Question

I have an input directory and an output directory.

My main goal is to read of the all files in the input directory, which are of a certain extension, into an array.

Then I wish to create the tree of directories of each file in the input directory, under the output directory.

For example:

Input directory = C:\Input

Output directory = C:\Output

Input directory tree:

C:\Input\1\first.bat

C:\Input\2\3\second.bat

C:\Input\2\3\4\third.bat

C:\Input\3\1\forth.bat

I wish the output tree, which is now empty of files and folders, to look like this:

Output directory tree:

C:\Output\1\

C:\Output\2\3\

C:\Output\2\3\4\

C:\Output\3\1\

I have the following code:

For creating the array of files:

    set k=0
    for /f "eol=: delims=" %%F in ('dir /b /s %InputDir%\*.%StandardExtension%') do (
        set /a k+=1  
        set filesArray[!k!]=%%F 
    )
    set n=%k%

Create the directory for each file:

for /l %%i in (1,1,%n%) do (
    set CurrentFile=!filesArray[%%i]!
    call :CheckAndCreateDirectory %SequencesDir% !CurrentFile! %OutputDir% UpdatedOutputDir
)

And finally, the function which creates the directories:

:CheckAndCreateDirectory
set IntputDir=%1
set CurrentDir=%~dp2
set OutputDir=%3

set UpdatedOutputDir=!CurrentDir:%IntputDir%=%OutputDir%!
set %4=%UpdatedOutputDir%

if not exist %UpdatedOutputDir% (^
echo. & ^
mkdir %UpdatedOutputDir% & ^
echo.)

The thing is this:
If the input (and I guess output also) don’t contain any “special” characters like & etc., the code works.
However, if it does, the directories tree is not created.

Working input: C:\Input_Dir

Not working input: C:\Input&Dir

Any ideas?

Answer 1

i think i’ve a simplier solution for you :

xcopy /T c:\input c:\ouptut

Some details :

/T Create folder structure, but do not copy files. Do not
include empty folders or subfolders.
/T /E will include empty folders and subfolders.