CODEWITHSUNDEEP
batch-file
sharcfinz
sharcfinz

Reputation: 465

if else condition inside of forfiles loop

I've inherited a batch file, and in it, I've got the following command -

forfiles /s /c "cmd /c IF @ISDIR==TRUE rmdir @FILE /q" >> C:\Apps\%dt%\%dt%.log  2>&1

In the log, I get the following error:

ERROR: The system cannot find the file specified.

How can I put an else condition so that it outputs the name of the file not found, instead the Error Message?

Upvotes: 1

Views: 3273

Answers (1)

aschipfl
aschipfl

Reputation: 34909

Ther error comes from forfiles when it is executed in a directory with no content (no files and no directories). Remember that forfiles searches the current working directory if no path is specified explicitly by the /P switch, and the search mask defaults to * if switch /M is not given, hence matching all items. So the error you encounter can only occur with an empty working directory.
The error has got nothing to do with the if @isdir==TRUE query.

If you want a specific message to appear in your log, you could check the ErrorLevel state after forfiles has been executed, which is 1 in case no items match the search criteria, and 0 if at least one item matches:

forfiles /S /C "cmd /C if @isdir==TRUE rmdir @file" || echo "%CD%" is empty. >> "C:\Apps\%dt%\%dt%.log" 2> nul

This writes the message "%CD%" is empty into the log with %CD% replaced by the current directory.
The 2> nul suppresses the error message ERROR: The system cannot find the file specified..
The || operator is conditionally concatenates commands and lets the right one execute only if the left one has been completed successfully, meaning that ErrorLevel is 0.

Upvotes: 4

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