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batch file rename date

On Windows Server 2003
The following batch file below will rename a file called: filename.txt
to filenameDate.txt
*where date = todays date and is displayed as
MMDDYYYY (MM=Month DD = Day YYYY = year)

::BATCH FILE
@echo off
set today=%date:~4%
for %%a in ("filename.txt") do ren "%%~a" "%%~na%today:/=%%%~xa"
::END BATCH

The batch file runs daily and will always rename the file to the today's date.
I need to display the date as YYYYMMDD (year month day) instead of MMDDYYYY.
so the file will be renamed filenameYYYYMMDD.txt. Any ideas on how to do this? Thanks.

fjkaykr11

Asked: 2012-12-26

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4 Solutions

LVL 72

QlemoBatchelor, Developer and EE Topic AdvisorCommented: 2012-12-26

You will have to split the date into its parts, and then join in the proper sequence.

@echo off
REM %date% is ddd, mm/dd/yyyy
set yyyymmdd=%date:~-4%%date:~-10,2%%date:~-7,2%
for %%a in ("filename.txt") do ren "%%~a" "%%~na%yyyymmdd%%~xa"

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LVL 43

Steve KnightIT ConsultancyCommented: 2012-12-26

I can't post a link at the mo. Because on mobile but I have written an article here on how to do such things. Using %date%a variable is pretty unreliable as the date format can be all sorts of things, and at the moment your says to take 4 chars off the beginning and then change any /adding chars to -. It wont add 0's when it is 1 March say and if the date doesnt have week day at start more issues...

So personally I nearly always use a one line vbscript in the batch file. Really easy to do and 100% reliable as VBscript does dates natively.

If you click on my dragon-it link you should be able to see the article details. There are examples in there to get you any date and time format you want.

Steve

LVL 10

tdlewisCommented: 2012-12-26

Replace your "set today" statement with these:

for /f "tokens=2-4 delims=/ " %%a in ('date /T') do set year=%%c
for /f "tokens=2-4 delims=/ " %%a in ('date /T') do set month=%%a
for /f "tokens=2-4 delims=/ " %%a in ('date /T') do set day=%%b
set today=%year%%month%%day%

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LVL 3

fjkaykr11Author Commented: 2012-12-26

@qlemo. I get an error when trying to run your batch file:
error:
The following usage of the path operator in batch-parameter
substitution is invalid: %~xa"

LVL 3

fjkaykr11Author Commented: 2012-12-26

@TDLewis. Thanks for your reply. When I try your method:

@echo off
set today=for /f "tokens=2-4 delims=/ " %%a in ('date /T') do set year=%%c
for /f "tokens=2-4 delims=/ " %%a in ('date /T') do set month=%%a
for /f "tokens=2-4 delims=/ " %%a in ('date /T') do set day=%%b
set today=%year%%month%%day%
for %%a in ("filename.txt.txt") do ren "%%~a" "%%~na%today:/=%%%~xa"

The file gets renamed but not with the year. I get the following
filename1226.txt I need it to be renamed to filename20121226.txt for today's date.

LVL 10

tdlewisCommented: 2012-12-26

Execute the command "date /T" and tell me what you get as output. Also, put these four lines after "set today" and tell me what you get as output:

echo year: %year%
echo month: %month%
echo day: %day%
echo today: %today%

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LVL 3

fjkaykr11Author Commented: 2012-12-26

@tdlewis when I run the command date /T
I get:
Wed 12/26/2012

LVL 3

fjkaykr11Author Commented: 2012-12-26

@tdlewis:
When I add the four lines in to the batch file:
echo year: %year%
echo month: %month%
echo day: %day%
echo today: %today%

I get back
year:
month: 12
today: 1226

LVL 10

tdlewisCommented: 2012-12-26

I see the problem. Replace this line:
set today=for /f "tokens=2-4 delims=/ " %%a in ('date /T') do set year=%%c
with

for /f "tokens=2-4 delims=/ " %%a in ('date /T') do set year=%%c

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LVL 3

fjkaykr11Author Commented: 2012-12-26

that worked, fantastic!. Thanks.

LVL 43

Steve KnightIT ConsultancyCommented: 2012-12-26

You see my point then perhaps about why not to use date /T or %date% .... different machine, different user, language, date format (ddd dd/mm/yyyy, mm/dd/yyyy etc. And it breaks.

LVL 72

QlemoBatchelor, Developer and EE Topic AdvisorCommented: 2012-12-26

Dragon is correct about the fragile usage of %date% and date /t. In a restricted environment it works as expected, but it might not work on other machines.

My code was only missing one out of 3 percent signs:

@echo off
REM %date% is ddd, mm/dd/yyyy
set yyyymmdd=%date:~-4%%date:~-10,2%%date:~-7,2%
for %%a in ("filename.txt") do ren "%%~a" "%%~na%yyyymmdd%%%~xa"

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