[windows] Split string with string as delimiter

I'm trying to split a string in a batch file using a string (rather than a character) as the delimiter.

The string has the format:

string1 by string2.txt

The delimiter is by (yes, space, the word 'by', followed by space). The output I want is:

string1

string2

So, basically, split the string into 2 parts by the delimiter by and remove the suffix from the second string. How can I do this?

I expanded Magoos answer to get both desired strings:

@ECHO OFF
SETLOCAL enabledelayedexpansion
SET "string=string1 by string2.txt"
SET "s2=%string:* by =%"
set "s1=!string: by %s2%=!"
set "s2=%s2:.txt=%"
ECHO +%s1%+%s2%+

EDIT: just to prove, my solution also works with the additional requirements:

@ECHO OFF
SETLOCAL enabledelayedexpansion
SET "string=string&1 more words by string&2 with spaces.txt"
SET "s2=%string:* by =%"
set "s1=!string: by %s2%=!"
set "s2=%s2:.txt=%"
ECHO "+%s1%+%s2%+"
set s1
set s2

Output:

"+string&1 more words+string&2 with spaces+"
s1=string&1 more words
s2=string&2 with spaces

@ECHO OFF
SETLOCAL
SET "string=string1 by string2.txt"
SET "string=%string:* by =%"
ECHO +%string%+

GOTO :EOF

The above SET command will remove the unwanted data. Result shown between + to demonstrate absence of spaces.

Formula: set var=%somevar:*string1=string2%

will assign to var the value of somevar with all characters up to string1 replaced by string2. The enclosing quotes in a set command ensure that any stray trailing spaces on the line are not included in the value assigned.

I recently discovered an interesting trick that allows to "Split String With String As Delimiter", so I couldn't resist the temptation to post it here as a new answer. Note that "obviously the question wasn't accurate. Firstly, both string1 and string2 can contain spaces. Secondly, both string1 and string2 can contain ampersands ('&')". This method correctly works with the new specifications (posted as a comment below Stephan's answer).

@echo off
setlocal

set "str=string1&with spaces by string2&with spaces.txt"

set "string1=%str: by =" & set "string2=%"
set "string2=%string2:.txt=%"

echo "%string1%"
echo "%string2%"

For further details on the split method, see this post.

I've found two older scripts that use an indefinite or even a specific string to split. As an approach, these are always helpful.

https://www.administrator.de/contentid/226533#comment-1059704 https://www.administrator.de/contentid/267522#comment-1000886

@echo off
:noOption
if "%~1" neq "" goto :nohelp
echo Gibt eine Ausgabe bis zur angebenen Zeichenfolge&echo(
echo %~n0 ist mit Eingabeumleitung zu nutzen
echo %~n0 "Zeichenfolge" ^<Quelldatei [^>Zieldatei]&echo(
echo    Zeichenfolge    die zu suchende Zeichenfolge wird mit FIND bestimmt
echo            ohne AusgabeUmleitung Ausgabe im CMD Fenster
exit /b
:nohelp
setlocal disabledelayedexpansion
set "intemp=%temp%%time::=%"
set "string=%~1"
set "stringlength=0"
:Laenge string bestimmen
for /f eol^=^

^ delims^= %%i in (' cmd /u /von /c "echo(!string!"^|find /v "" ') do set /a Stringlength += 1

:Eingabe temporär speichern
>"%intemp%" find /n /v ""

:suchen der Zeichenfolge und Zeile bestimmen und speichen
set "NRout="
for /f "tokens=*delims=" %%a in (' find "%string%"^<"%intemp%" ') do if not defined NRout (set "LineStr=%%a"
  for /f "delims=[]" %%b in ("%%a") do set "NRout=%%b"
)
if not defined NRout >&2 echo Zeichenfolge nicht gefunden.& set /a xcode=1 &goto :end
if %NRout% gtr 1 call :Line
call :LineStr

:end
del "%intemp%"
exit /b %xcode%

:LineStr Suche nur jeden ersten Buchstaben des Strings in der Treffer-Zeile dann Ausgabe bis dahin
for /f eol^=^

^ delims^= %%a in ('cmd /u /von /c "echo(!String!"^|findstr .') do (
  for /f "delims=[]" %%i in (' cmd /u /von /c "echo(!LineStr!"^|find /n "%%a" ') do (
    setlocal enabledelayedexpansion
    for /f %%n in ('set /a %%i-1') do if !LineStr:^~%%n^,%stringlength%! equ !string! (
      set "Lineout=!LineStr:~0,%%n!!string!"
      echo(!Lineout:*]=!
      exit /b
    )
) )
exit /b 

:Line vorige Zeilen ausgeben
for /f "usebackq tokens=* delims=" %%i in ("%intemp%") do (
  for /f "tokens=1*delims=[]" %%n in ("%%i") do if %%n EQU %NRout%  exit /b
  set "Line=%%i"
  setlocal enabledelayedexpansion 
  echo(!Line:*]=!
  endlocal
)
exit /b

@echo off
:: CUTwithWildcards.cmd
:noOption
if "%~1" neq "" goto :nohelp
echo Gibt eine Ausgabe ohne die angebene Zeichenfolge.
echo Der Rest wird abgeschnitten.&echo(
echo %~n0 "Zeichenfolge" B n E [/i] &echo(
echo    Zeichenfolge    String zum Durchsuchen
echo    B   Zeichen Wonach am Anfang gesucht wird
echo    n   Auszulassende Zeichenanzahl
echo    E   Zeichen was das Ende der Zeichen Bestimmt
echo    /i  Case intensive
exit /b
:nohelp
setlocal disabledelayedexpansion
set  "Original=%~1"
set     "Begin=%~2"
set /a    Excl=%~3 ||echo Syntaxfehler.>&2 &&exit /b 1
set       "End=%~4"
if not defined end echo Syntaxfehler.>&2 &exit /b 1
set   "CaseInt=%~5"
:: end Setting Input Param
set       "out="
set      "more="
call :read Original
if errorlevel 1 echo Zeichenfolge nicht gefunden.>&2
exit /b
:read VarName B # E [/i]
for /f "delims=[]" %%a in (' cmd /u /von /c "echo  !%~1!"^|find /n %CaseInt% "%Begin%" ') do (
  if defined out exit /b 0
  for /f "delims=[]" %%b in (' cmd /u /von /c "echo !%1!"^|more +%Excl%^|find /n %CaseInt% "%End%"^|find "[%%a]" ') do (
    set "out=1"
    setlocal enabledelayedexpansion
    set "In=  !Original!"
    set "In=!In:~,%%a!"
    echo !In:^~2!
    endlocal
) )
if not defined out exit /b 1 
exit /b

::oneliner for CMDLine
set "Dq=""
for %i in ("*S??E*") do @set "out=1" &for /f "delims=[]" %a in ('cmd/u/c "echo  %i"^|find /n "S"') do @if defined out for /f "delims=[]" %b in ('cmd/u/c "echo %i"^|more +2^|find /n "E"^|find "[%a]"') do @if %a equ %b set "out=" & set in= "%i" &cmd /v/c echo ren "%i" !in:^~0^,%a!!Dq!)

Try this:

for /F "tokens=1,3 delims=. " %%a in ("%string%") do (
   echo %%a
   echo %%b
)

that is, take the first and third tokens delimited by space or point...