asked on 3/5/2007

Directory detection in CMD batch processing

Using cmd batch processing under XP, is it possible to determine if a passed parameter is a directory

effectively:
if (%1 == <a directory>) goto part2
rem process non directory
goto end

:part2
rem directory processing

:end

Windows Batch Microsoft DOS

Last Comment

sheepfarmer

3/5/2007

SteveGTR

3/5/2007

Try this:

@echo off

setlocal

if not exist "%~1" echo %1 does not exist&goto :EOF

for /f %%a in ('dir /b /ad "%~1"') do goto :DIRFOUND

echo This is not a directory
goto :EOF

:DIRFOUND

echo This is a directory

Good Luck,
Steve

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

SteveGTR

3/5/2007

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sheepfarmer

3/5/2007

ASKER

Yes, I was just about to ask about the File not found from the for... line.

Thanks alot

SF.

sheepfarmer

3/5/2007

ASKER

Just found a little bug.
If the directory specified does not contain any other directories, the dir /b /ad does not return anything and the call to DIRFOUND does not happen (rightly so).

Any ideas? What does the /f bring to the party?

SF.

SteveGTR

3/5/2007

Good catch. Here's another version that appears to work a little better:

@echo off

setlocal

if "%~1"=="" echo usage: %0 dirName&goto :EOF
if not exist "%~1" echo %1 does not exist&goto :EOF

set dirName=%~1
if not "%dirName:~-1%"=="\" set dirName=%dirName%\

if exist "%dirName%" goto :DIRFOUND

echo %~1 is not a directory
goto :EOF

:DIRFOUND

echo %~1 is a directory

sheepfarmer

3/5/2007

ASKER

Cool - thanks dude - I remembered why I used to hated DOS batch programming :)

SF

SteveGTR

3/5/2007

It certainly is much improved from those days :)

sheepfarmer

3/5/2007

ASKER

I'm afraid I do all my tricky batch processing in linux scripts these days. Its what your used to I guess.