Batch file programming is a very useful way to automate small, repetitive, tasks. The Windows Command Line Programming tutorial is a good starting place to read about the basics of batch file programming, for those who are new to creating batch files.
It is also a good idea to have a debugger handy, such as the [...]
Here is an interesting one. I found a way to take the %date% environment variable, and turn it into a valid string for a filename - without any extra programs or scripts.
For the longest time I used a little utility I created to do this. The problem with that is the utility needs to be [...]
In the example below, we first set 3 variables: drive, folder, and backupcmd. The “drive” variable defines the root directory of our backups. The “folder” takes the 2 digit day value from the current date (US date format, taking 2 digits from the date command output, starting at the 7th character), which we will use [...]
Sometimes it is useful to create folders with the date incorporated in the folder name. Here is how to set the variable folder to the current date (assuming US system date format):
set folder=%date:~10,4%_%date:~4,2%_%date:~7,2%
%backupcmd% “…source dir…” “%drive%\%folder%\…destination dir…”
It is also possible to use the current time in the folder name. The following example with incorporate both [...]
You can backup other directories by simply creating more alike lines:
%backupcmd% “…source dir…” “%drive%\…destination dir…”
For example, if you’d like to backup “C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office” to our destination “G:\Backup\MS Office” (and retain the directory structure) you’d need to add the following line to the batch file:
%backupcmd% “C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office” “%drive%\MS Office”
Here is another example, backing up [...]
Sometimes it is useful or even necessary to simply copy existing directories to another hard disk or network drive rather than using more complicated backup methods. Multiple directories can be backed up comparatively easy with a simple click by creating and running a batch file. That file can be executed manually from your desktop, can [...]
Batch file that can be run from windows scheduler to download two files from my server via ftp. I have username password address location of the file and filename.
V@echo off
> %0.ftp echo o mysite.com
>> %0.ftp echo username
>> %0.ftp echo password
>> %0.ftp echo bin
>> %0.ftp echo cd mydir
>> %0.ftp echo prompt
>> %0.ftp echo mget filename.ext
>> [...]
Using the findstr command will enable you to search for text within any plaintext file. Using this command within a batch file will allow you to search for text and create events off the results found. Below are some examples.
Basic search
In the below example this basic batch file would search through the hope.txt file for [...]
Using the goto command within a batch easily allows a user to loop or restart a batch file after it has been completed. Below are some examples of how this command can be used. This page was created with the easiest, but not necessarily recommended solution first, to the most difficult solution but recommended method [...]
In some situations you may want to run a batch file in full screen.
1. Create a shortcut to the batch file.
2. Once the shortcut has been created right-click it and select Properties.
3. Within the Properties window click the Options tab.
4. In Options select Full screen under the Display options and click Ok.
5. If the batch [...]