Question

MS-DOS BAT file syntax

Asked by: mbroad02

I have a BAT file process which has been used for several years by clients on their PCs without errors.  The BAt files were used for taking a transaction file (called abstract file), renaming it, backing it up (to a shared network drive) and then FTPing it to a remote location.

Our installation is currently converting to a Citrix environment and I find that the process now receives errors, even when I change the BAT files to point to the shared drives.  Usually the errors is invalid number of parameters.  
Instead of attatching all of my BAT files to this question (and probably confusing you further) I have placed the statements in question in a DOC and explained each within.

I think you may detect a pattern: I need to know if syntax to execute each command is correct.

If you could give me assistance in solving these syntax errors, I would greatly appreciate this.
thanks

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Asked On
2009-11-02 at 07:44:30ID24863933
Tags

MS-DOS BAT files

Topics

MS DOS

,

Windows Batch Scripting

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Answers

 

by: knightEknightPosted on 2009-11-02 at 07:55:06ID: 25720490

The only thing I see that looks out of bounds is the use of single-quotes instead of double-quotes in the XCOPY command.  Change the single-quotes around the parameters to double-quotes.

However, I don't think this alone will resolve all the issues you are seeing.

 

by: CarlWebsterPosted on 2009-11-02 at 07:57:27ID: 25720513

What version of Windows is involved on the servers?

 

by: mbroad02Posted on 2009-11-02 at 08:29:06ID: 25720814

I am attempting to find out the Windows version.
The single versus double quote issue seemed to help.
The biggest hangup appears to be that a majority of my BAT files and data files are found at G:\Abstract Transfer Scripts, so I seem to have to prefix EVERYTHING with this for DOS to find it.  That seems to be the biggest problem with syntax.

 

by: mbroad02Posted on 2009-11-02 at 08:39:01ID: 25720910

QUESTION: When I am calling/executing a module and need to place the path in front of it
I.E. CALL 'G:\Abstract Transfer Scripts\RENAME.BAT'

How do I write this?      

'G:\Abstract Transfer Scripts\RENAME.BAT'     ?

    or perhaps

'G:\Abstract Transfer Scripts\'  RENAME.BAT'   ?

 

by: mbroad02Posted on 2009-11-02 at 08:42:15ID: 25720958

Windows version for Citrix is Server 2003 R2  

 

by: QlemoPosted on 2009-11-02 at 09:09:39ID: 25721238

Usually, you just change to the appropriate folder once, and then apply your commands. Most reliable way:

pushd %~dp0
call mybatch.bat
do whatever
del mylogs.log
popd

The first line will change drive and folder to the one provided with the batch file (%0 is the batch file itself, %~dp0 is "drive, path of %0").
Pushd stores the actual working directory, and popd restores that. As a result, the folder you were in before is the same after execution.

 

by: mbroad02Posted on 2009-11-02 at 09:11:45ID: 25721255

Hmm  ok--I will give that a try...easier than having to code paths all over the place...I am guessing that it is something like the old "CD" command
Thanks

 

by: QlemoPosted on 2009-11-02 at 09:14:16ID: 25721283

The old CD command does exist also, and has an extended feature:

cd /d d:\mypath
changes the drive (!) and path. But you can't reverse it again, changing to the previous drive and/or path.

 

by: mbroad02Posted on 2009-11-02 at 09:36:43ID: 25721508

That seems to make it run much more smoothly and then I only have to put in the working path in one place.
I do have a question (which is getting a syntax erro--possibly related to the pushd?):

The following command renames a file in a different (NOT the pushd) directory to append the date-time.

RENAME "G:\Abstract Transfer Scripts\TESTING\110209\COPY LOCATION\" CC-ABSTRACT  "G:\Abstract Transfer Scripts\TESTING\110209\COPY LOCATION\CC-ABSTRACT_%YYYYMMDD%%HHMM%"


It is getting a "the syntax of the command is incorrect" error.

Any thoughts?
Thanks

 

by: QlemoPosted on 2009-11-02 at 10:05:34ID: 25721818

  1. The second argument may not contain a path. Only the filename can be provided 
  2. The name of the file to rename has to be supplied together with the path, as a single argument 
  3. %YYYYMMDD% and %HHMM% are defined already, I suppose? You have to do that yourself. 
REN "G:\Abstract Transfer Scripts\TESTING\110209\COPY LOCATION\CC-ABSTRACT" "CC-ABSTRACT_%YYYYMMDD%%HHMM%"

 

by: mbroad02Posted on 2009-11-02 at 11:12:06ID: 25722578

Ok, I follow the syntax you are stating.  However, how do I do the following (without a bunch of "CDs"):

rename [file in Directory A} to {file with time-date suffix into a different directory}?

EXAMPLE:

(This is being run from "G:\Abstract Transfer Scripts\TESTING\110209\" which will be my "pushd" directory)

RENAME "G:\Abstract Transfer Scripts\TESTING\110209\COPY LOCATION\CC-ABSTRACT"  "G:\Abstract Transfer Scripts\TESTING\110209\COPY

????

 

by: mbroad02Posted on 2009-11-02 at 11:35:39ID: 25722827

Here are the answers to your questions above:

1-ok.  I will remove the path and copy after the rename
2-ok
3-Yes, I have the rename working already

Thanks

 

by: QlemoPosted on 2009-11-02 at 13:04:50ID: 25723714

For single files you can use MOVE instead of REN[ame], which allows for both filename and folder to be changed in one go:


MOVE "G:\Abstract Transfer Scripts\TESTING\110209\COPY LOCATION\CC-ABSTRACT"  "G:\Abstract Transfer Scripts\TESTING\110209\COPY\CC-ABSTRACT_%YYYYMMDD%%HHMM%"

 

by: mbroad02Posted on 2009-11-03 at 12:40:52ID: 31648885

Excellent help!  I know the basics but the shortcuts you offered really helped a lot!
Thanks

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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