input%" | find /v /n "" | findstr /b /r /g:list1.txt > file1.txt
type "%input%" | find /v /n "" | findstr /b /r /g:list2.txt > file2.txt
type "%input%" | find /v /n "" | findstr /b /r /g:list3.txt > file3.txt

3. remove prefixed line numbers for each file split:
   eg. for the 1st file:

for /f "tokens=* delims=[" %i in ('type "%cd%\file1.txt"') do (
set a=%i
set a=!a:*]=]!
echo:!a:~1!>>file_1.txt)

Notes:
Works with leading whitespace, blank lines & whitespace lines.

Tested on Win 10 x64 CMD, on 4.4GB text file, 5651982 lines.