How to compare two files' creation date? - batch-file

Question

Using batch for XP, how can I compare the creation dates of two files with a function isMoreRecentThan(pathToFile1,pathToFile2) that returns true or false ?
The solution should run without admin rights (and in particular should NOT use wmic).

Answer 1

for /f "tokens=1,2,3 delims=/" %%T in ('forfiles /m file1 /C "cmd /c echo #fdate"') do set date1=%%V%%U%%T
for /f "tokens=1,2,3 delims=/" %%T in ('forfiles /m file2 /C "cmd /c echo #fdate"') do set date2=%%V%%U%%T
if %date2% GTR %date1% *some command here*
You can also use #ftime for more precise comparing.And. forfiles is not native command for windows XP and 2003 and you'll have to download and install windows 2003 resource kit tools if you are not using newer OS
EDIT(for XP and 2003):
setlocal enabledelayedexpansion
for /f "tokens=1,2,3,4,5,6 delims=/: " %%T in ('for %%a in ^(FILE1^) do echo %%~ta') do (
if "%%Y" EQU "PM" (
set /a "hour=%%W+12"
) else (
set hour=%%W
)
set time1=%%V%%U%%T!hour!%%Y
)
for /f "tokens=1,2,3,4,5,6 delims=/: " %%T in ('for %%a in ^(FILE2^) do echo %%~ta') do (
if "%%Y" EQU "PM" (
set /a "hour=%%W+12"
) else (
set hour=%%W
)
set time2=%%V%%U%%T!hour!%%Y
)
if !time1! GTR !time2! *do something*
endlocal
you'll need to change FILE1 and FILE2 with relevant values
LAST EDIT
#echo off
call :isOlder "C:\test.file1" "C:\test.file2"
goto :eof
:isOlder [%1 path to first file ; %2 path to second file]
setlocal
call :get_file_c_time "%~1" time1
call :get_file_c_time "%~2" time2
if "%time1%" LEQ "%time2%" (
echo YES
) else (
echo NO
)
goto :eof
:get_file_c_time [ %1 path to file; %2 variable to assign value ]
set file_path=%~1
if not exist "%file_path%" echo file %1 does not exist&& exit /b 1
if "%~2" equ "" echo need a secont parameter && exit /b 2
setlocal enableDelayedExpansion
for /f "skip=5 tokens=1,2,3,4,5,6 delims=/:.гчЈз " %%T in ('dir /tc "%file_path%"') do (
if "%%Y" EQU "PM" (
set /a "hour=%%W+12"
) else (
set hour=%%W
)
set ftime=%%V%%U%%T!hour!%%X
goto :endfor
)
:endfor
endlocal & set "%~2=%ftime%"
goto :eof
now you can use the :isOlder subroutine

Answer 2

#ECHO OFF
SETLOCAL
:: files to be compared
SET "filea=c:\mys\oldobj.txt"
SET "fileb=c:\mys\15850492.htm"
:: Create a tempdir
:Tloop
SET tempdir="%temp%\%random%"
IF EXIST %tempdir%* GOTO tloop
MD %tempdir%
MOVE "%filea%" %tempdir%\a >nul
MOVE "%fileb%" %tempdir%\b >NUL
SET file
ECHO.
FOR /f %%i IN ('dir /b /a-d /o-d /tc %tempdir%') DO SET first=%%i
ECHO first file (create date) was %first%
FOR /f %%i IN ('dir /b /a-d /o-d /tw %tempdir%') DO SET first=%%i
ECHO first file (write date) was %first%
MOVE %tempdir%\a "%filea%" >nul
MOVE %tempdir%\b "%fileb%" >nul
RD %tempdir%
ECHO.
ECHO create times=v=v=v=v=v=v=v=v=v=v=v
ECHO.
DIR %filea% %fileb% /od /tc
ECHO.
ECHO write times=v=v=v=v=v=v=v=v=v=v=v
ECHO.
DIR %filea% %fileb% /od /tw
test result: (irrelevant lines excised)
filea=c:\mys\oldobj.txt
fileb=c:\mys\15850492.htm
first file (create date) was a
first file (write date) was b
create times=v=v=v=v=v=v=v=v=v=v=v
Directory of c:\mys
07/07/2012 21:40 788,960 oldobj.txt
07/04/2013 19:06 16,295 15850492.htm
write times=v=v=v=v=v=v=v=v=v=v=v
Directory of c:\mys
07/04/2013 19:06 16,295 15850492.htm
10/05/2013 14:04 788,960 oldobj.txt
So - yes, with this approach, it's very relevant whether the files are in the same directory because it relies on sorting the files by the relevant date.
And as demonstrated, the creation date and last-update date can vary wildly - it depends on what the file is used for. It's even possible to have a creation date that's later than the last-update date - in fact it's common since if a file is COPIED, the new file acquires the date that it was created, but the last-update date is just that - the date the original file was last updated.

Answer 3

This is the last edit version in npocmaka's answer, but slightly modified. I have introduced these Car981's information into the code:
a function isMoreRecentThan(file1,file2) that returns true if file1 is more recent than file2, and false otherwise
The date format in dir is 17/05/2013 15:01
The isMoreRecentThan subroutine return an %ERRORLEVEL% equal 1 (true) if first file is more recent than second one and 0 in any other case, including if any file does not exist.
#echo off
call :isMoreRecentThan "C:\path1\file1.ext" "C:\path2\file2.ext"
if %errorlevel% equ 1 echo File1 is more recent than File2
goto :eof
:isMoreRecentThan [%1=path to first file ; %2=path to second file]
setlocal
call :get_file_c_time "%~1" time1
call :get_file_c_time "%~2" time2
set exitCode=0
if %time1% neq 0 if %time2% neq 0 if "%time1%" gtr "%time2%" set exitCode=1
exit /B %exitCode%
:get_file_c_time [ %1 path to file; %2 variable to assign value ]
set %2=0
if not exist %1 exit /B
for /F "skip=5 tokens=1-5 delims=/: " %%a in ('dir /TC %1') do (
set %2=%%c%%b%%a%%d%%e
exit /B
)