WinBatch.md

Some useful info about batch scripts

Send-to Folder

• In Explorer address-bar enter: shell:sendto
• In a batch-script use: %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\SendTo

String Manipulation

Batch script: string manipulation: http://www.dostips.com/DtTipsStringManipulation.php#Snippets.Replace

Remove the last character from a string:
e.g. remove backslash from directory:

set SCRIPT_DIR_NO_BACKSLASH=%SCRIPT_DIR:~0,-1%

Get the last part of a directory path:

for %%f in (%SCRIPT_DIR_NO_BACKSLASH%) do set SCRIPT_DIR_LAST_PART=%%~nxf

Stop/kill/close an application:

taskkill /IM notepad.exe

Start exe file without waiting:

start "" %BinDir%\Gui.exe /ArgsForGuiExe

• the first 2 double quotes are the window title (which is not needed when starting an exe)
• http://stackoverflow.com/questions/5909012/windows-batch-script-launch-program-and-exit-console

Directories

Copy Directory recursively

xcopy /S SrcDir TargetDir\

• /S: Copies directories and subdirectories except empty ones.
• /Y: Suppresses prompting to confirm you want to overwrite an existing destination file

Deleting all contents of a directory

pushd DirToDelete || goto :ERROR
rd /q /s . 2> NUL
popd
exit /b 0
:ERROR
exit /b 1

• first we go into the directory
• then we delete everything in the dir and subdirs - but keep the current direcotry (since we are currently in this dir)
• finally we go back to the original dir
• note: || goto :ERROR is very important!
  if we don't use this and DirToDelete does not exist, the rd command would delete the current directory!
• see also: http://stackoverflow.com/a/24482102/1041641