NEED HELP writing a batch file for the following task:

This is a debugging version with lots of messages and progress updates...

[pre]
@echo off
REM place this batch file in the top folder
REM and run it from there

REM remember where we are
set topfolder=%CD%

if exist "%topfolder%\subdirlist.txt" del "%topfolder%\subdirlist.txt" > nul
if exist "%topfolder%\rardirlist.txt" del "%topfolder%\rardirlist.txt" > nul
echo.
echo (1) creating list of all sub folders...
echo.

REM get a list of all the subfolders
REM under this one and put it in a temp file
dir /b /s /ad > "%topfolder%\subdirlist.txt"

echo all sub folders...
echo.
type "%topfolder%\subdirlist.txt"
echo.
pause
echo.
echo (2) finding folders with rars in them
echo.

REM in a loop check each one for rar files
REM write folder name to another list if any found
for /F "delims==" %%a in ('type "%topfolder%\subdirlist.txt"') do (
cd %%a
if exist *.rar echo %%a >> "%topfolder%\rardirlist.txt"
)

echo all sub folders with Rars in...
echo.
type "%topfolder%\rardirlist.txt"
echo.
pause
echo.
echo (3) extracting from Rar archives
echo.
echo ready to start...
echo.
pause
echo.
REM for each folder that contains RARs
REM enter folder and extract
for /F "delims==" %%a in ('type "%topfolder%\rardirlist.txt"') do (
echo.
echo expanding rars in %%a
echo.

cd %%a
"c:\program files\winrar\rar.exe" e *.rar
)

REM clean up
rem del "%topfolder%\subdirlist.txt" > nul
rem del "%topfolder%\rardirlist.txt" > nul

REM go back to where we were
cd %topfolder%
echo.
echo (4) Finished
echo.
pause
echo.

[/pre]

 

I'm working through it. Almost works I think... going to have to take a break for lunch tho! Thanks so much for the help. I'll write you again when I solve it or if I get stuck.

Just a couple (simple) questions so that I can understand the code and make it work:
1. "for /F" means for all folders in the current directory?
2. "dir /b /s /ad" : in this statement I believe "/s" means include all subfolders, however I don't understand "/b" and "/ad".

Finally, the part of the code that has the problem is copied here:
""
REM in a loop check each one for rar files
REM write folder name to another list if any found
for /F "delims==" %%a in ('type "%topfolder%\subdirlist.txt"') do (
cd %%a

if exist *.rar echo %%a > "%topfolder%\rardirlist.txt"
)
""
The problem is that the folder "rardirlist.txt" doesn't get created...?

talk to you again soon...

 

Putting /F after the FOR indicates to FOR that whatever is between the parentheses is the source of a series of lines of data to be read and processed. Single quotes around what is in the parentheses indicate that the source is the output of a command.

In this line,

for /F "delims==" %%a in ('type "%topfolder%\subdirlist.txt"') do (

FOR is told to TYPE the file and deal with it line by line.

* without the "/f", what is between the parentheses is interpreted as a series of ITEMS.

for "delims==" %%f in (apple orange banana) do (
echo %%f
)

the result would be

apple
orange
banana

* single-quotes within the parentheses indicates that the data lines are sourced from the output of a command. Without the single-quotes, FOR /F tries to read a (text-)file named (whatever is within the parentheses)

2. "dir /b /s /ad" : in this statement I believe "/s" means include all subfolders, however I don't understand "/b" and "/ad".

Dir /? will give full info.

Dir /b gives a bare output, just the file names, no date or size info or header or footer. Necessary for processing in batch files.

Dir /ad --- /(a)ttribute (d)irectory just finds directories.
Dir /ah --- /(a)ttribute (h)idden finds just hidden files
Dir /ar --- /(a)ttribute (r)ead only finds just read only files
Dir /as --- /(a)ttribute (s)ystem finds just system files.

A minus sign eg dir /a-d inverts the effect.

Does subdirlist.txt get created?

Until our next chat...

 

New greatly simplified version - no temp files, it just goes ahead and does it.

[original post 14:28 hrs updated 20:20 hrs]

[pre]@echo off
REM place this batch file in the top folder and run it from there
set topfolder=%CD%
for /F "delims==" %%a in ('dir /b /s *.rar') do (
cd "%%~Da%%~pa"
"c:\program files\winrar\rar.exe" e "%%~Da%%~pa%%~nxa" | findstr "Extracting from"
)
cd %topfolder%[/pre]

 

RE:

yes it does. and it looks fine.

 

the shorter program you wrote takes some time to complete in the command window (5-10 secs)but nothing seems to be changed in the folders. I don't understand that one though! ;o)

 

have you tried the latest revised shorter one? (I changed it)

does it give any messages?

What you see if you go in the top folder and type dir /b /s

 

There is something bugging me... the batch files I wrote are working perfectly on my machine, where I have a test setup of folders with rar files exactly as we discussed. In each subfolder is a set of subfolders, some with rars, some without.



There's something I'm missing, something that is different between our two systems, and I need to find out what it is.

Are you running Windows XP?

What happens when you go into the top folder, and type the following...

dir /s /b *.rar

Does it find any?

More relevant, does this find any?

[pre]@echo off
SETLOCAL ENABLEDELAYEDEXPANSION
set topfolder=%CD%
set unrarapp="C:\Program files\winrar\rar.exe"
for /F "delims==" %%a in ('dir /b /s *.rar') do (
CD "%%~pa" & %unrarapp% e "%%~Dpnxa"
)
cd %topfolder%[/pre]

 

updated version, see above

 

I have found one thing that is causing a problem. The files are not (!) winRAR files. (yes i know you're laughing at how I could have not realized this earlier).

They are labeled as winRAR files by my computer because I have winRAR. But their extensions are not ".rar"

The extensions are instead ".Z"

An example of one of the many filenames is "18685643.msg.Z"

Now, I have changed you're code (I'm working with the longer version becasue I can understand it) so that the statments including "*.rar" get changed to included "*.Z" However, this doesn't solve the problem.

I am able to decompress these files manually (one at a time) by right clicking them and chosing decompress.

But for some reason I cannot get them to decompress from the comand prompt. I have tried to do this with sigle files using simple winRAR commands in the command propmt.

I get the same error message for both your code (with the "*.Z") and for the single file tests that I've been doing in the command prompt.

The error message is (given in the cmd prompt):
******************************************************************
RAR 3.62 Copyright (c) 1993-2006 Alexander Roshal 3 Dec 2006
Shareware version Type RAR -? for help

18685818.msg.Z is not RAR archive
No files to extract

(4) Finished

Press any key to continue . . .
************************************************************

I've been trying to figure this out...

It also doesn't help if I simply rename the file to ".RAR" (ie 18685818.rar). The same error message is given.

 

My responses:
1. The program "SETLOCAL ENABLEDELAYEDEXPANSION" returns "File not found"

2. Yes I'm running windows XP

3. Your file structure diagram is the same as how it is on my computer.

 

OK. I was getting worried that my code had run amok and overwritten your hard drive!

It wouls appear that archive files with the extension .z are files compressed with the Unix "Compress" program. You can get an equivalent DOS/Windows program called gzip.exe here...

ftp://sis.agr.gc.ca/PUB/cansis/gzip.exe

Place it in a folder & be aware of its path & location

eg C:\Program files\Gzip\gzip.exe

the syntax to decompress is gzip -d (filename)

After decompression the .z extension is gone, and the archive is REPLACED by its decompressed counterpart.

Thus...

gzip -d "18685643.msg.Z" would result in the file ""18685643.msg"

I will cook up a batch file shortly...

 

OK I've saved that file to the dir you suggested.

Could you tell me what "delims==" means? The loop doesn't seem to be working in the long version... and this is one part I don't understand.

I'm changing the long version to run with the gzip command instead -- attempting to ;o)

 

for /F "delims==" %%a in ('type "%topfolder%\subdirlist.txt"') do (

"delims==" tells FOR to treat each line produced by 'type "%topfolder%\subdirlist.txt"' as a complete line, ie not to split it into separate words.

 

ok thanks!

 

The long versions of the file depended on the ability of the RAR.exe program to take a wildcard (*.rar) instead of a specific filename.

This technique is not possible with gzip.

here is a batch program I have just made that seems to work OK with .z files. I suggest you make a copy of your data and run it on that rather than the important stuff. I have added some comments to explain aspects of the code.

[pre]
@echo off
REM I confess I am not sure if this
REM is needed but it won't hurt
SETLOCAL ENABLEDELAYEDEXPANSION
set topfolder=%CD%
REM for each .z file in any subfolder
for /F "delims==" %%a in ('dir /b /s *.z') do (
REM in respect of each file
REM represented by %%a,
REM %%~pa is its path (folder)

REM change to its folder
CD "%%~pa"

REM Extract filename parameters
REM %%~Da is its drive letter and colon
REM %%~pa is its path (folder)
REM %%~na is its filename
REM %%~xa is its .extension
REM can be combined thus...

REM inform user of file being processed
echo processing %%~Dpnxa

REM call gzip with -d option (decompress)
"C:\Program Files\gzip\gzip.exe" -d "%%~Dpnxa"
)
cd %topfolder%
[/pre]

 

Ok I'm going to try the new code you just put up.
I didn't try it until now because I was trying to make the longer version work... and I think I have. I think I understand the problem you were stating about the longer version when switching to ".z" files, but I didn't run into that problem.

Here is a copy of your original long version with my modifications. I think it works.. but would like your comments!

@echo off
REM place this batch file in the top folder
REM and run it from there


REM remember where we are
set topfolder=%CD%


if exist "%topfolder%\subdirlist.txt" del "%topfolder%\subdirlist.txt" > nul
if exist "%topfolder%\gzipdirlist.txt" del "%topfolder%\gzipdirlist.txt" > nul
echo.
echo (1) creating list of all sub folders...
echo.

pause

REM get a list of all the subfolders
REM under this one and put it in a temp file
dir /b /s /ad > "%topfolder%\subdirlist.txt"


echo all sub folders...
echo.
type "%topfolder%\subdirlist.txt"
echo.

echo.
echo (2) finding folders with gzips in them
echo.


REM in a loop check each one for gzip files
REM write folder name to another list if any found
for /F "delims==" %%a in ('type "%topfolder%\subdirlist.txt"') do (
cd %%a

if exist *.Z echo %%a >> "%topfolder%\gzipdirlist.txt"
)

pause

echo all sub folders with gzips in...
echo.
type "%topfolder%\gzipdirlist.txt"
echo.
pause
echo.
echo (3) extracting from gzip archives
echo.
echo ready to start...
echo.
pause
echo.
REM for each folder that contains gzips
REM enter folder and extract
for /F "delims==" %%a in ('type "%topfolder%\gzipdirlist.txt"') do (
echo.
echo expanding gzips in %%a
echo.

cd %%a

copy *.Z *.Y


"c:\program files\gzip\gzip.exe" -d *.Z


ren *.Y *.Z


)

REM clean up
rem del "%topfolder%\subdirlist.txt" > nul
rem del "%topfolder%\gzipdirlist.txt" > nul

REM go back to where we were
cd %topfolder%
echo.
echo (4) Finished
echo.
pause
echo.

 

It has been alot to take in for me and so I wanted to try to understand one thing at a time... so that's why I was working with the original... Man do I have a headache! ahh the joy of learning new skills!

 

I'm leaving for home now... but I just tried your latest version. It didn't work all the way (I'm too tired to figure out why...). The error message said "No such file or directory", for each iteration. (ie about 30 times or so, with the path directory in between)

Talk to you tomorrow.

 

good thinking.

Won't work, as i said before. Wildcard ("*.Z") won't work.

need to make further loop

see code in next post