Force user to enter correct file format [YYYYMMDD.txt]

[newuserlh]

Hi all

Thanks for all your help so far.
I am looking to force user to re-enter the yyyymmdd.txt file if  input is wrong:

Set objFS=CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")

WScript.Echo "Enter log file date (YYYYMMDD.txt):"
   Do While Not WScript.StdIn.AtEndOfLine
      strFile = strFile & WScript.StdIn.Read(1)
   Loop
s = Split(strFile,".")
yr = Mid(s(0),1,4)
mth = Mid(s(0),5,2)
dy = Mid(s(0),7,2)

If  (IsDate(yr&"/"&mth&"/"&dy) <> 0) AND s(UBound(s)) = "txt" Then
   WScript.Echo "Valid date and file extension"
   WScript.Echo yr&"/"&mth&"/"&dy&".txt"

   

Else
   WScript.Echo "Invalid date and/or file extension"     
    WScript.Echo "Enter log file date (YYYYMMDD.txt):"
   Do While Not WScript.StdIn.AtEndOfLine
      strFile = strFile & WScript.StdIn.Read(1)
   Loop

End if

Is it a Do until loop? I'm not sure how to go about this one. I haven't programmed in this for a while!
Also, when I want to pass this variable out to another batch program, is it just something like:
wshshell.run "C:\test.bat " yr&"/"&mth&"/"&dy&".txt"  ??

Thanks,
Laura

[Salmon Trout]

Code: [Select]

Do While Valid=False
        Wscript.StdOut.Write "Filename (YYYYMMDD.txt) ? "
        strFile = Wscript.StdIn.ReadLine
        s = Split(strFile,".")
        yr = Mid(s(0),1,4)
        mth = Mid(s(0),5,2)
        dy = Mid(s(0),7,2)
        If  (IsDate(yr&"/"&mth&"/"&dy) <> 0) AND s(UBound(s)) = "txt" Then
                Valid=True
        Else
                Wscript.Echo "Incorrect input data"
        End If 
Loop
Wscript.Echo yr&mth&dy&".txt"

   

I prefer to use

wscript.StdOut.Write "Prompt"
answer=Wscript.StdIn.ReadLine

because then the user can type the answer on the same line as the question

Note that you cannot have a filenames with slashes so I removed them.

You can use FOR with single quotes like this to get the console output of the vbs (or any command or program) into a batch variable

for /f "delims=" %%A in ( ' cscript //nologo scriptname.vbs ' ) do set inputfilename=%%A

[Geek-9pm]

If you Google:
how to validate a date
You will find there a re java scripts that do this.
But, if you want it it batch...
there are experts here who will help you.
Just wait a bit. They took the weekend off.

[newuserlh]

Hi Salmon trout,

Thanks for your useful response.
I have tried your code and I'm getting an error back on one of the lines of code saying: Dates .vbs (7,1) ms runtime error:Subscript out of range [number:0]'
Would this have anything to do with removing the "/" ?

Also, for:
for /f "delims=" %%A in ( ' cscript //nologo scriptname.vbs ' ) do set inputfilename=%%A
I have set the variable to "variable" in my batch program.
So Am I passing Wscript.Echo yr&mth&dy&".txt" here?

[Salmon Trout]

valdate.vbs

Code: [Select]

Strfile=Wscript.arguments(0)
s = Split(strFile,".")
yr = Mid(s(0),1,4)
mth = Mid(s(0),5,2)
dy = Mid(s(0),7,2)
If  (IsDate(yr&"/"&mth&"/"&dy) <> 0) AND s(UBound(s)) = "txt" Then
    Outstring="correct"
Else
    Outstring="incorrect"
End If 
Wscript.Echo  Outstring

batch code

Code: [Select]

@echo off
:getname
set /p inputfilename="Please input filename (YYYYMMDD.txt) ?"
for /f "delims=" %%A in ( ' cscript //nologo valdate.vbs "%inputfilename%" ' ) do set result=%%A
echo Filename format %result%
if not "%result%"=="correct" goto getname
REM code to run if filename is valid format goes here


[Salmon Trout]

I do not understand why you ask the user to input the .txt extension and then go to the trouble of validating it. I think it is adding unnecessary complication and inviting avoidable errors, as well as being sloppy programming, to ask the user for something which you know already. Why not just ask for the YYYYMMDD part, validate that, and then add the .txt part yourself?

In fact you can make the batch write the vbs as well

Code: [Select]

@echo off
Echo Outstring="incorrect">dval.vbs
Echo StrDate=Wscript.arguments(0)>>dval.vbs
Echo y = Mid(StrDate,1,4)>>dval.vbs
Echo m = Mid(StrDate,5,2)>>dval.vbs
Echo d = Mid(StrDate,7,2)>>dval.vbs
Echo If (IsDate(y^&"/"^&m^&"/"^&d) ^<^> 0) Then Outstring="correct">>dval.vbs
Echo Wscript.Echo  Outstring>>dval.vbs

:loop
Set /p UserInputDate="Date in format YYYYMMDD ? "
For /f "delims=" %%A in ( 'dval.vbs "%UserInputDate%"' ) do set result=%%A
del dval.vbs
Echo Date format %result%
If /i not "%result%"=="correct" goto loop
Rem code to run if filename is valid format goes here
Set filename=%UserInputDate%.txt


[gh0std0g74]

In fact you can make the batch write the vbs as well

i don't understand why anyone would want to write this way. Its ugly and not easy to maintain. And do you need to create the script on the fly each time ? Just $0.02

[Salmon Trout]

i don't understand why anyone would want to write this way. Its ugly and not easy to maintain. And do you need to create the script on the fly each time ? Just $0.02

I agree, it is ugly and I don't generally do things this way myself, but there are people around seem to prefer that way of doing this sort of job, who see a vbscript as a kind of black box which extends batch capabilities.

[newuserlh]

Hi guys,
I understand what you mean about this. To be honest, this is a script that may be run on a ad-hoc basis, and will not require to be automated at all.
The is parsing through a daily security log (20090930.txt for example), and I'm looking to get various meaningful reports out of them.. e.g Log on, log off information, special priviledges etc.
I never even knew you could write in vbs with batch until now, so I guess I got a little carried away with it.

You're great on this forum, thanks alot for your help.
Laura

[gh0std0g74]

Hi guys,
I understand what you mean about this. To be honest, this is a script that may be run on a ad-hoc basis, and will not require to be automated at all.
The is parsing through a daily security log (20090930.txt for example), and I'm looking to get various meaningful reports out of them.. e.g Log on, log off information, special priviledges etc.
I never even knew you could write in vbs with batch until now, so I guess I got a little carried away with it.

You're great on this forum, thanks alot for your help.
Laura

if you are going to be parsing a lot, then please do go and learn vbscript. It will make your parsing job easier. You can ditch batch for parsing tasks. Even better, if you have the privilege to do this, learn a better programming language, eg Perl/Python. they are good tools for sysadmin tasks...

[Geek-9pm]

i don't understand why anyone would want to write this way. Its ugly and not easy to maintain. And do you need to create the script on the fly each time ? Just $0.02

Because people like me can understand it. It is all in one place, no need to maintain two or more separate files. MS-DOS does not have an effective way to tie files together as pairs or triplets. So you need to put it all into one file.
I hate it when a process has a bunch of files that are not bound together as a package.

[gh0std0g74]

Because people like me can understand it. It is all in one place, no need to maintain two or more separate files.

Not logical. If you want to talk about all in one place, why not all do in one language. Its cleaner and easier to troubleshoot/debug. Also, there are special steps you need to take in order to do hybrids of batch and vbs. Eg, taking care of escaping special characters used in vbscript. This makes your code even uglier. Putting batch and vbs together like that is cause for future trouble.

MS-DOS does not have an effective way to tie files together as pairs or triplets. So you need to put it all into one file.
I hate it when a process has a bunch of files that are not bound together as a package.

that's why there's a thing called "a better language"

[BC_Programmer]

besides; even writing a VBS with batch, your still maintaining two files anyway; you just have to deduce for yourself what parts of the batch are really batch and which aren't.

[newuserlh]

I do not understand why you ask the user to input the .txt extension and then go to the trouble of validating it. I think it is adding unnecessary complication and inviting avoidable errors, as well as being sloppy programming, to ask the user for something which you know already. Why not just ask for the YYYYMMDD part, validate that, and then add the .txt part yourself?

In fact you can make the batch write the vbs as well

Code: [Select]

@echo off
Echo Outstring="incorrect">dval.vbs
Echo StrDate=Wscript.arguments(0)>>dval.vbs
Echo y = Mid(StrDate,1,4)>>dval.vbs
Echo m = Mid(StrDate,5,2)>>dval.vbs
Echo d = Mid(StrDate,7,2)>>dval.vbs
Echo If (IsDate(y^&"/"^&m^&"/"^&d) ^<^> 0) Then Outstring="correct">>dval.vbs
Echo Wscript.Echo  Outstring>>dval.vbs

:loop
Set /p UserInputDate="Date in format YYYYMMDD ? "
For /f "delims=" %%A in ( 'dval.vbs "%UserInputDate%"' ) do set result=%%A
del dval.vbs
Echo Date format %result%
If /i not "%result%"=="correct" goto loop
Rem code to run if filename is valid format goes here
Set filename=%UserInputDate%.txt


Hi there, Just on the 'Echo Date format %result%' line, it doesn't get printed on the screen for some reason, making the validation not correctly work.  The %result% does not get displayed on the screen for some reason.
Is there some reason for this?

[Salmon Trout]

Fixed an error which may or may not cause your problem - please try

Code: [Select]

@echo off
Echo Outstring="incorrect">dval.vbs
Echo StrDate=Wscript.arguments(0)>>dval.vbs
Echo y = Mid(StrDate,1,4)>>dval.vbs
Echo m = Mid(StrDate,5,2)>>dval.vbs
Echo d = Mid(StrDate,7,2)>>dval.vbs
Echo If (IsDate(y^&"/"^&m^&"/"^&d) ^<^> 0) Then Outstring="correct">>dval.vbs
Echo Wscript.Echo  Outstring>>dval.vbs

:loop
Set /p UserInputDate="Date in format YYYYMMDD ? "
For /f "delims=" %%A in ( 'dval.vbs "%UserInputDate%"' ) do set result=%%A
Echo Date format %result%
If /i not "%result%"=="correct" goto loop
del dval.vbs
Rem code to run if filename is valid format goes here
Set filename=%UserInputDate%.txt

[newuserlh]

I dont think so. It's not printing the %result% and keeps going back to '
set /p variable="Please input filename (YYYYMMDD.txt) ?"' because "%result%" has an empty value.

[Salmon Trout]

Are you using the code inside a larger batch file, possibly in a loop?

[newuserlh]

No its not in a loop at all. I've tried it by itself also, and the same happens, I can't get the result variable to display.

Here is the whole of my code below:
@echo off

:BEGIN
SET /p variable2=[Enter directory that Security Log reports are stored in] (e.g C:\seclogs):

IF EXIST "%variable2%" echo This Directory has been Found.
IF EXIST "%variable2%" GOTO FileBegin

IF NOT EXIST "%variable2%" echo You are required to re-enter a directory name that exists:
IF NOT EXIST "%variable2%" goto Begin
:BEGINEND

:FileBegin

Echo Outstring="incorrect">dval.vbs
Echo StrDate=Wscript.arguments(0)>>dval.vbs
Echo y = Mid(StrDate,1,4)>>dval.vbs
Echo m = Mid(StrDate,5,2)>>dval.vbs
Echo d = Mid(StrDate,7,2)>>dval.vbs
Echo If (IsDate(y^&"/"^&m^&"/"^&d) ^<^> 0) Then Outstring="correct">>dval.vbs
Echo Wscript.Echo  Outstring>>dval.vbs

:loop

set /p variable="Please input filename (YYYYMMDD.txt) ?"
pause
For /f "delims=" %%A in ( 'dval.vbs "%variable%"' ) do set result=%%A
pause
Echo Date format %result%
pause
If /i not "%result%"=="correct" goto loop
del c:\dval.vbs

Set variable="%variable3%".txt
IF EXIST "%variable2%\%variable%" echo This file has been Found.
IF EXIST "%variable2%\%variable%" GOTO START

IF NOT EXIST "%variable2%\%variable%" echo You are required to re-enter a file name that exists:
IF NOT EXIST "%variable2%\%variable%" goto loop

:start

ECHO.
ECHO 1. Generate Report for list of user logoffs
ECHO 2. Generate Report for list of network logons
ECHO 3. Generate Report for list of users who logged in and logged out
ECHO 4. Generate Report for Special permissions assigned to new logon

:choice
set choice=
set /p choice=Type the number to print text:
if not '%choice%'=='' set choice=%choice:~0,1%
if '%choice%'=='1' goto loggedout
if '%choice%'=='2' goto networklogon
if '%choice%'=='3' goto nwlogin_loggedout_users
if '%choice%'=='4' goto specialprivs

ECHO "%choice%" is not valid please try again
ECHO.
goto choice

:loggedout
echo Please wait while the report gets created..
find /n ",538," %variable2%\%variable% > %variable2%\userlogout_%Variable%
SET /p dummy=%variable2%\userlogout_%variable% file has now been generated.. Press return to exit
echo Goodbye.
goto end1

:networklogon
echo Please wait while the report gets created..
findstr /n ",540," %variable2%\%variable% > %variable2%\networklogon_%Variable%
echo %variable2%\networklogon_%variable% has been generated.
pause
goto end1

:nwlogin_loggedout_users
echo Please wait while the report gets created..
mkdir "%variable2%\tmp"
find /n ",540," %variable2%\%variable% > %variable2%\tmp\logonlogout_%Variable%.tmp
find /n ",538," %variable2%\tmp\logonlogout_%Variable%.tmp > %variable2%\logonlogout_%Variable%
del /f %variable2%\tmp\logonlogout_%Variable%.tmp
echo C:\logonlogout_%variable% has been generated.
pause
goto end1

:specialprivs
echo Please wait while the report gets created..
find /n ",576," %variable2%\%variable% > %variable2%\specialprivs_%Variable%
echo %variable2%\specialprivs_%variable% has been generated.
pause
goto end1
:end1

[Salmon Trout]

@echo off

I ran your code & it showed me the %result% variable. I had to press a key twice though.

Take the 2 red pause statements out

:BEGIN
SET /p variable2=[Enter directory that Security Log reports are stored in] (e.g C:\seclogs):

IF EXIST "%variable2%" echo This Directory has been Found.
IF EXIST "%variable2%" GOTO FileBegin

IF NOT EXIST "%variable2%" echo You are required to re-enter a directory name that exists:
IF NOT EXIST "%variable2%" goto Begin
:BEGINEND

:FileBegin

Echo Outstring="incorrect">dval.vbs
Echo StrDate=Wscript.arguments(0)>>dval.vbs
Echo y = Mid(StrDate,1,4)>>dval.vbs
Echo m = Mid(StrDate,5,2)>>dval.vbs
Echo d = Mid(StrDate,7,2)>>dval.vbs
Echo If (IsDate(y^&"/"^&m^&"/"^&d) ^<^> 0) Then Outstring="correct">>dval.vbs
Echo Wscript.Echo  Outstring>>dval.vbs

:loop

set /p variable="Please input filename (YYYYMMDD.txt) ?"
pause
For /f "delims=" %%A in ( 'dval.vbs "%variable%"' ) do set result=%%A
pause
Echo Date format %result%
pause
If /i not "%result%"=="correct" goto loop
del c:\dval.vbs

Set variable="%variable3%".txt
IF EXIST "%variable2%\%variable%" echo This file has been Found.
IF EXIST "%variable2%\%variable%" GOTO START

IF NOT EXIST "%variable2%\%variable%" echo You are required to re-enter a file name that exists:
IF NOT EXIST "%variable2%\%variable%" goto loop

:start

ECHO.
ECHO 1. Generate Report for list of user logoffs
ECHO 2. Generate Report for list of network logons
ECHO 3. Generate Report for list of users who logged in and logged out
ECHO 4. Generate Report for Special permissions assigned to new logon

:choice
set choice=
set /p choice=Type the number to print text:
if not '%choice%'=='' set choice=%choice:~0,1%
if '%choice%'=='1' goto loggedout
if '%choice%'=='2' goto networklogon
if '%choice%'=='3' goto nwlogin_loggedout_users
if '%choice%'=='4' goto specialprivs

ECHO "%choice%" is not valid please try again
ECHO.
goto choice

:loggedout
echo Please wait while the report gets created..
find /n ",538," %variable2%\%variable% > %variable2%\userlogout_%Variable%
SET /p dummy=%variable2%\userlogout_%variable% file has now been generated.. Press return to exit
echo Goodbye.
goto end1

:networklogon
echo Please wait while the report gets created..
findstr /n ",540," %variable2%\%variable% > %variable2%\networklogon_%Variable%
echo %variable2%\networklogon_%variable% has been generated.
pause
goto end1

:nwlogin_loggedout_users
echo Please wait while the report gets created..
mkdir "%variable2%\tmp"
find /n ",540," %variable2%\%variable% > %variable2%\tmp\logonlogout_%Variable%.tmp
find /n ",538," %variable2%\tmp\logonlogout_%Variable%.tmp > %variable2%\logonlogout_%Variable%
del /f %variable2%\tmp\logonlogout_%Variable%.tmp
echo C:\logonlogout_%variable% has been generated.
pause
goto end1

:specialprivs
echo Please wait while the report gets created..
find /n ",576," %variable2%\%variable% > %variable2%\specialprivs_%Variable%
echo %variable2%\specialprivs_%variable% has been generated.
pause
goto end1
:end1

[newuserlh]

Still not working on my end for some reason 
Cannot get the variable to show at all 

[Salmon Trout]

Code: [Select]

Set variable="%variable3%".txt
What does this line do?

[Salmon Trout]

Code: [Select]

@echo off

:BEGIN
SET /p variable2=[Enter directory that Security Log reports are stored in] (e.g C:\seclogs):

IF EXIST "%variable2%" echo This Directory has been Found.
IF EXIST "%variable2%" GOTO FileBegin

IF NOT EXIST "%variable2%" echo You are required to re-enter a directory name that exists:
IF NOT EXIST "%variable2%" goto Begin
:BEGINEND

:FileBegin

Echo Outstring="incorrect">dval.vbs
Echo StrDate=Wscript.arguments(0)>>dval.vbs
Echo y = Mid(StrDate,1,4)>>dval.vbs
Echo m = Mid(StrDate,5,2)>>dval.vbs
Echo d = Mid(StrDate,7,2)>>dval.vbs
Echo If (IsDate(y^&"/"^&m^&"/"^&d) ^<^> 0) Then Outstring="correct">>dval.vbs
Echo Wscript.Echo  Outstring>>dval.vbs

:loop

set /p variable="Please input filename (YYYYMMDD.txt) ?"
For /f "delims=" %%A in ( 'dval.vbs "%variable%"' ) do set result=%%A
Echo Date format %result%
If /i not "%result%"=="correct" goto loop

IF EXIST "%variable2%\%variable%" (
    echo This file has been Found
    goto start
    )
   

echo File "%variable2%\%variable%" not found
echo You are required to re-enter a file name that exists:
goto loop

:start

ECHO.
ECHO 1. Generate Report for list of user logoffs
ECHO 2. Generate Report for list of network logons
ECHO 3. Generate Report for list of users who logged in and logged out
ECHO 4. Generate Report for Special permissions assigned to new logon

:choice
set choice=
set /p choice=Type the number to print text:
if not '%choice%'=='' set choice=%choice:~0,1%
if '%choice%'=='1' goto loggedout
if '%choice%'=='2' goto networklogon
if '%choice%'=='3' goto nwlogin_loggedout_users
if '%choice%'=='4' goto specialprivs

ECHO "%choice%" is not valid please try again
ECHO.
goto choice

:loggedout
echo Please wait while the report gets created..
find /n ",538," %variable2%\%variable% > %variable2%\userlogout_%Variable%
SET /p dummy=%variable2%\userlogout_%variable% file has now been generated.. Press return to exit
echo Goodbye.
goto end1

:networklogon
echo Please wait while the report gets created..
findstr /n ",540," %variable2%\%variable% > %variable2%\networklogon_%Variable%
echo %variable2%\networklogon_%variable% has been generated.
pause
goto end1

:nwlogin_loggedout_users
echo Please wait while the report gets created..
mkdir "%variable2%\tmp"
find /n ",540," %variable2%\%variable% > %variable2%\tmp\logonlogout_%Variable%.tmp
find /n ",538," %variable2%\tmp\logonlogout_%Variable%.tmp > %variable2%\logonlogout_%Variable%
del /f %variable2%\tmp\logonlogout_%Variable%.tmp
echo C:\logonlogout_%variable% has been generated.
pause
goto end1

:specialprivs
echo Please wait while the report gets created..
find /n ",576," %variable2%\%variable% > %variable2%\specialprivs_%Variable%
echo %variable2%\specialprivs_%variable% has been generated.
pause
goto end1
:end1

[newuserlh]

Ah I'm still confused. I'm not sure why the variable is still not displaying.
Thanks for your help.

[Salmon Trout]

Code: [Select]

[Enter directory that Security Log reports are stored in] (e.g C:\seclogs):s:\test
This Directory has been Found.
Please input filename (YYYYMMDD.txt) ?20091130.txt
Date format correct
This file has been Found

1. Generate Report for list of user logoffs
2. Generate Report for list of network logons
3. Generate Report for list of users who logged in and logged out
4. Generate Report for Special permissions assigned to new logon
Type the number to print text:



[newuserlh]

Alright, I've got it working apart from an error on this line:
for /f "delims=" %%A in ( 'cscript c:\dval.vbs "%variable%"' ) do set result=%%A

It says that 'The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect'.

Any ideas?

[Salmon Trout]

The vbs script is not being found. The batch is writing it to dval.vbs i.e. in the current directory (the same directory that the batch is in) but you have coded the calling line to look for c:\dval.vbs

EITHER: change all these dval.vbs to c:\dval.vbs

Code: [Select]

Echo Outstring="incorrect">dval.vbs
Echo StrDate=Wscript.arguments(0)>>dval.vbs
Echo y = Mid(StrDate,1,4)>>dval.vbs
Echo m = Mid(StrDate,5,2)>>dval.vbs
Echo d = Mid(StrDate,7,2)>>dval.vbs
Echo If (IsDate(y^&"/"^&m^&"/"^&d) ^<^> 0) Then Outstring="correct">>dval.vbs
Echo Wscript.Echo  Outstring>>dval.vbs
OR: change c:\dval.vbs to dval.vbs

Code: [Select]

for /f "delims=" %%A in ( 'cscript c:\dval.vbs "%variable%"' ) do set result=%%A

[newuserlh]

Hi ya,
Thanks for all the information.
I got it working anyway and it seems to be fine now. I disregarded the cb script popup boxes that displayed "incorrect" and "correct" and printed it out within the batch program.

I may have to do more complex things with these reports, like strip off certain information from the actual log text files.
Is Perl the best to generate these kind of reports?
Thanks,
Laura

[Salmon Trout]

I disregarded the cb script popup boxes that displayed "incorrect" and "correct" and printed it out within the batch program.

That is a clue that you are running the script with wscript.exe and not cscript.exe which explains the lack of output you were experiencing.

You are using the command

cscript.exe //nologo before the vbs script name?

[newuserlh]

Yeah it's running cscript now.  I had issues with the output there and changed the delim line.
It's sorted out now thankfully.