Question

I am a Linux user forced to work on a Windows workstation at work. I have a script that I wrote for bash, that I need to convert to Windows Batch. In the past, I haven’t had too much trouble, but now I have run into two issues I cannot figure out. Here is the original Linux script:

#!/bin/bash
if [ $# != 1 ] ; then
    echo "usage: createMavenDirs.sh <name>"
    exit 1
fi
timestamp=`date +"%Y-%m-%d-%s"`
projectName="${1}_${timestamp}"
groupID="com.hostname"
version="1.0"
pomFill="<?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"UTF-8\"?>\n<project>\n\t<modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>\n\t<groupId>${groupID}.${1}</groupId>\n\t<artifactId>${1}</artifactId>\n\t<name>\${artifactId}</name>\n\t<version>${version}</version>\n</project>"

clear

mkdir -p ${projectName}/src/{main/{java,resources,filters,assembly,config,webapp},test/{java,resources,filters},site}
touch ${projectName}/{LICENSE,NOTICE,README}.txt
touch ${projectName}/pom.xml
echo -e ${pomFill} > ${projectName}/pom.xml

tree ${projectName}

exit 0

First off, I want to say that “yes”, I know there are tools for doing this, but due to VERY tight constraints at work, I have to use an option like this. Second, here are the two problems I am having.

1. The “mkdir” line: Does Windows have a way to do this like Linux does?

2. The “echo” line where I create the pom file: Can Windows echo a newline and tab, and redirect it into an external file like I am doing in my Bash script?

Like I said, I know there are other ways to do this, but the powers that be have forced me down this path. Anyway, thank you to all who have taken the time to read.

Have a good day 🙂

UPDATE: I realize that Windows does have an “echo” and “mkdir”, but I need to be able to use them in a very specific way, just like I have used them in my Linux script. Specifically, I would like to make directories exactly like I have in my Linux script, and I need to echo a newline ‘\n’ or ‘\r’ and a tab ‘\t’ into an external file.

UPDATE 2: I cannot install any new software/utilities/etc. onto my workstation. I must use only what is there.

Answer 1

After update:

There is essentially no way to do what you request with batch files.

Batch files are broken. Bite the bullet and use Java. (Or cheat by using Jython…)

Original:

1. The equivalent command for windows to mkdir is md or mkdir:

   c:\>mkdir \foo\bar
   
   c:\>dir
   [...]   foo  [...]
   

2. echo is available in batch too:

   c:\>echo some text> Myfile.txt
   
   c:\>type Myfile.txt
   some text
   
   c:\>
   

   Note the gotcha: quotes will end up in your script too. So for example, echo "abcdef" will also print the double quotes.

   As far as I understand, the echo command does not support tab character escape.

You can learn more at this batch reference.

As an aside, I’d recommend just running bash on windows, via Cygwin if you can… If you have Python, that could also be a lifesaver. I feel for you if neither of those options are available…