# Merging shell log file into FB log
**URL:** https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/t/merging-shell-log-file-into-fb-log/360
**Category:** Discussion
**Created:** [February 16, 2007, 9:08am UTC](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/t/merging-shell-log-file-into-fb-log/360 "2007-02-16T09:08:09Z")
**Posts on this page:** 10
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@jhunsaker](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/u/jhunsaker)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2007, 9:08am UTC](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/t/merging-shell-log-file-into-fb-log/360/1 "2007-02-16T09:08:09Z")
I’m leveraging a 3rd party tool which outputs its own log file. I want to incorporate that file into the FB log. I’m using the “Read Text File” action into a variable and then “Log Variable Values” to write the 3rd party log content into the FB log. The variable truncates the 3rd party log content. Is there a maximum size of variables? My variable contains just under 24k characters with spaces.
Is there a better way to accomplish a log file merge?
Thanks.
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### Author:  [@tate](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/u/tate)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2007, 11:31am UTC](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/t/merging-shell-log-file-into-fb-log/360/2 "2007-02-16T11:31:14Z")
Hi Jeff,
There’s no size limit for an FB variable. Will investigate this on Monday. Any idea at what length the truncation happens?
.t8
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### Author:  [@jhunsaker](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/u/jhunsaker)
#### Post date: [February 17, 2007, 3:39am UTC](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/t/merging-shell-log-file-into-fb-log/360/3 "2007-02-17T03:39:46Z")
It’s an odd number: 23,911. I checked the file for any extraneous or unescaped characters immediately following the line after truncation but didn’t see anything suspect.
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### Author:  [@Vincent](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/u/Vincent)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2007, 12:39pm UTC](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/t/merging-shell-log-file-into-fb-log/360/4 "2007-02-19T12:39:36Z")
Hi Jeff
Can you send the file to support so we can test it here, it may be that it has some embedded null characters or something which is causing the truncation.
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### Author:  [@tate](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/u/tate)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2007, 12:52pm UTC](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/t/merging-shell-log-file-into-fb-log/360/5 "2007-02-19T12:52:31Z")
Jeff,
I just tried this with a 69kb file and it worked fine, so is likely to be some problem with the file. Does it have any %'s in it by any chance (or “$(” )?
If not please email the file to us, thanks.
.t8
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### Author:  [@jhunsaker](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/u/jhunsaker)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2007, 1:58am UTC](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/t/merging-shell-log-file-into-fb-log/360/6 "2007-02-19T01:58:01Z")
No but close. Here’s the last line I get. And the “(s)” i s the first occurrence in the file. Perhaps it is that? I will email to support.
2/16/2007 9:31:04 PM: 0/100: Extracting COM data from 1 component(s)
Thanks.
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### Author:  [@tate](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/u/tate)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2007, 5:52am UTC](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/t/merging-shell-log-file-into-fb-log/360/7 "2007-02-19T05:52:17Z")
Jeff, thanks email received. Looks like it’s a NUL character in the file that’s tripping up FB…
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### Author:  [@tate](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/u/tate)
#### Post date: [February 21, 2007, 6:10am UTC](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/t/merging-shell-log-file-into-fb-log/360/8 "2007-02-21T06:10:19Z")
we’ve now put in a workaround for the read text file action, it will remove all NUL characters. New build is here:
[https://www.finalbuilder.com/downloads/finalbuilder/500/FB500\_132.exe](https://www.finalbuilder.com/downloads/finalbuilder/500/FB500_132.exe)
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### Author:  [@jhunsaker](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/u/jhunsaker)
#### Post date: [February 21, 2007, 2:20am UTC](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/t/merging-shell-log-file-into-fb-log/360/9 "2007-02-21T02:20:27Z")
Thanks, I’ll grab this version.
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### Author:  [@jhunsaker](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/u/jhunsaker)
#### Post date: [February 21, 2007, 3:06am UTC](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/t/merging-shell-log-file-into-fb-log/360/10 "2007-02-21T03:06:27Z")
That worked. Many thanks.