get two recent files from a folder in a batch script - batch-file

Question

I am trying to write a batch script that gets two recent files based on creation time from a given directory. In this batch script i want to invoke an .exe file that takes these two files as arguments.
Can someone please help me with this.
dir /a:-d-s /b /o:-d /t:c
This is the command i used that would list the names of the files in descending order based on the creation time. The command prints the result to the console but i want to assign it to some variable or array and access the top two filenames.

Answer 1

The following example is intended to set the two topmost returned files as 'array type' variables %Newest[1]% and %Newest[2]%
#For /F "Delims==" %%A In ('Set Newest[ 2^>NUL')Do #Set "%%A="
#For /F "Tokens=1*Delims=:" %%A In ('Dir /B/A-D-S/O-D/TC 2^>NUL^|FindStr /N "^"'
)Do #If %%A LEq 2 (Set "Newest[%%A]=%%B")Else GoTo Next
:Next
#Set Newest[ 2>NUL&&Pause
The last line was included just to show you any variables created from the loop. You would obviously replace this line with your own code, or leave it as is, and place your code beneath it. If you want to use the most recently modified date and time stamps instead of created, replace /TC with /TW on line 2
Off-topic:
Here's an example of it in use, based upon your later posted question, since deleted:
#Echo Off
For /F "Delims==" %%A In ('Set Newest 2^>NUL')Do Set "%%A="
For /F "Tokens=1-2*Delims=:" %%A In ('Dir /B/A-D-S/O-D/TC "Checkpoints" 2^>NUL^
^|FindStr /N "^"')Do If %%A LEq 2 (Set "Newest%%A=%%B")Else GoTo Next
:Next
Set "DT1="&For /F "Tokens=1*Delims=_" %%A In ('Set Newest 2^>NUL'
)Do If Not Defined DT1 (Set "DT1=%%~nB")Else Set "DT2=%%~nB"
If Not Defined DT1 Exit /B
Set "Target=Differences\Difference_%DT1%_%DT2%.csv"
Set Newest 2>NUL
Set Target 2>NUL
If Not Exist "Differences\" MD "Differences"
Pause

Answer 2

Here is a commented batch file for this task.
#echo off
rem Set up a local environment for this batch file with enabled command
rem extensions as required for command FOR and with disabled delayed
rem environment variable expansion to process also correct file names
rem with one or more exclamation marks in name.
setlocal EnableExtensions DisableDelayedExpansion
rem Make directory of the batch file the current directory.
rem It is possible to use any other directory on replacing
rem %~dp0 by a directory path.
pushd "%~dp0"
rem Make sure the environment variable File1 is not defined.
set "File1="
rem Get a list of files without system attribute in current directory
rem ordered by creation date with newest first and oldest last and process
rem this list of file names line by line with ignoring the batch file. The
rem loop processing the file names is exited after having assigned second
rem newest created file in this directory to the environment variable File2
rem in addition to newest file assigned to environment variable File1 with
rem a jump to the command line below the line with label RunProgram.
for /F "eol=| delims=" %%I in ('dir /A-D-S /B /O-D /TC 2^>nul') do (
if not "%%I" == "%~nx0" (
if not defined File1 (
set "File1=%%I"
) else (
set "File2=%%I"
goto RunProgram
)
)
)
rem There is no file or just one file found in current directory other
rem than this batch file and so the program cannot be executed at all.
goto EndBatch
rem Run the program with the file names of the two newest
rem created files in current directory (batch file directory).
:RunProgram
"C:\Path To Application\Application.exe" "%File1%" "%File2%"
rem Restore the initial current directory and also the initial environment
rem variables list on starting of this batch file as well as initial state
rem of command extensions and delayed environment variable expansion.
:EndBatch
popd
endlocal
For understanding the used commands and how they work, open a command prompt window, execute there the following commands, and read entirely all help pages displayed for each command very carefully.
call /? ... explains %~dp0 (drive and path of batch file) and %~nx0 (name and extension of batch file).
dir /?
echo /?
endlocal /?
for /?
goto /?
if /?
popd /?
pushd /?
rem /?
set /?
setlocal /?
Read the Microsoft article about Using command redirection operators for an explanation of 2>nul. The redirection operator > must be escaped with caret character ^ on FOR command line to be interpreted as literal character when Windows command interpreter processes this command line before executing command FOR which executes the embedded dir command line with using a separate command process started in background with %ComSpec% /c and the specified command line appended.