Batch Command to Move Files from Sub Directories to New Directory

Question

I am attempting to use the batch file below to move files from one folder to another. The batch commands will create sub folders within the destination folder based on the create dates against each file in the source folder.

The problem is that the source folder contains sub folders and the batch commands cannot recurse into sub folders.

Please advise how to modify the batch file to allow recurse into sub folders on the source folder.

Thanks

Rialet

echo %1 "-" %2
If [%1]==[] ECHO "Source Directory parameter required"&GOTO :EOF
If [%2]==[] ECHO "Target Directory parameter required"&GOTO :EOF


SET TrimQuote=%2

for /f "useback tokens=*" %%T in ('%2') do set TrimQuote=%%~T
REM echo %TrimQuote%


::loop through files only 

For /F "TOKENS=1 DELIMS=%_TabSpace%" %%B In ('dir %1 /a-d /B /OD') DO (
REM echo "%%B - " %%B 

For /F "TOKENS=1 DELIMS=%_TabSpace%" %%D In ('dir %1\"%%B" /a-d /OD ^| findstr /B [0-9][0-9]/[0-9]') DO (
REM echo "%%D - " %%D 

for /F "tokens=1,2,3,4 delims=/ " %%b in ("%%D") do (
REM echo "b = " %2\%%c%%a\%%b
REM echo %2\%%d%%c\%%b


if NOT exist %2\%%d%%c\%%b md %2\%%d%%c\%%b

move %1\"%%B" %2\%%d%%c\%%b\ 

)

)

)

Magoo Magoo · Accepted Answer · 2013-08-09T06:15:19

Try using

For /F "TOKENS=1 DELIMS=%_TabSpace%" %%B In ('dir %1 /a-d /S /B /OD') DO (

the /s will cause recursion. The downside is that the output of the dir command is then d:\path\file.ext - which may not marry well with your "TOKENS=1 DELIMS=%_TabSpace%". You'd probably need to use "delims=" (ie, no delimiters, hence entire line in token1).

You can then retrieve the various parts of the full-filename as %%~dB, %%~pB, %%~nB and %%~xB (the drive, path, naem and extension - and you can combine these parts if you wish by using %%~nxB for name+extension, for instance.

Supplemental info - batch commented.

@ECHO OFF
SETLOCAL
:: The above two lines are a traditional batch introduction.
:: The first turns `ECHO`ing of the command to the console OFF
:: The second makes all changes to the environment 'local'
:: which means that any variable changes made during the batch
:: will be undone at the end, restoring the original environment.
:: Note that the official remarks/comments method is
REM This is a remark
:: But the double-colon method is commonly used as :: is less intrusive

:: Echo the two parameters given to the batch (%1 and %2)
echo %1 "-" %2

:: The original parameter-present detection is weak. This is a better method

SET target=%~1
If not defined target ECHO "Source Directory parameter required"&GOTO :EOF
SET target=%~2
If not defined target ECHO "Target Directory parameter required"&GOTO :EOF

:: Note `trimquote` (batch is largely case-insensitive) is a meaningless name
:: New name TARGET is better. Setting to %~2 removes enclosing quotes from
:: string assigned to variable.

::loop through files only 
:: `"delims="` means there are no delimiters, so the entire line is assigned to 
:: the variable `%%B` (FOR loop variablenames ("metavariables") ARE case-sensitive!)
:: The line being assigned comes from the output of the `DIR` command
:: which is filenames only (/a-d) in subdirectories (/s) in basic form (/b)
:: (ie name only, no dates, sizes, headers or summary) and in order of date (/od)

For /F "DELIMS=" %%B In ('dir "%~1" /a-d /S /B /OD') DO (
 REM echo "%%B - " %%B 

 REM within a FOR loop, better to use REM remarks than :: remarks (version-dependent)
 REM I believe the intention of the original here was to pick up the filedate
 REM It wouldn't work since FINDSTR is looking for lines that begin (/B) with
 REM 2 digits, a slash and one digit, but the date format about to be processed...
 REM For /F "TOKENS=1 DELIMS=%_TabSpace%" %%D In ('dir %1\"%%B" /a-d /OD ^| findstr /B [0-9][0-9]/[0-9]') DO (
 REM echo "%%D - " %%D 

 REM Process date - 4 elements separated by space or /. Pick the last three
 REM so implictly format is DAYNAME xx/yy/zz BUT the elements would be applied
 REM to %%b, %%c, %%d, %%e
 REM for /F "tokens=1,2,3,4 delims=/ " %%b in ("%%D") do (
 for /F "tokens=1,2,3,4 delims=/ " %%a in ("%%~tB") do (
  REM echo "b = " %2\%%c%%a\%%b
  REM echo %2\%%d%%c\%%b

  REM Make a new directory. 2>nul suppresses error message if already exists
  md "%TARGET%\%%d%%c\%%b" 2>nul

  move "%%B" "%TARGET%\%%d%%c\%%b\" 
 )
)

Bit of a nightmare really - No idea of what format date you are using, nor what format target directory structure you want. This should "flatten" the structure, so any file filename.ext would be placed in %target%\xx\yy\zz regardless of where in your source structure the file originally resides. There is also no protection about multiple instances of the same filename.ext with the same DATE but in different subdirectories in the source. Need a lot more clarification of the entire scenario to be more certain. Really just commenting and changing the existing (presumed-working but evidently-faulty) batch...

Batch Command to Move Files from Sub Directories to New Directory

2 Answers