Using More Variables
So how can we combine this batch file with
the first example we looked at, that printed off the directory listing? We
could, for instance, ask the user what folder they would like the directory
listing of, choosing from the currently available selection. Try this:
@echo off
cls
dir "c:\" > list.txt
type list.txt
echo.
echo From the list, which folder would you
like to view?
set /p view= (enter as c:\folder)
dir "%view%" > view.txt
notepad.exe view.txt
cls
del /Q view.txt
del /Q list.txt
This batch file, when saved and executed as
an Administrator (due to the UAC and the piping of protected folders) will list
the folders on your PC from the root level, then pipe them into a file called
list.txt. Then, using the type command, we can output the contents of list.txt,
and with a blank echo command we can create a blank line, followed by the text
output 'From the list...'
Next we have the set /p command we used
earlier, but this time creating a variable called %view%, which we use as the
input to pipe the dir. command into a text file (view.txt) which we open in
Notepad.
The end of the batch file cleans up the
extra files we created, and clears the screen.
When you're asking the OS to look at a protected folder, you're going to
require Administrator privileges
More Fun with Variables
This next batch file will pull together
everything we've done so far, plus add a few extras including color!
Here's the scenario, we want to search our
hard drive (the c:\ drive in this instance) for certain types of files, be they
MP3, JPG, DOC or whatever, but we want the user to be able to choose what type
of file to search for. In DOS there's a handy command called where, which will
hunt out files and display them, providing of course the correct syntax has
been used. And there's another command that will change the colors of the
output, called color (American spelling, I know).
Open up Notepad, and create a new batch
file, with the following script:
@echo off
cls
color 2
echo Please enter the type of file you want
to search for (MP3, DOC, JPG for example)
echo.
set /p ext= where /R c:\ *.%ext% >
found.txt notepad.exe found.txt
cls
color
del /Q found.txt
Skipping the bits we already know, the
first command we get to is color. The color attributes are specified by two hex
digits, the first corresponds to the background color of the Command console,
and the second to the foreground, and can be any of the following values:
0 = Black
1 = Blue
2 = Green
3 = Aqua
4 = Red
5 = Purple
6 = Yellow
7 = White
8 = Grey
9 = Light Blue
A = Light Green
B = Light Aqua
C = Light Red
D = Light Purple
E = Light Yellow
F = Bright White
In our case it will keep the background as
black, but change the text to green. Again we use the set /p command, but this
time we leave it blank, for the user to type in, but creating the variable
%ext%. The next command is the aforementioned where, and the /R switch.
Basically, the where command is the equivalent to the Unix 'which' command and
will search the default current directory, then any other directories as
specified in the Path setting of Windows. By using the /R switch we can perform
a recursive search within the C:\ drive, as we specified. The remainder of the
where command contains a wildcard, the *, then the variable of what file
extension we want to search for, %ext%, followed by piping the output into a
text file called found.txt.
Finally, we show the results of the text
file in Notepad, clear the screen, reset the color back to the default, by
issuing color without any attributes, and clean up after ourselves.
All in all, that's a fairly handy batch
file we've created, and although it may never replace the Windows search
function it's still good to know what can be accomplished via the Command
prompt and a bit of simple batch scripting.
To run the batch file, you'll have to be
Administrator again, and you can either execute it via the admin Command
prompt, or from the 'Run as...' right click menu selection from within Windows.
Type in a file extension to search for - case isn't important - and hit Enter.
Depending on the size of the drive, and how many files it finds the results
should be shown within a minute or so.
Color, variables and an output to a text file that's auto-opened in Notepad.
Cool
One Last Modification
Before we sign off for this week, let's
have a quick look at a small modification we can make to the above batch file.
Let's say you have more than one drive, C:\ and D:\, and you want to specify
which drive to search from. As most of you have probably already worked out,
just add the following extra variable to the script:
@echo off
cls
color 2
echo Please enter the type of file you want
to search for(MP3, DOC, JPG for example) echo.
set /p ext= echo.
echo And which drive do you want search within?
(C or D) set /p drive= where /R %drive%:\ *. %ext% > found.txt
notepad.exe found.txt
cls
color
del /Q found.txt
All we are doing is adding a variable
%drive% which will input the users' choice of 'C' or 'D' into the where
command.
Next Week
That's it for this week. Next week we'll
have a look at creating a basic menu, a few more variables, go to, if and else.
Windows 7 Command List
With each new version of Windows that's
released, commands come, and commands go. Within Windows 7, the current list of
commands is (courtesy of Microsoft):
ASSOC Displays or modifies file extension
associations.
ATTRIB Displays or changes file attributes.
BREAK Sets or clears extended CTRL+C checking.
BCDBOOT Used to copy critical files to the
system partition and to create a new system BCD store.
BCDEDIT sets properties in boot database to
control boot loading.
CACLS Displays or modifies access control
lists (ACLs) of files.
CALL Calls one batch program from another.
CD Displays the name of or changes the
current directory.
CHCP Displays or sets the active code page
number.
CHDIR Displays the name of or changes the
current directory.
CHKDSK Checks a disk and displays a status
report.
CHKNTFS Displays or modifies the checking
of disk at boot time.
CHOICE Batch file command that allows users
to select from a set of options.
CIPHER Displays or alters the encryption of
directories [files] on NTFS partitions.
CLIP Redirects output of another command to
the Windows clipboard.
CLS clears the screen.
CMD Starts a new instance of the Windows
command interpreter.
CMDKEY Creates lists and deletes stored
user names and passwords or credentials. COLOR Sets the default console
foreground and background colors.
COMP Compares the contents of two files or
sets of files byte-by-byte COMPACT Displays or alters the compression of files on
NTFS partitions. CONVERT Converts FAT volumes to NTFS.
You cannot convert the current drive.
COPY Copies one or more files to another
location.
DATE Displays or sets the date.
DEFRAG Disk defragmenter accessory.
DEL Deletes one or more files.
DIR displays a list of files and
subdirectories in a directory.
DISKCOMP compares the contents of two
floppy disks.
DISKCOPY Copies the contents of one floppy
disk to another.
DISKPART Displays or configures Disk
Partition properties. Separate commands to interpreter with a sub-set of
commands. DOSKEY Edits command lines, recalls Windows commands, and creates
macros.
DRIVERQUERY Displays current device driver
status and properties.
ECHO Displays messages, or turns command
echoing on or off.
ENDLOCAL Ends localization of environment
changes in a batch file. ERASE deletes one or more files.
EXIT Quits and closes the command shell.
EXPAND Expands one or more compressed files.
FC Compares two files or sets of files, and
displays the differences between them.
FIND Searches for a text string in a file
or files.
FINDSTR Searches for strings in files.
FOR Runs a specified command for each item
in a set.
FORFILES Selects files in a folder for batch
processing.
FORMAT formats a disk for use with Windows.
FSUTIL Displays or configures the file
system properties.
FTYPE Displays or modifies file types used
in file extension associations.
GOTO Directs the Windows command
interpreter to a labeled line in a batch program.
GPRESULT Displays Group Policy is
information for machine or user. GRAFTABL Enables Windows to display an
extended character set in graphics mode.
HELP Provides Help information for Windows
commands.
ICACLS Display, modify, backup, or restore
ACLs for files and directories.
IF Performs conditional processing in batch
programs.
IPCONFIG Displays all current TCP/IP
network configuration values LABEL Creates, changes, or deletes the volume
label of a disk.
MD Creates a directory.
MKDIR creates a directory.
MKLINK Creates Symbolic Links and Hard
Links
MODE configures a system device.
MORE displays output one screen at a time.
MOVE Moves one or more files from one
directory to another directory.
OPENFILES Queries, displays, or disconnects
open files or files opened by network users.
PATH Displays or sets a search path for
executable files.
PAUSE Suspends processing of a batch file
and displays a message.
POPD Restores the previous value of the
current directory saved by PUSHD.
PRINT Prints a text file.
PROMPT Changes the Windows command prompt.
PUSHD Saves the current directory then
changes it.
RD Removes a directory.
RECOVER Recovers readable information from
a bad or defective disk.
REM Designates comments (remarks) in batch
files
REN Renames a file or files.
RENAME Renames a file or files.
REPLACE Replaces files.
RMDIR removes a directory.
ROBOCOPY Advanced utility to copy files and
directory trees SET Displays, sets, or removes environment variables for
current session. SETLOCAL Begins localization of environment changes in a batch
file.
SETX set environment variables.
SC Displays or configures services
(background processes).
SCHTASKS Schedules commands and programs to
run on a computer.
SHIFT Shifts the position of replaceable
parameters in batch files.
SHUTDOWN Allows proper local or remote
shutdown of machine.
SORT Sorts input.
START starts a separate window to run a
specified program or command.
SUBST Associates a path with a drive
letter.
SYSTEMINFO Displays machine specific
properties and configuration.
TAKEOWN allows an administrator to take
ownership of a file.
TASKLIST Displays all currently running
tasks including services.
TASKKILL Kill or stop a running process or
application.
TIME Displays or sets the system time.
TIMEOUT pauses the command processor for the specified number of seconds.
TITLE sets the window title for a CMD. EXE
session.
TREE graphically displays the directory
structure of a drive or path.
TYPE displays the contents of a text file.
VER Displays the Windows version.
VERIFY Tells Windows whether to verify that
your files are written correctly to a disk.
VOL displays a disk volume label and serial
number.
VSSADMIN Volume Shadow Copy Service
administration tool
WHERE display the location of files that
match a search pattern.
