Backslash in the directory path, what is the difference? - batch-file

I have a batch script that checks to see if a directory exists then maps it, if it does exist.
if exist \\server\folder1\%username% net use g: \\server\folder1\%username%
Lately the script hasn't been mapping correctly with some computers, on those computers in needs to be change to
if exist \\server\folder1\%username%\ net use g: \\server\folder1\%username%
Why would that backslash make a difference? Isn't it pointing to the same directory? Why would "if exist" need it and "net use" not need it? Users do NOT have access to folder1.
Now, I came across an older version of the same file written by a previous employee and he wrote it as
net use g: \\\\server\folder1\%USERNAME%
Why would he put four slashes?

I'm not sure if this is your problem, but if exist \\server\folder1\%username% is TRUE if %username% is a valid file or folder within folder1.
Adding a backslash at the end forces the condition to only be true if a folder exists.

Related

read from a .txt file in BATCH, without using literal path

Basically, i would like to use the type command, but I can't provide the actual path.
Currently my attempt was
type "./TESTS/Test1.txt"
but I'm assuming that since it's a relative path, it can't work.
I've run into the same issue with copy and xcopy.
I have been unable to solve this issue or find anything online.
Is there way to do this?
EDIT:
To clarify, I am trying to get my .bat file, to read the contents of a .txt file located in a subfolder (meaning the subfolder and the .bat file are in the same folder), and print it to the console.
Since you've now edited your question but seemingly not provided feedback on my earlier comment, here it is as an answer.
Windows and it's command interpreter, cmd.exe uses the backslash \ as its path separator.
Although many commands seem to accept the forward slash interchangeably, Type isn't one of those.
Additionally .\ is relative only to the current working directory, and in cmd.exe is unnecessary, though valid.
The following should therefore work as you intended:
Type TESTS\Test1.txt
Type "TESTS\Test1.txt"
Type .\TESTS\Test1.txt
Type ".\TESTS\Test1.txt"
If the location you are using is being received in the batch file with the forward slashes, you could set it to a variable, then expand that variable substituting the forward slashes for backward slashes:
Set "Variable=./TESTS/Test1.txt"
Type "%Variable:/=\%"
It may be necessary, depending upon the code we cannot see, to navigate to the batch file directory first, since it may not necessarily be the current working directory at the time of the invokation of those commands.
To do that use:
CD /D "%~dp0"
%~dp0 provides the folder, where your batchfile resides (including the last \) (does of course only work inside a batch file). So:
type "%~dp0Test\test1.txt"
is exactly what you want: <folder_where_my_batchfile_is\><subfolder_Test>\<File_test1.txt>
independent of your "working folder" (where the batchfile might have cd or pushd to).
Wouldn't it basically work by using %CD%? Like, TYPE "%CD%/Subfolder/Test1.txt"? %CD% is the windows variable for "Current Directory" and should be set to whatever directory the batch file is working in and since you're trying to access a folder within the same directory this should work. You're question is quite unclear, however, and I hope I'm not misinterpreting.

Using wild cards in windows with directories

I am running a Jenkins project which runs under Windows. I have a dir to find a file (html file) from my directory. This shows up
reports\All Smoke_2018-01-23T084148.270-0600\TestLog.html
I know the first directory will always be "reports" and the file name will be TestLog.html. However, the middle directory (All Smoke_2018-01-23T084148.270-0600) will depend on the date and time. So what I want to do is
echo "some string" >> reports\*\TestLog.html
it will actually be more complicated than that. But it does not appear to allow me to use an * as a directory name (as Unix would).
Is there another way to refer to the file? I know find has /s which is how I find it and findstr also has a /b. But how can I get the file name to echo to it?

xcopy to "%AppData%\Roaming\Microsoft\Excel\XLSTART\" stated copied yet nothing is there

I'm trying to write a small bat script to put on my teams desktops and allow them to update their personal macro file with mine when ever I push out an update or have created new tools.
I have the following
xcopy "O:\abc Supply chain\Supply Chain Team\David Peters\Excel\Macro File" "%AppData%\Roaming\Microsoft\Excel\XLSTART\" /y
under CMD is says 1 files copied yet there isn't anything in the XLSTART folder.
can you pleased tell me what I'm doing wrong
many thanks
Not sure about your configuration, but for me the Roaming folder is already included in the value of the %AppData% variable.
"%AppData%\Roaming\Microsoft\Excel\XLSTART\"
^......^
So, probably you should use "%AppData%\Microsoft\Excel\XLSTART\"

Get Server name of batch file from within batch file

MachineX is calling a batch file through UNC path to either MachineA or MachineB, depending on server failover status:
If everything is good, the batch is called via path \\MachineA\files\Batch1.bat.
If there is a failover, MachineX knows to call the batch via path \\MachineB\files\Batch1.bat.
Without using an additional parameter, or tapping into how MachineX knows which machine to call, I need to know within the batch which machine it's running on, so it can access other files on the machine. To do this, I want to store the machine name in a variable.
Because the executing machine is MachineX, I can't use a hostname variable to pull the batch, but since the batch is always called with a fully-qualified UNC path, argument %0 will have the machine name in the path. Since the system is part of a mirroring setup, the batch files are always kept identical, so hard-coding is not possible.
What is the simplest method of getting the machine name from within the batch file, without having to go external? Thanks in advance.
EDIT:
Alright, I figured it out:
for /f "tokens=1,2,3,4,5 delims=\" %%a in ('echo %~p0') do set svrpth=%%a
This works fine so long as there are no more than 5 folders in the path trail, which for this purpose is acceptable.
Thanks for all your help.
if path is the same on every machine it looks as you can simply remove that from %0 variable (path to called script) - what is left will be machine name

Prevent overwriting a file using cmd if exist

I am currently writing a .bat batch file that executes an installation file. Before it runs the installation file I check to see if the directory exists to avoid re-installing the application.
I do this by using a If Not Exist filename statement. If the installed file doesn't exist, I then execute the installation file.
For some reason, when I test it with the application where it has been installed already, it is still trying to reinstall the application over it.
Here is a snippet of my code:
cd "C:\Documents and Settings\John\Start Menu\Programs\"
pause
If NOT exist "Software Folder"\ (
start \\filer\repo\lab\"software"\"myapp"\setup.exe
pause
)
Where SoftwareFolder is a subdirectory of "C:\Documents and Settings\John\Start Menu\Programs\". I am checking to see if it exists in my Programs folder.
I know nothing is wrong with my start command. I have a feeling something is wrong with my beginning CD command or one of its parameters.
Thanks a lot, guys!
Use the FULL path to the folder in your If Not Exist code. Then you won't even have to CD anymore:
If Not Exist "C:\Documents and Settings\John\Start Menu\Programs\SoftWareFolder\"
I noticed some issues with this that might be useful for someone just starting, or a somewhat inexperienced user, to know. First...
CD /D "C:\Documents and Settings\%username%\Start Menu\Programs\"
two things one is that a /D after the CD may prove to be useful in making sure the directory is changed but it's not really necessary, second, if you are going to pass this from user to user you have to add, instead of your name, the code %username%, this makes the code usable on any computer, as long as they have your setup.exe file in the same location as you do on your computer. of course making sure of that is more difficult.
also...
start \\filer\repo\lab\"software"\"myapp"\setup.exe
the start code here, can be set up like that, but the correct syntax is
start "\\filter\repo\lab\software\myapp\" setup.exe
This will run: setup.exe, located in: \filter\repo\lab...etc.\
As in the answer of Escobar Ceaser, I suggest to use quotes arround the whole path. It's the common way to wrap the whole path in "", not only separate directory names within the path.
I had a similar issue that it didn't work for me. But it was no option to use "" within the path for separate directory names because the path contained environment variables, which theirself cover more than one directory hierarchies. The conclusion was that I missed the space between the closing " and the (
The correct version, with the space before the bracket, would be
If NOT exist "C:\Documents and Settings\John\Start Menu\Programs\Software Folder" (
start "\\filer\repo\lab\software\myapp\setup.exe"
pause
)

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