copy and rename file with path name

[novice84]

HI
can we copy files e.g. *.txt from specified folder to destination folder with file path added in file name.

[Geek-9pm]

Is this homework?
Did you want it to be all on one line? Hard to do.

Maybe a single block of code as a FOR loop?

The process would be to:
   make a DIR for the file,
   and then copy it there.
repeat for every file in nth current location.

Is that what you mean? or something else.

[novice84]

C:\F1\F2\F3\F4\D1\1.TXT
C:\F1\F2\F3\F4\D2\1.TXT
C:\F1\F2\F3\F4\D3\1.TXT

COPY THESE IN NEW FOLDER (OR EXISTING DIR) NAMED AS

C:\NEW FOLDER\F1_F2_F3_F4_D1_1.TXT
C:\NEW FOLDER\F1_F2_F3_F4_D2_1.TXT
C:\NEW FOLDER\F1_F2_F3_F4_D3_1.TXT

OR COPY WITH NAME LIKE THIS BELOW :

C:\NEW FOLDER\F1F2F3F4D11.TXT
C:\NEW FOLDER\F1F2F3F4D21.TXT
C:\NEW FOLDER\F1F2F3F4D31.TXT

[Squashman]

Is F1 your real root folder.  Having this traverse the whole directory structure of C: may cause some undesirable results.

[novice84]

no problem to skip F1 folder
if required F2 folder can be skipped also.

[novice84]

I mean if error occurs with full path, files can be Copied WITH NAMEs LIKE THIS BELOW :

C:\NEW FOLDER\F3F4D11.TXT
C:\NEW FOLDER\F3F4D21.TXT
C:\NEW FOLDER\F3F4D31.TXT

[Squashman]

That is not what I mean.  I am asking where the root directory of all your data is.  I am not sure how else to explain this to you.  You do not want to run this on the entire C: drive and then try and output to the C: drive.  Is your ROOT folder with all your data F1?

[Geek-9pm]

Squashman is saying, I think, that one does not do test of the directory
C:\
Which is root. Instead none make a directory for tests.
C:\TESTS
The if anything goes wrong, it is confined to that location.

One unconfirmed source says the maxim number of files in root can not go over 2,048. That would be one reason for not using root for tests.

[novice84]

OK I understood now what you are saying.
say my all files are in D:\F1\F2\F3\F4 (source folder)

so all files are in F4
copy to C:\NEW FOLDER(destination folder)

source and destination path will change as required e.g. if I want all files from folder D:\F1\F2\F3 or all files from folder D:\F1\F2\N3
I will change source path as required.

[Squashman]

We can put the whole path into the filenames I was just amking sure you understood the dangers of doing this on an entire Drive letter and outputting to the same drive letter.

[Lemonilla]

Code: [Select]

:: $renameWithPath.bat <source path> <destination path>

@echo off
setlocal EnableDelayedExpansion
cd %1
for %%A in (*.txt) do (
set path=%%~pA
set "path=!path:\=_!"
set path=!path:~1,10000!
copy "%%A" "%2\!path!%%~nxA" >nul && echo copied %%A to %2\!path!%%~nxA
)


[novice84]

almost there
sorry I think I made it confusing for you by putting *.txt as files need to be copied
I just put that as an example
if you look at my example I have mentioned files names same in all folders.
files could be similar in folders
File name or extension can be any.
say I want to copy files containing words "few*" or "*files"
or look at example below :

E:\Checking\Routine\Afternoon\15-04-13\copy.txt
E:\Checking\Routine\Afternoon\15-04-13\New copy.doc
E:\Checking\Routine\Afternoon\16-04-13\copy.txt
E:\Checking\Routine\Afternoon\16-04-13\old copy.doc
E:\Checking\Routine\Afternoon\17-04-13\new type\copy.txt
E:\Checking\Routine\Afternoon\17-04-13\new type\New copy.doc

So i can specify if want to copy files in E:\Checking\Routine\Afternoon folder all files containing word "new" to folder e.g. "C:\Temp"
or if I want I can copy all file *.txt or *.doc or by letters/words in file name

in this code it doesn't search sub folders and I could not specify paths as first line is for remarks
:: $renameWithPath.bat <source path> <destination path>

Sorry I don't know much about coding
so i want how to specify paths in this code
at the moment batch file is looking and running in the folder where it is located

[Lemonilla]

Just a quick reply, I'll look into subfolders in a bit. The way the script is set up, you specify the folders by running it with arguments from command prompt.

command prompt:

Code: [Select]


C:\>$a.bat "C:\test\1\2\3" "C:\test2"
copied 1.txt to "C:\test2"\test_1_2_3_1.txt
copied 2.txt to "C:\test2"\test_1_2_3_2.txt
copied 3.txt to "C:\test2"\test_1_2_3_3.txt
copied 4.txt to "C:\test2"\test_1_2_3_4.txt
copied 5.txt to "C:\test2"\test_1_2_3_5.txt
copied 6.txt to "C:\test2"\test_1_2_3_6.txt
copied 7.txt to "C:\test2"\test_1_2_3_7.txt
copied 8.txt to "C:\test2"\test_1_2_3_8.txt
copied 9.txt to "C:\test2"\test_1_2_3_9.txt


C:\>dir test2
 Volume in drive C is Acer
 Volume Serial Number is D0E0-609C

 Directory of C:\test2

06/27/2013  09:57 AM    <DIR>          .
06/27/2013  09:57 AM    <DIR>          ..
06/27/2013  09:54 AM                 3 test_1_2_3_1.txt
06/27/2013  09:54 AM                 3 test_1_2_3_2.txt
06/27/2013  09:54 AM                 3 test_1_2_3_3.txt
06/27/2013  09:54 AM                 3 test_1_2_3_4.txt
06/27/2013  09:54 AM                 3 test_1_2_3_5.txt
06/27/2013  09:54 AM                 3 test_1_2_3_6.txt
06/27/2013  09:54 AM                 3 test_1_2_3_7.txt
06/27/2013  09:54 AM                 3 test_1_2_3_8.txt
06/27/2013  09:54 AM                 3 test_1_2_3_9.txt
               9 File(s)             27 bytes
               2 Dir(s)  196,188,549,120 bytes free

C:\>

I will work on allowing for you to search by word, but you may have to edit the code every time.

EDIT:
This works for everything but searching, not sure how to do that.

Code: [Select]

:: $renameWithPath.bat <source path> <destination path> <extentions>

@echo off
setlocal EnableDelayedExpansion
cd %1
set ext=%3

for %%A in (*.!ext!) do (
set path=%%~pA
set "path=!path:\=_!"
set path=!path:~1,10000!
copy "%%A" "%2\!path!%%~nxA" >nul && echo copied %%A to %2\!path!%%~nxA
)

for /f "delims=" %%B in ('dir /b /a:d') do (
cd %%B
for %%A in (*.!ext!) do (
set path=%%~pA
set "path=!path:\=_!"
set path=!path:~1,10000!
copy "%%A" "%2\!path!%%~nxA" >nul && echo copied %%A to %2\!path!%%~nxA
)
cd ..
)


[novice84]

 nothing happening

Does it matter what we name this batch file? and where we plcae it ?

in code top line is :

:: $renameWithPath.bat <source path> <destination path> <extentions>
I am just changing top line of code like this :

:: $renameWithPath.bat "E:\Checking\Routine\Afternoon\15-04-13" "C:\test" "*.txt"

can you please tell me what am missing or making mistake ?

[Lemonilla]

Problem 1) the double :: allows for the batch file to not run the command, thus if you are simply copying and pasting, then it will not run in command line either.

Problem 2) The "$renameWithPath.bat" is the name i gave the file. You would replace this with the name you saved the code as.

Problem 3) "*.txt" should be "txt".

[novice84]

THANKS FOR REPLY
1. SO TOP LINE NO NEED TO EDIT, IT'S A REMARK
2. I GAVE FILE NAME P.BAT AND AS TOP LINE JUST FOR REMARK, SO DOESN'T MATTER IF CORRECT NAME AND TYPE LOCATIONS.
3. I PLACED P.BAT IN C:\TEST AND OPEN CMD THERE, TRIED TYPING COMMAND IN CMD AS SHOWN BELOW :
C:\TEST> P.BAT E:\FOLDER\NAME C:\TEST TXT
NOTHING HAPPENED 

[Lemonilla]

try adding quotes

Code: [Select]

p.bat "e:\folder\name" "c:\test" txt


[novice84]

Also Tried that but doesn't work
there is something wrong with path specification and ext specification
I think I can't specify it correct way

[Lemonilla]

Try adding "::" before '@echo off ' (just like in line 1)
This should be the 3rd line.

then:

Code: [Select]

p.bat "e:\folder\name" "c:\test" txt 1>p_bat_Test_Log.txt 2>&1
and post p_bat_Test_Log.txt

This will allow us to look at what is running and what is not.

[novice84]

attached 3 files generated in C:test folder and batch file was also in same folder


[recovering disk space, attachment deleted by admin]

[Lemonilla]

try changing 'copy' to 'xcopy'? I have never tried to move things between drives with batch.  It seems to be copying the logs.

[novice84]

nope still nothing working.
it look like it is looking in same folder where batch file is located and the specified paths not picking up

[Squashman]

Read the help on the CD command. I normally dont use the option that is in there that you are missing. I normally use pushd.

[Salmon Trout]

in code top line is :

:: $renameWithPath.bat <source path> <destination path> <extentions>
I am just changing top line of code like this :

:: $renameWithPath.bat "E:\Checking\Routine\Afternoon\15-04-13" "C:\test" "*.txt"

can you please tell me what am missing or making mistake ?

A line starting with a colon is a label. A line starting with two colons is a broken label, sometimes used as a comment. (This is a bad practice, better to use REM). Comments are not executed, so you can change them all you like and it won't change what the batch script does.

[foxidrive]

Rem lines are parsed by cmd - if you put < and | in a REM it will barf.

When using :: it doesn't parse the commant at all, which is why it is a useful way to add comments.

[Salmon Trout]

Rem lines are parsed by cmd - if you put < and | in a REM it will barf.

When using :: it doesn't parse the commant at all, which is why it is a useful way to add comments.

A good point, which I had overlooked. I suppose I don't like them because if a person gets in the habit of always using broken labels as comments, one day they will use it in a parenthetical block, which will also fail or barf.

[novice84]

thanks Salmon Trout & foxidrive for explaining REM & ::
@Squashman - I tried Pushd command also, but I think something need to be fixed in code.

is there any way we can get this code working ?
is it possible to copy files with path name in file name ?

thanks in advance.

[foxidrive]

This is meant to rename certain filetypes and include the path from the current folder.
It writes RENFILE.BAT which will rename the files if you run it, so you can check it first.

Code: [Select]

@echo off
echo.@echo off> renfile.bat
for /f "delims=" %%a in ('dir *.jpg *.png *.gif /b /s /a-d ') do call :next "%%a"
echo renfile.bat created
pause
goto :eof
:next
set "var=%~1"
call set "var=%%var:%cd%=%%"
set "var=%var:\=_%"
>>renfile.bat echo ren "%~1" "%var:~1%"


[novice84]

Hi Foxidrive
In another thread I appreciate you help.
but from this code it looks it is to rename files, but as mentioned I want to copy file to different location first and then rename those.
Problem is I have folders with name as different dates and files names are same
If you look at posts in this thread I have mentioned I have same file name in different folders. So I want to copy as well as rename them to different location with path in the name.
Some folders have sub folders also, so code should be able to copy files from deep tree sub folders also.
I was wondering if we can have user input of source and destination paths with SET variable like
set /p source=
and
set /p Dest= 

[foxidrive]

All you have to do is change this line

Code: [Select]

>>renfile.bat echo ren "%~1" "%var:~1%"
to this:

Code: [Select]

>>renfile.bat echo copy "%~1" "d:\new\folder\%var:~1%"
Then see if the copy commands look right before launching the renfile.bat batch file.  Make sure d:\new\folder exists first.

[novice84]

Hi Foxidrive
sorry I didn't look at first sight and replied.
thanks for that, I checked it and changed it 3 different versions as per requirement before I saw you reply.
I have a question again
As I asked for advise before is there any such kind of thing if you don't know DOS and C++ you can't leran/Understand VB very well (as my 2 friends advised)
my knowledge of DOS is very of few basic commands which I learned 15 years before in school.
I want to learn VBA to automate few task in softwares like excel and many other applications which has customisation thru VBA so we can automate our daily tasks.
what's your advise as per your experience should I spend time learning DOS and C++ or VBA we can learn without learning these.

[foxidrive]

I haven't used VBA so I can't give an informed opinion.

[Lemonilla]

another problem that I noticed was that you can't change drives with 'cd'

so change 'cd %1' to

Code: [Select]

%~d1
cd %1

this should put you in the write directory. You can add 'cd' to a third line and it will echo the current directory for you to double check if you want.

[Salmon Trout]

another problem that I noticed was that you can't change drives with 'cd'

You can use the cd command to change to a folder on another drive if you use the /d switch. I always use that switch after cd, it has no effect if the new folder is on the same drive.

you are in c:\test, you want to go to D:\pictures\holidays you do this: cd /d D:\pictures\holidays, it is the same as doing first D: and then cd pictures/holidays.

[Salmon Trout]

I always use that switch after cd, it has no effect if the new folder is on the same drive.

That means, more clearly, the /d switch does no harm if the new folder is on the same drive.

[Squashman]

another problem that I noticed was that you can't change drives with 'cd'

so change 'cd %1' to

Code: [Select]

%~d1
cd %1

this should put you in the write directory. You can add 'cd' to a third line and it will echo the current directory for you to double check if you want.

That was the point of my previous post and told you to read the help for that command. You were not using the correct syntax.

[Lemonilla]

That was the point of my previous post and told you to read the help for that command. You were not using the correct syntax.

My apologies, I missed your earlier post. Thank you for pointing it out, could come in handy.