'IF EXIST' in a .bat script to test for an empty directory

Boskop asked

on 2006-06-13

Windows XP

5 Comments

1 Solution

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Last Modified: 2008-01-09

I would like to test if an directory is empty, using a simple batch script.
I wrote the following line:

if not exist "%ProgramFiles%\Epos9300\nul" echo Path does not exist

My Problem is:
I want to run this batch file in Windows XP operating systems with different languages.
For example in the English windows version the system variable %ProgramFiles% includes a white space. (...\Program Files\...)

Therefore I must put the whole path into double quotas.
But with double quotas the 'exist' command does not recognize an empty directory anymore.

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mkdonohue

Commented: 2006-06-13

This one is on us!

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smilingpolitely

Commented: 2006-06-13

Alternatively, use the valid shortname for %ProgramFiles% - e.g. C:\Progra~1\

Boskop

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Commented: 2006-06-14

mkdonohue, it's a good idea. Maybe there is one other suggestion to do it without changing the current path.

smilingpolitely, with your solution it is not sure that this is the real path name. Maybe it's C:\Progra~2\ or C:\Whewhe~1\ in another language like suaheli.

'IF EXIST' in a .bat script to test for an empty directory

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