CODEWITHSUNDEEP
batch-filecmdcommand-prompt
davidb
davidb

Reputation: 273

Batch file - text file Printing order

i have some 100 text files in a folder temp_files and this is how i am printing them

        for /f %%B in ('dir temp_files\*.txt /b') do (

    start /min notepad /P temp_files\%%B
    )

the files are printing fine, but they are not printing in order. for example, when i echo the output like this 

        for /f %%B in ('dir temp_files\*.txt /b') do (

    echo start /min notepad /P temp_files\%%B>>print_order.txt
    )

in print_oreder.txt the order is correct, this is how the print_order.txt looks:

start /min notepad /P temp_files\location_1_product_1.txt
start /min notepad /P temp_files\location_1_product_2.txt
start /min notepad /P temp_files\location_1_product_3.txt
start /min notepad /P temp_files\location_2_product_1.txt
start /min notepad /P temp_files\location_2_product_2.txt
start /min notepad /P temp_files\location_2_product_3.txt

but when the actual print comes, it is not in order, it is random order. this is how the actual print is coming, actual printing order

location_1_product_1.txt
location_1_product_3.txt
location_2_product_2.txt

is there any way to print in order like this, expecting print order:

location_1_product_1.txt
location_1_product_2.txt
location_1_product_3.txt
location_2_product_1.txt
location_2_product_2.txt
location_2_product_3.txt

please help. thank you.

Upvotes: 0

Views: 989

Answers (1)

Stephan
Stephan

Reputation: 56180

You have a timing problem (you open some 100 processes, they are not guaranteed to execute in a particular order). Add a /wait to wait for each process to finish before the next is started:

start /min /wait notepad /P temp_files\%%B

(Note: this will make your script much slower, but you have to wait for the printer anyways..)

Upvotes: 2

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