Retrieve date modified with batch file

[gsnidow]

Greetings all.  A couple of months ago I was able to create a batch file that writes a list of the file paths and file names of all files in a particular folder whose file name ends with a specific string (with much help from the good folks here, that is).  Now, I need to be able to also retrieve the date modified of each file, so I can determine which is the most recent.  Now, I know I could maybe just take the last file listed, but I need to use the date modified as a variable in creating another file name.  Does anyone know if this is possible?  Below is the code that I have so far.  I should note, I left the REMs in there because they are helpful to me when debugging.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you.

@ECHO OFF
SETLOCAL ENABLEDELAYEDEXPANSION
SET dt=%date:~10,4%%date:~4,2%%date:~7,2%
SET DtStr=%dt%
SET FilePath="c:\test\%DtStr%TEST_LIST.txt"
REM ECHO %DtStr% >> %FilePath%
REM ECHO %FilePath%
REM PAUSE
FOR /r "C:\Test" %%X IN (*"Test.txt") DO (
   SET var=%%X
   ECHO !var! >> %FilePath%   
   )

[Salmon Trout]

if %%X is a file name, %%~tX expands to a string (in your local format) which is the date & time the file was last written. If you run a test and copy and paste an example of the string you get, we can probably help you get a string suitable for use as a file name

I can't help wondering... what is the purpose of the second line of this code?

Code: [Select]

SET dt=%date:~10,4%%date:~4,2%%date:~7,2%
SET DtStr=%dt%

[gsnidow]

Salmon, I was just about to thank you for your help I found here: http://www.computerhope.com/forum/index.php/topic,111027.0.html.  I was able to get to where I can fiddle with trial and error by working your solution in that post into mine, as below...

REM @ECHO OFF
SETLOCAL ENABLEDELAYEDEXPANSION
SET dt=%date:~10,4%%date:~4,2%%date:~7,2%
SET DtStr=%dt%
SET FilePath="c:\test\%DtStr%TEST_LIST.txt"
REM ECHO %DtStr% >> %FilePath%
REM ECHO %FilePath%
REM PAUSE
FOR /r "C:\Test" %%X IN (*"Test.txt") DO (
   For /f "delims=" %%A IN (' cscript //nologo c:\test\vbtest.vbs "%%X" ') DO (
   SET var=%%A
   ECHO !var! >> %FilePath%
   )   
   )


As to your question about DtStr, it does not need to be there.  I was fooling around with the variables, and left it in.  I had a whole tangled mess of stuff trying to get the dates worked out that I ended up eliminating.  I can get rid of DtStr now too, I believe. 

One question, what does //nologo mean?  Also, it will probably be Monday before I can try your ~t method, but I will let you know how it comes out.  Thanks.

[Raven19528]

One question, what does //nologo mean?

From cscript /?: //Nologo   Prevent logo display: No banner will be shown at execution time

Essentially, whenever cscript runs, there is a display on the screen letting the user know that a VBScript is running:

Code: [Select]

Microsoft (R) Windows Script Host Version 5.8
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

//nologo just makes it so the script runs without that message showing.

[Salmon Trout]

I see Raven jumped in while I was busy typing and uploading screen shots to Photobucket... no matter [rolls eyes]

One question, what does //nologo mean?

Windows has two Visual Basic Script "script engines" that you can use to run scripts. They are Wscript.exe and Cscript.exe. Wscript.exe as you might guess, is Windows GUI oriented, and Cscript.exe is command line oriented.

Consider the following VBScript one-liner: (let's call it HelloWorld.vbs)

Code: [Select]

wscript.echo "Hello World"
If you run it with the Wscript engine by typing Wscript.exe HelloWorld.vbs at the prompt this is what you get:



With default settings if you run it with Cscript.exe at the prompt this is what you get:



The top 2 lines are the "logo" or "banner". If we are calling a vbscript from a batch using FOR we just want the output of the vbscript; the logo will screw things up so we can suppress it either by using the //nologo switch:

cscript //nologo HelloWorld.vbs

so all that happens is that "Hello World" gets echoed to the console. Just like "echo Hello World" in a batch

or change the default to "no logo" by typing:

cscript //nologo /S

at the prompt. This will be saved and become the default for all future sessions. You can change it back by typing

cscript //logo /S

Note that most cscript and wscript switches start with two slashes to distinguish them from switches to be passed to the script being run.

[gsnidow]

Thanks to both of you for using your good time to consider my problem.  The '~t'  modifier is what I needed, so I won't need to use any vb scripts.  If only I had seen this first...http://www.computerhope.com/forhlp.htm  Anyhow, this is the final answer, as it does exactly what I need it to do...

@ECHO OFF
SETLOCAL ENABLEDELAYEDEXPANSION
SET dt=%date:~10,4%%date:~4,2%%date:~7,2%
SET FilePath="c:\test\%dt%TEST_LIST.txt"
FOR /r "C:\Test" %%X IN (*) DO (
   SET FileName=%%~nxX
   SET ModDt=%%~tX
   ECHO !FileName!: !ModDt! >> %FilePath%   
   )

[gsnidow]

FOR /r "C:\Test" %%X IN

Ok, now I have problems again.  For /r is finding every instance of my desired file in all folders in C:\test.  For example, let's say I have c:\test and c:\test\subfolder.  If I am searching for 'test.txt' in c:\test, I only want to look in c:\test, even if 'test.txt' also exists in c:\test\subfolder.  Is there a way to not look in sub folders and directories of the target directory?  Thank you.

[kimsland]

/R Causes the command to be executed recursively through the sub-directories of an indicated parent directory

[gsnidow]

I did know about /r, but the code won't run without it, so I was wondering if there was something else I am missing.  Thanks.

[Salmon Trout]

Ok, now I have problems again.  For /r is finding every instance of my desired file in all folders in C:\test.  For example, let's say I have c:\test and c:\test\subfolder.  If I am searching for 'test.txt' in c:\test, I only want to look in c:\test, even if 'test.txt' also exists in c:\test\subfolder.  Is there a way to not look in sub folders and directories of the target directory?  Thank you.

If you wish to find a file (or files) in a single directory, then using the FOR command with the /R switch is not the way to go. The /R switch makes FOR "walk the directory tree" all the way down, directory by directory.

From your previous posts it seems like you wish to find all files in one folder (example: C:\test) whose names end with the characters "test" and which have the extension ".txt".

This FOR syntax will do that:

for %%X in (c:\test\*test.txt) do (

Don't forget to use quotes if any part of the path is liable to contain spaces:

for %%X in ("c:\test with spaces\*test.txt") do (

In fact the quotes will do no harm whether the path has spaces or not. (I always use them)

... just a small point:

I wonder why you are doing this in the loop:


   SET FileName=%%~nxX
   SET ModDt=%%~tX
   ECHO !FileName!: !ModDt! >> %FilePath%   


... when you might just as well do this:

ECHO %%~nxX: %%~tX >> %FilePath%

In other words, why copy the contents of the FOR variable into another variable when you can use it directly?

In fact you can get the whole thing on one line, assuming you don't want to do any more things in the loop:

for %%X in ("c:\test with spaces\*test.txt") do ECHO %%~nxX: %%~tX >> %FilePath%

[gsnidow]

Salmon, thank you so much for the tips.  The reason I am creating variables that seem un-necessary, is just so I can see what is going on.  Since I don't have a big need for batch files, maybe 1 or 2 per year, I usually start with every variable I think I might need, then get rid of them as I can.  I definitely like the one line approach. 

[Salmon Trout]

The reason I am creating variables that seem un-necessary, is just so I can see what is going on.  Since I don't have a big need for batch files, maybe 1 or 2 per year, I usually start with every variable I think I might need, then get rid of them as I can.

I understand; I thoroughly agree with your approach.

[Squashman]

I agree with Salmon Trout. There is no need to assign the loop variable to another variable. Because you do this you need delayed expansion. I avoid using delayed expansion whenever possible.

[Salmon Trout]

I avoid using delayed expansion whenever possible.

I don't see why; it's just a feature that is there to be used.

[Squashman]

I don't see why; it's just a feature that is there to be used.

I have the unfortunate fortune to work with clients who like to put Exclamation points into their data files!