Force user to enter correct file format [YYYYMMDD.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.