Using command prompt batch files to move and automatically rename duplicate files

Question

So, here\'s what I have: I created a small batch file to record the results of a ping test to a text file. What I want to do is run the batch file and move the results log

Answer 1

I have a pair of utility files that do this, so I can call from either command line, or another batch file. This manages several versions of the file in the same folder, and I would call it before moving your new file in.

Usage is:

archivefile 5 "c:\temp\songs" .txt [move]

Where 5 is the number of versions to keep. The base file name in this example is "c:\temp\songs.txt" and it creates (in c:\temp) 5 files: songs_1.txt songs_2.txt songs_3.txt songs_4.txt songs_5.txt

If you specify move it will move the original songs.txt otherwise it copies it.

Note, if you're using it from another batch file (which you'll probably want to), you need to use call or it won't return to your original batch file (both batch files will exit instead, which isn't what you want):

call archivefile 5 "c:\temp\songs" .txt

You need the pair of batch files to be either in the current directory, or on the windows path. Now I think about it, archivefile_b.bat could probably be a sub-routine within the main file instead, but it ain't broke, so I'm not going to fix it.

This is archivefile.bat:

@Echo off 
rem archivefile.bat - keep a number of archives of a file
rem paramters:  n rootfile extension [move|copy]
rem n = number of files to keep.
rem move|copy optional indicator to rename (move) the original file instead of copying it
rem archivefile 5 "c:\temp\songs" .txt [move]
rem 




if "%3"=="" goto usage

set _af_n=%1
set _af_root=%2
set _af_ext=%3

set _af_move=copy
set _af_moveX=%4
if "%_af_moveX%"=="move" set _af_move=move

set _af_i=
set _af_j=

rem make sure that the first parameter (n) is numeric
set /A _af_n=%_af_n%
if "%_af_n%"=="0" echo Error: number of copies must be numeric (%1) & goto usage

if not exist %_af_root%%_af_ext% echo Error: cannot locate main file: %_af_root%%_af_ext% & goto error


rem remove the oldest file
if exist %_af_root%_%_af_n%%_af_ext% del %_af_root%_%_af_n%%_af_ext%

rem move up the remainder
for /L %%i in (%_af_n%, -1, 1) do call archivefile_b %%i %_af_root% %_af_ext% 

rem copy the original

if "%_af_move%"=="move" goto moveIt
rem move not specified - make a copy
copy %_af_root%%_af_ext% %_af_root%_1%_af_ext%

goto moveCopyDone

:moveIt

rem need filename only for a rename
set _af_destfile=%_af_root%_1%_af_ext%
set _af_destfile=%_af_destfile:"=%
for %%i in (%_af_destfile%) do set _af_destfile=%%~ni%%~xi

ren %_af_root%%_af_ext% %_af_destfile%



:moveCopyDone



dir %_af_root%*%_af_ext%


goto done

:usage
echo usage: archivefile n rootfile extension
echo   - n = number of archives to keep
echo   - rootfile = the root filename
echo   - extension = file extension
echo.
echo example:
echo archivefile 5 "c:\Documents and Settings\gregh\My Documents\Rescued document" .txt 
goto done

:error
rem could maybe do something here? naa.
goto done

:done

This is archivefile_b.bat, which manages just one of the files:

rem @Echo off 
rem archivefile_b.bat - helper for the archivefile routine
rem  -- juggles ONE of the archive files.

rem paramters:  n rootfile extension
rem n = the index to move from n to n+1
rem archivefile 5 "c:\temp\songs" .txt
rem therefore renames c:\temp\songs_5.txt to c:\temp\songs_6.txt


set _afb_n=%1
set _afb_root=%2
set _afb_ext=%3


rem make sure that the first parameter (n) is numeric
set /A _afb_n=%_afb_n%
if "%_afb_n%"=="0" echo Error: (archivefile_b) number of copies must be numeric (%1) & goto done

set /A _afb_j=%_afb_n%+1

rem define the file names
set _afb_fn=%_afb_root%_%_afb_n%%_afb_ext%
set _afb_fj=%_afb_root%_%_afb_j%%_afb_ext%

rem remove the quotes
set _afb_fn=%_afb_fn:"=%
set _afb_fj=%_afb_fj:"=%

rem can only supply a filename to the ren command (not path)
for %%i in (%_afb_fj%) do set _afb_fj=%%~ni%%~xi

rem do the rename now
if exist "%_afb_fn%" ren "%_afb_fn%" "%_afb_fj%" 


:done

Answer 2

To rename files to file1 [file2][...] and move it in a desktop folder:

@ECHO Off &SETLOCAL
FOR %%a IN (*.txt) DO CALL:processFile "%%~a"
goto:eof

:processFile
SETLOCAL
:loop
SET /a fileCounter+=1
SET "fileName=%~n1%filecounter%%~x1"
IF EXIST "C:\Users\%username%\Desktop\%fileName%" GOTO:loop
ECHO MOVE "%~1" "C:\Users\%username%\Desktop\%fileName%"
ENDLOCAL
goto:eof

Look at the output and remove the word echo before move if it looks good.