Windows batch file, Looping through files in folder to create a parameter list to pass into another script

Question

I have a Windows batch file that process a bunch of files. As part of this I use the following line:

forfiles /p "%~dpn1%LogDir%" /m "%SupportLog%*" /c "cmd /c logreader.py @file > \"%~dpn1%ParsedLogDir%\@file_Logreader.txt\"

This works OK, but essentially loops through all my files (%SupportLog%*) and passes each one by one into the "logreader.py" script.

What I really want to do is create a list or parameter of all these files and pass all of them at once into the Python script, such the the command that should be run would resemble:

logreader.py "logfile.log" "logfile.log.1" "logfile.log.3" .....

I tried to use the SET command within the forfile command such that:

forfiles /p "%~dpn1%LogDir%" /m "%SupportLog%*" /c "cmd /c set PARAMS=%PARAMS%@file "

However, when run this and leave the ECHO ON, I see:

forfiles /p "C:\Path\log" /m "logfile.log*" /c "cmd /c set PARAMS=@file "

Which is incorrect. And when I "echo %PARAMS%", I get no result.

Is there a way of achieving this?

Many thank

have a look at this http://superuser.com/questions/460598/is-there-any-way-to-get-the-windows-cmd-shell-to-expand-wildcard-paths/460648#460648 and this http://superuser.com/questions/759326/obtaining-a-list-of-files-from-a-specific-directory/759607#759607 — wmz, Sep 26 '15 at 12:43

JosefZ · Accepted Answer · 2015-09-26T18:34:30.223

Changing environment variables in a child cmd instance (that's what the cmd /c invokes) does not affect environment in the parent cmd process. Next code snippet could help:

SETLOCAL EnableExtensions EnableDelayedExpansion
set "LogDir=%~dpn1log"         my guess only
set "SupportLog=logfile.log"   my guess only
set "PARAMS="                  initial value
rem 1st try for /R "%LogDir%" %%a in ("%SupportLog%*") do set PARAMS=!PARAMS! "%%~a"
rem 2nd try for %%a in ("%LogDir%\%SupportLog%*") do set "PARAMS=!PARAMS! "%%~a""
rem 3rd try
for %%a in ("%LogDir%\%SupportLog%*") do set "PARAMS=!PARAMS! "%%~nxa""
echo logreader.py %PARAMS%

Note that imperative logreader.py is merely echoed for debugging purposes.

However, I don't apprehend target of > redirection, sorry...

Resources (required reading):

(command reference) An A-Z Index of the Windows CMD command line
(additional particularities) Windows CMD Shell Command Line Syntax
(%~a etc. special page) Command Line arguments (Parameters)
(>>, 2>1 etc. special page) Redirection

Edit:

1st try for /R recurses the folder tree: rejected; try for %%a: conditionally perform a command on several files;
2nd try "%%~a" gives fully qualified file name;
3rd try "%%~nxa" gives bare file name and extension (no path).

Hi Jose, this is almost perfect, although the the `for /r` seems to recurse the folder tree. Now, this is OK, the first time I run this batch file as I can set the `For` loop early in the batch that evaluates the folder before I create a subfolder to store the parsed file, but if I then run the batch again, if picks up file in the sub folder. (sorry for the multiple comments, I couldn't quite get the hang of these ;() — Swinster, Sep 26 '15 at 17:27
Doh. Stupid boy! Just remove the `/r` and set the `SET` to the correct directory. Many thanks, all done, from what I can see. Maybe I should start looking at PowerShell to build such things in the future. — Swinster, Sep 26 '15 at 17:59
For reference, the full line that worked was `For %%A in ("%~dpn1%LogDir%\%SupportLog%*") do ( set PARAMS=!PARAMS! "%%A" )`. This is used in conjunction with passing a file into the batch file in the first place (via a SentTo short cut) — Swinster, Sep 26 '15 at 22:11

Windows batch file, Looping through files in folder to create a parameter list to pass into another script

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