This is a very specific question, however;
Say I have a batch file running from\located in the directory c:\data\src\branch_1
How do I set my environment variable %buildpath% to c:\build\bin\branch_1 in a batch file?
(To be extra clear, if the same batch file is located in c:\foo\bar\branch_2 I want it to set %buildpath% to c:\build\bin\branch_2)
You should be able to use the environment variable %~dp0 to get you the drive and path of the batch file currently running. From there, it's a not-very-efficient method of stripping off the end of that string character by character and building a new string.
For example, the batch file:
#setlocal enableextensions enabledelayedexpansion
#echo off
set olddir=%~dp0
echo Current directory is: !olddir!
if "!olddir:~-1!" == "\" (
set olddir=!olddir:~0,-1!
)
set lastbit=
:loop
if not "!olddir:~-1!" == "\" (
set lastbit=!olddir:~-1!!lastbit!
set olddir=!olddir:~0,-1!
goto :loop
)
set newdir=c:\build\bin\!lastbit!
echo New directory is: !newdir!
endlocal
running as c:\data\src\branch1\qq.cmd returns the following:
Current directory is: C:\data\src\branch1\
New directory is: c:\build\bin\branch1
As to how it works, you can use !xyz:~n,m! for doing a substring of an environment variable, and negative m or n means from the end rather than the beginning. So the first if block strips off the trailing \ if it's there.
The loop is similar but it transfers characters from the end of the path to a new variable, up until the point where you find the \. So then you have the last bit of the path, and it's a simple matter to append that to your fixed new path.
Old case, but still...
easy way of setting current directory into variable.
#echo off
cd > dir.tmp
set /p directory= <dir.tmp
echo %directory% <-- do whatever you want to the variable. I just did a echo..
del dir.tmp > nul
Related
I am working on modifying our batch files where we call #make functions inside. We want to add a script inside the batch file that checks an external header file, finds the line with date information(APP_VERSION_DATE) and updates the information there with new date information(I figured out how to fetch windows date information with batch, this is not an issue)
I know what steps to follow but batch syntax feels completely counter intuitive to me and I am stuck.
These are the steps I would like to follow:
1- Go through the app_version.h file line by line(for /f)
2- Find the lines with string APP_VERSION_DATE(if findstr...)
3- delete everything except APP_VERSION_DATE
4- CONCAT date information to APP_VERSION_DATE like APP_VERSION_DATE "23-05-2022"
5- Keep echoing every other line
6- Pipeline the information a new header file.
7- Delete header file
8- Rename the new header line as the old one.
set strToFind="app_version_date"
set result="Not Found"
for /f "tokens=2 delims=[]" %%A in ('findstr %strToFind% %filename%') do (
set result=%%A
if defined result (
if %result%==this is something
echo hurra this is it
) ELSE echo
)
this is where I am at right now and I am obviously still too far off to do something I want to do.
I am able to make a program that can find a given string in a file and change it but in this case I want to find the line that has the string I am searching for, delete the rest and modify it. I want to find the line where the string is and modify it, not the string itself. This is simply because date information as shown below;
#define APP_VERSION_DATE [2022-05-16 12:13]
won't be static and ever changing with each compile attempt.
I have something like this but this is too far from what I want to do.
Any help would be great! Thanks in advance
Replace date/time in header file app_version.h
There could be used the following commented batch file for this task:
#echo off
setlocal EnableExtensions DisableDelayedExpansion
set "HeaderFile=app_version.h"
if not exist "%HeaderFile%" exit /B 20
rem Get current local date/time in format [yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm].
for /F "tokens=1-5 delims=/: " %%G in ('%SystemRoot%\System32\robocopy.exe "%SystemDrive%\|" . /NJH') do set "AppVersionDate=[%%G-%%H-%%I %%J:%%K]" & goto UpdateHeaderFile
rem Let FINDSTR output all lines of the header file with a line number and
rem a colon at the beginning for processing really all lines including the
rem empty lines in the header file and output all lines without the line
rem number and the colon with exception of the line containing the string
rem #define APP_VERSION_DATE which is ignored and instead is output a line
rem defined here with the local date/time determined before. All lines output
rem by the loop are written into a newly created temporary header file.
:UpdateHeaderFile
(for /F delims^=^ eol^= %%I in ('%SystemRoot%\System32\findstr.exe /N "^" "%HeaderFile%" 2^>nul') do (
set "Line=%%I"
setlocal EnableDelayedExpansion
if "!Line:#define APP_VERSION_DATE=!" == "!Line!" (
echo(!Line:*:=!
) else (
echo #define APP_VERSION_DATE %AppVersionDate%
)
endlocal
))>"%HeaderFile%.tmp"
rem Replace the original header file with the temporary header file.
if exist "%HeaderFile%.tmp" move /Y "%HeaderFile%.tmp" "%HeaderFile%" >nul
rem Delete the temporary header file if the command line above failed
rem because of the original header file is read-only or write-protected
rem or currently opened by an application with shared access denied.
if exist "%HeaderFile%.tmp" del "%HeaderFile%.tmp"
endlocal
The environment variable HeaderFile can be defined with an absolute path or a relative path.
Please read the chapter Usage of ROBOCOPY to get current date/time in my answer on Time is set incorrectly after midnight for an explanation of the first for /F command line.
Please read next my answer on How to read and print contents of text file line by line? It describes in full details the second for /F loop with the small modification of an additional IF condition to replace the line containing the string #define APP_VERSION_DATE with an current date/time.
For understanding the used commands and how they work, open a command prompt window, execute there the following commands, and read entirely all help pages displayed for each command very carefully.
del /?
echo /?
endlocal /?
exit /?
findstr /?
goto /?
if /?
move /?
rem /?
set /?
setlocal /?
See also single line with multiple commands using Windows batch file for an explanation of the unconditional command operator &.
Create header file current_date_time.h with date/time
The task could be done much easier if the file app_version.h contains anywhere the line:
#include "current_date_time.h"
The batch file could be in this case just:
#echo off
setlocal EnableExtensions DisableDelayedExpansion
for /F "tokens=1-5 delims=/: " %%G in ('%SystemRoot%\System32\robocopy.exe "%SystemDrive%\|" . /NJH') do echo #define APP_VERSION_DATE [%%G-%%H-%%I %%J:%%K]>"current_date_time.h"& goto EndBatch
:EndBatch
endlocal
This batch file always creates new the file current_date_time.h with just the single line:
#define APP_VERSION_DATE [2022-05-23 18:48]
And this single preprocessor macro definition line is included on compilation into app_version.h.
Define preprocessor macro APP_VERSION_DATE with current date/time
Every C/C++ compiler has an option to define a preprocessor macro on the command line and the option can be used multiple times on the command line to define multiple preprocessor macros.
For example see:
GNU gcc/g++: Options Controlling the Preprocessor explaining case-sensitive option -D
Microsoft C/C++: /D (Preprocessor Definitions)
So it is possible to define an environment variable with the current date/time in the wanted format with the single command line below and reference this environment variable value on running the C/C++ compiler with the appropriate option.
#set "AppVersionDate=" & for /F "tokens=1-5 delims=/: " %%G in ('%SystemRoot%\System32\robocopy.exe "%SystemDrive%\|" . /NJH') do #if not defined AppVersionDate set "AppVersionDate=[%%G-%%H-%%I %%J:%%K]"
GNU gcc/g++ would be run later with -D "APP_VERSION_DATE=%AppVersionDate%" and Microsoft C/C++ compiler with /D "APP_VERSION_DATE=%AppVersionDate%" as one of the options on compilation of the C/C++ source code files.
There are also the predefined macros __DATE__ and __TIME__:
GNU gcc/g++: Predefined Macros
Microsoft C/C++: Predefined macros
Search also for information about the environment variable SOURCE_DATE_EPOCH which gives control over the timestamp added by the C/C++ compiler itself to the produced binaries.
I am trying to use string substitution to truncate a list of full file paths down to relative paths in an existing text file. In addition there is some basic automated renaming. The renaming works as intended but the string substitution I cannot get to work. All the documentation I could find describing string substitution used standalone strings, not strings stored in variables. So I do not know and cannot figure out the proper syntax. I have also read similar questions asked here and attempted those solutions to no avail.
Everything in my script works as intended except for this line:
SET %%I=%%%I:%Temp_Dir%=%
It does not change %%I at all. The input to the FOR loop %List% is a text file that looks like this:
C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Local\Temp\Batch_Renaming_Temp\Working\out\bin\codesegment.o
C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Local\Temp\Batch_Renaming_Temp\Working\out\bin\graphic.o
C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Local\Temp\Batch_Renaming_Temp\Working\out\bin\helper.o
C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Local\Temp\Batch_Renaming_Temp\Working\out\bin\main.o
C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Local\Temp\Batch_Renaming_Temp\Working\out\bin\game.out
C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Local\Temp\Batch_Renaming_Temp\Working\out\bin
C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Local\Temp\Batch_Renaming_Temp\Working\out
The final output I get right now is identical to the above list.
The desired output should look like this:
\out\bin\codesegment.o
\out\bin\graphic.o
\out\bin\helper.o
\out\bin\main.o
\out\bin\game.out
\out\bin
\out
I know the syntax is supposed to be:
SET string = C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Local\Temp\Batch_Renaming_Temp\Working\out\bin\codesegment.o
SET string = %string:C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Local\Temp\Batch_Renaming_Temp\Working =%
As I said though, I cannot get it to work using variables in a FOR loop. I am also attempting this method of string substitution because the path of %Temp_Dir% is always at the start of every line and is always found in each line once.
Here is the whole script for reference. I would prefer a one line solution like the one I was attempting. I am aware longer solutions are available but due to reasons beyond my control the one-line string substitution is required.
#ECHO OFF
SETLOCAL EnableDelayedExpansion
SET Proj_Dir="C:\Users\UserName\Desktop\Project"
SET Temp_Dir=%temp%\Batch_Renaming_Temp\Working
SET Counter=1
SET List="%temp%\Batch_Renaming_Temp\LFN_LIST.TMP"
SET List_Final="%temp%\Batch_Renaming_Temp\LFN_LIST.TXT"
ROBOCOPY /E /MIR %Proj_Dir% "%Temp_Dir%" > NUL
CD "%Temp_Dir%"
DIR /A-D /O:N /B /S > %List%
DIR /AD /O:N /B /S | SORT /R >> %List%
TYPE NUL > %List_Final%
FOR /F "usebackq tokens=* delims=" %%I IN (%List%) DO (
REN "%%I" !Counter!
SET /A !Counter+=1
SET %%I=%%%I:%Temp_Dir%=%
ECHO %%I >> %List_Final%
)
Like #Squashman pointed out in the comments, you cannot "set" a FOR variable.
If your variable depends on other variables indirectly, you need to use CALL SET or delayed expansion.
The easiest solution so far:
(for /F "usebackq tokens=8* delims=\" %%x in (%List%) do echo \%%y) > %List_Final%
It uses \ as a delimiter and pass the 8+th arguments to %%y, and redirects all output to %List_Final%
Tested on a Windows 10 laptop, works perfectly.
My Windows batch file is supposed to read file names and create a directory that is named according to the filename's 2nd to 5th letter:
for %%f in (.\*.txt) do (
set string=%%~nf
mkdir %string:~2,5%
)
The value of 'string' is not updated though, i.e. it is the same in each step of the loop. How can I have it updated?
This is the cmd output:
>for %f in (.\*.txt) do (
set string=%~nf
mkdir le3
)
>(
set string=file1
mkdir le3
)
>(
set string=file2
mkdir le3
)
A subdirectory or file le3 already exists.
>(
set string=file3
mkdir le3
)
A subdirectory or file le3 already exists.
The problem you're running into is because of %variable% expansion. The entire FOR statement (including up to the closing parenthesis) is one statement. When it is read, the command processor replaces the %string% variable with whatever string is set to before the SET inside executes. (Actually, you're getting the subset of string starting at the 2nd character and proceeding 5 characters, but that's not really important here. My guess is that you've got %string% set to "file3".)
Anyway, you can fix it by adding SETLOCAL ENABLEDELAYEDEXPANSION at the top and using syntax like !string! instead of %string% inside the FOR.
You could also move the processing of %string% outside of FOR.
Look up HELP SETLOCAL and HELP SET for more.
Also, if you hadn't noticed, you're not getting the second and fifth characters of the filename... As I mentioned, you're getting a substring of (up to) length 5, starting at character 2. Look up HELP SET for more.
Nearly, you've got a couple of unnecessary exclamation marks in your last attempt:
SETLOCAL ENABLEDELAYEDEXPANSION
for %%f in (*.txt) do (
set string=%%~nf
if not exist "!string:~2,5!\" mkdir "!string:~2,5!"
)
Let's say I'd have a file named "testfile.txt" set on a variable:%File% and I'd like to remove the extension when echoing it . Echo %File:~0,8% would come out as "testfile" but what I want to do is to have it display anything and everything to the left of the ".txt" because I won't always make files which have 8 characters in their name.
Is there a simple solution to this ?
Yep.
for %%I in ("testfile.txt") do echo %%~nI
or
for %%I in ("%file%") do echo %%~nI
Do help for in a cmd console window and see the last two pages for more information on tilde operations.
There is another way to accomplish what you want, using substring substitution similar to your attempts illustrated in your question.
set "file=testfile.txt"
echo %file:.=&rem;%
That substitutes the dot with &rem;. When the variable is evaluated, the batch interpreter treats the newly substituted data as a compound command. And since everything following rem is treated as a remark to be ignored, you're left with only testfile as the output. This will only work if:
you don't include quotation marks in your variable value
your filename only includes the one dot
you don't do it within a parenthetical code block (if statement or for loop) where delayed expansion is required
You can try this:
#echo off
set "file=testfile.txt"
call :removeExtension "%file%"
echo %newFile%
pause
goto :eof
:removeExtension
set "newFile=%~n1"
goto :eof
However, this only works if the file has no path. If it does, you can do this:
#echo off
setlocal EnableDelayedExpansion
set "file=files\testfile.txt"
call :removeExtension "%file%"
echo %newFile%
pause
goto :eof
:removeExtension
set "file=%~1"
set "newFile=!file:%~x1=!"
goto :eof
Is there any method in Windows through which we can execute a batch script without *.bat extension?
This is an interesting topic to me! I want to do some observations about it.
The important point first: A Batch file is a file with .BAT or .CMD extension. Period. Batch files can achieve, besides the execution of usual DOS commands, certain specific Batch-file facilities, in particular:
Access to Batch file parameters via %1 %2 ... and execution of SHIFT command.
Execution of GOTO command.
Execution of CALL :NAME command (internal subroutine).
Execution of SETLOCAL/ENDLOCAL commands.
Now the funny part: Any file can be redirected as input for CMD.exe so the DOS commands contained in it are executed in a similar way of a Batch file, with some differences. The most important one is that previous Batch-file facilities will NOT work. Another differences are illustrated in the NOT-Batch file below (I called it BATCH.TXT):
#echo off
rem Echo off just suppress echoing of the prompt and each loop of FOR command
rem but it does NOT suppress the listing of these commands!
rem Pause command does NOT pause, because it takes the character that follows it
pause
X
rem This behavior allows to put data for a SET /P command after it
set /P var=Enter data:
This is the data for previous command!
echo Data read: "%var%"
rem Complex FOR/IF commands may be assembled and they execute in the usual way:
for /L %i in (1,1,5) do (
set /P line=
if "!line:~0,6!" equ "SHOW: " echo Line read: !line:~6!
)
NOSHOW: First line read
SHOW: Second line
NOSHOW: This is third line
SHOW: The line number 4
NOSHOW: Final line, number five
rem You may suppress the tracing of the execution redirecting CMD output to NUL
rem In this case, redirect output to STDERR to display messages in the screen
echo This is a message redirected to STDERR >&2
rem GOTO command doesn't work:
goto label
goto :EOF
rem but both EXIT and EXIT /B commands works:
exit /B
:label
echo Never reach this point...
To execute previous file, type: CMD /V:ON < BATCH.TXT
The /V switch is needed to enable delayed expansion.
More specialized differences are related to the fact that commands in the NOT-Batch file are executed in the command-line context, NOT the Batch-file context. Perhaps Dave or jeb could elaborate on this point.
EDIT: Additional observations (batch2.txt):
#echo off
rem You may force SET /P command to read the line from keyboard instead of
rem from following lines by redirecting its input to CON device.
rem You may also use CON device to force commands output to console (screen),
rem this is easier to write and read than >&2
echo Standard input/output operations> CON
echo/> CON
< CON set /P var=Enter value: > CON
echo/> CON
echo The value read is: "%var%"> CON
Execute previous file this way: CMD < BATCH2.TXT > NUL
EDIT: More additional observations (batch3.txt)
#echo off
rem Dynamic access to variables that usually requires DelayedExpansion via "call" trick
rem Read the next four lines; "next" means placed after the FOR command
rem (this may be used to simulate a Unix "here doc")
for /L %i in (1,1,4) do (
set /P line[%i]=
)
Line one of immediate data
This is second line
The third one
And the fourth and last one...
(
echo Show the elements of the array read:
echo/
for /L %i in (1,1,4) do call echo Line %i- %line[%i]%
) > CON
Execute this file in the usual way: CMD < BATCH3.TXT > NUL
Interesting! Isn't it?
EDIT: Now, GOTO and CALL commands may be simulated in the NotBatch.txt file!!! See this post.
Antonio
Just use:
type mybat.txt | cmd
Breaking it down...
type mybat.txt reads mybat.txt as a text file and prints the contents. The | says capture anything getting printed by the command on its left and pass it as an input to the command on its right. Then cmd (as you can probably guess) interprets any input it receives as commands and executes them.
In case you were wondering... you can replace cmd with bash to run on Linux.
in my case, to make windows run files without extension (only for *.cmd, *.exe) observed, i have missed pathext variable (in system varailbles) to include .cmd. Once added i have no more to run file.cmd than simply file.
environment variables --> add/edit system variable to include .cmd;.exe (ofcourse your file should be in path)
It could be possible yes, but probably nor in an easy way =) cause first of all.. security.
I try to do the same thing some year ago, and some month ago, but i found no solution about it.. you could try to do
execu.cmd
type toLaunch.txt >> bin.cmd
call bin.cmd
pause > nul
exit
then in toLaunch.txt put
#echo off
echo Hello!
pause > nul
exit
just as example, it will "compile" the code, then it will execute the "output" file, that is just "parse"
instead of parsed you could also just rename use and maybe put an auto rename inside the script using inside toLaunch.txt
ren %0 %0.txt
hope it helped!
It is possible at some degree. You'll need an admin permissions to run assoc and ftype commands. Also a 'caller' script that will use your code:
Lets say the extension you want is called .scr.
Then execute this script as admin:
#echo off
:: requires Admin permissions
:: allows a files with .scr (in this case ) extension to act like .bat/.cmd files.
:: Will create a 'caller.bat' associated with the extension
:: which will create a temp .bat file on each call (you can consider this as cheating)
:: and will call it.
:: Have on mind that the %0 argument will be lost.
rem :: "installing" a caller.
if not exist "c:\scrCaller.bat" (
echo #echo off
echo copy "%%~nx1" "%%temp%%\%%~nx1.bat" /Y ^>nul
echo "%%temp%%\%%~nx1.bat" %%*
) > c:\scrCaller.bat
rem :: associating file extension
assoc .scr=scrfile
ftype scrfile=c:\scrCaller "%%1" %%*
You even will be able to use GOTO and CALL and the other tricks you know. The only limitation is that the the %0 argument will be lost ,tough it can be hardcoded while creating the temp file.
As a lot of languages compile an .exe file for example I think this a legit approach.
If you want variables to be exported to the calling batch file, you could use
for /F "tokens=*" %%g in (file.txt) do (%%g)
This metod has several limitations (don't use :: for comments), but its perfect for configuration files.
Example:
rem Filename: "foo.conf"
rem
set option1=true
set option2=false
set option3=true
#echo off
for /F "tokens=*" %%g in (foo.conf) do (%%g)
echo %option1%
echo %option2%
echo %option3%
pause