Batch: Create folders from filename (substring) - windows

Question

i have loads of files which i want to organize differently. The batch script should create folders with the substring on the left side of the date in the filename.
Files are now named like this:
This_is_my_file_21.01.29_22-00_abc_115.avi
This_is_my_file_20.09.29_21-10_abc_15.avi
This_is_another_file_21.01.29_22-00_abc_55.avi
Pattern:
<Name with unknown number of underscores>_<YY.MM.DD>_<hh-mm>_<string with unknown length>_<number n from 1-999>.avi
Folders should be named like this:
This_is_my_file <- two files will go into this directory
This_is_another_file <- only one file.
The Problem is, how do I get the correct substring for my folder name?
This is what I have so far:
#echo off
setlocal
set "basename=."
for /F "tokens=1* delims=." %%a in ('dir *.avi /B /A-D ^| sort /R') do (
set "filename=%%a"
setlocal EnableDelayedExpansion
for /F "delims=" %%c in ("!basename!") do if "!filename:%%c=!" equ "!filename!" (
set "basename=!filename!"
md "!basename:~0,-23!"
)
move "!filename!.%%b" "!basename:~0,-23!"
for /F "delims=" %%c in ("!basename!") do (
endlocal
set "basename=%%c
)
)

Answer 1

#ECHO OFF
SETLOCAL
rem The following settings for the source directory, destination directory, target directory,
rem batch directory, filenames, output filename and temporary filename [if shown] are names
rem that I use for testing and deliberately include names which include spaces to make sure
rem that the process works using such names. These will need to be changed to suit your situation.
SET "sourcedir=u:\your files\t w o"
FOR /f "delims=" %%b IN ('dir /b /a-d "%sourcedir%\*.avi" ' ) DO (
SETLOCAL ENABLEDELAYEDEXPANSION
CALL :countus "%%b"
IF DEFINED subdir (
MD "!subdir!" 2>NUL
ECHO MOVE "%sourcedir%\%%b" "%sourcedir%\!subdir!\"
) ELSE (
ECHO Failed pattern check %%b
)
ENDLOCAL
)
GOTO :EOF
:: count number of underscores before pattern YY.MM.DD_hh-mm
:countus
SET /a ucount=0
:countusloop
SET /a ucount+=1
SET /a scount=ucount+1
FOR /f "tokens=%ucount%,%scount%delims=_" %%q IN ("%~1") DO SET "str1=%%q"&SET "str2=%%r"
IF NOT DEFINED str2 SET "subdir="&GOTO :EOF
:: is %str1%.%str2:-=.%. of form np.np.np.np.np where np is a number-pair?
SET "candidate=%str1%.%str2:-=.%."
FOR /L %%c IN (10,1,99) DO IF DEFINED candidate SET "candidate=!candidate:%%c.=!"&IF NOT DEFINED candidate GOTO success
FOR /L %%c IN (0,1,9) DO IF DEFINED candidate SET "candidate=!candidate:0%%c.=!"&IF NOT DEFINED candidate GOTO success
GOTO countusloop
:success
SET "subdir=%~1"
FOR /f "delims=:" %%e IN ("!subdir:_%str1%_%str2%=:!") DO SET "subdir=%%e"
GOTO :eof
The "move" command is merely echoed for verification. Remove the echo from echo move to actually move the files.

Answer 2

This possible solution uses the fact that your filenames have a known number of underscores if you work backwards. All I do is replace those underscores with backslashes, which obviously cannot already be contained in the filename. I can then use the relative paths to step up the filename, as if it were a directory tree, until all I have left is the part ahead of the date sequence, which I then replace the backslashes with underscores again. I use the result of that with robocopy, which has a move option, and will create the destination directory automatically, if it does not already exist. At the outset, I perform the directory search, in the same directory as the batch-file, using where.exe, (you can change that, on line three, from "%~dp0." to ".", if you want to use the current directory instead, or "any other path" as necessary). where.exe not only treats the ? wildcard as exactly one character, (unlike the dir command which is zero or one), but also ignores 8.3 naming. It therefore treats the .avi extension exactly as written, (and not 'beginning with' .avi, which dir, or a standard for loop, would).
Anyhow, feel free to give it a try:
#Echo Off & SetLocal EnableExtensions DisableDelayedExpansion
Set "}=" & For /F Delims^= %%G In ('(Set PATHEXT^=^) ^& %__AppDir__%where.exe
"%~dp0.":"?*_??.??.??_??-??_?*.avi" 2^> NUL') Do (Set "}=%%~nG"
SetLocal EnableDelayedExpansion & For %%H In ("\!}:_=\!") Do (
EndLocal & For %%I In ("%%~pH..\..") Do (Set "}=%%~pI"
SetLocal EnableDelayedExpansion & Set "}=!}:~1,-1!"
For %%J In ("!}:\=_!") Do (EndLocal & %__AppDir__%robocopy.exe ^
"%%~dpG." "%%~dpG%%~J" "%%~nxG" /Mov 1> NUL))))
If you want even further robustness, and do not wish to use a more suitable scripting technology, the following, extremely complex looking, version, is the same code, except that it uses findstr to validate the date and time sequence. It filters those avi files containing the following pattern, _yy.MM.dd_hh-mm_ in the avi filenames, using all dates from the beginning of 1970 up until the end of 2021:
#Echo Off & SetLocal EnableExtensions DisableDelayedExpansion
Set "}=" & For /F Delims^= %%G In ('(Set PATHEXT^=^) ^& %__AppDir__%where.exe
"%~dp0.":"?*_??.??.??_??-??_?*.avi" 2^> NUL ^| %__AppDir__%findstr.exe
/RC:"_[789][0123456789].0[123456789].0[123456789]_[01][0123456789]-[012345][0123456789]_"
/C:"_[789][0123456789].0[123456789].0[123456789]_2[0123]-[012345][0123456789]_"
/C:"_[789][0123456789].0[123456789].[12][0123456789]_[01][0123456789]-[012345][0123456789]_"
/C:"_[789][0123456789].0[123456789].[12][0123456789]_2[0123]-[012345][0123456789]_"
/C:"_[789][0123456789].0[123456789].3[01]_[01][0123456789]-[012345][0123456789]_"
/C:"_[789][0123456789].0[123456789].3[01]_2[0123]-[012345][0123456789]_"
/C:"_[789][0123456789].1[012].0[123456789]_[01][0123456789]-[012345][0123456789]_"
/C:"_[789][0123456789].1[012].0[123456789]_2[0123]-[012345][0123456789]_"
/C:"_[789][0123456789].1[012].[12][0123456789]_[01][0123456789]-[012345][0123456789]_"
/C:"_[789][0123456789].1[012].[12][0123456789]_2[0123]-[012345][0123456789]_"
/C:"_[789][0123456789].1[012].3[01]_[01][0123456789]-[012345][0123456789]_"
/C:"_[789][0123456789].1[012].3[01]_2[0123]-[012345][0123456789]_"
/C:"_[01][0123456789].0[123456789].0[123456789]_[01][0123456789]-[012345][0123456789]_"
/C:"_[01][0123456789].0[123456789].0[123456789]_2[0123]-[012345][0123456789]_"
/C:"_[01][0123456789].0[123456789].[12][0123456789]_[01][0123456789]-[012345][0123456789]_"
/C:"_[01][0123456789].0[123456789].[12][0123456789]_2[0123]-[012345][0123456789]_"
/C:"_[01][0123456789].0[123456789].3[01]_[01][0123456789]-[012345][0123456789]_"
/C:"_[01][0123456789].0[123456789].3[01]_2[0123]-[012345][0123456789]_"
/C:"_[01][0123456789].1[012].0[123456789]_[01][0123456789]-[012345][0123456789]_"
/C:"_[01][0123456789].1[012].0[123456789]_2[0123]-[012345][0123456789]_"
/C:"_[01][0123456789].1[012].[12][0123456789]_[01][0123456789]-[012345][0123456789]_"
/C:"_[01][0123456789].1[012].[12][0123456789]_2[0123]-[012345][0123456789]_"
/C:"_[01][0123456789].1[012].3[01]_[01][0123456789]-[012345][0123456789]_"
/C:"_[01][0123456789].1[012].3[01]_2[0123]-[012345][0123456789]_"
/C:"_2[01].0[123456789].0[123456789]_[01][0123456789]-[012345][0123456789]_"
/C:"_2[01].0[123456789].0[123456789]_2[0123]-[012345][0123456789]_"
/C:"_2[01].0[123456789].[12][0123456789]_[01][0123456789]-[012345][0123456789]_"
/C:"_2[01].0[123456789].[12][0123456789]_2[0123]-[012345][0123456789]_"
/C:"_2[01].0[123456789].3[01]_[01][0123456789]-[012345][0123456789]_"
/C:"_2[01].0[123456789].3[01]_2[0123]-[012345][0123456789]_"
/C:"_2[01].1[012].0[123456789]_[01][0123456789]-[012345][0123456789]_"
/C:"_2[01].1[012].0[123456789]_2[0123]-[012345][0123456789]_"
/C:"_2[01].1[012].[12][0123456789]_[01][0123456789]-[012345][0123456789]_"
/C:"_2[01].1[012].[12][0123456789]_2[0123]-[012345][0123456789]_"
/C:"_2[01].1[012].3[01]_[01][0123456789]-[012345][0123456789]_"
/C:"_2[01].1[012].3[01]_2[0123]-[012345][0123456789]_"') Do (Set "}=%%~nG"
SetLocal EnableDelayedExpansion & For %%H In ("\!}:_=\!") Do (
EndLocal & For %%I In ("%%~pH..\..") Do (Set "}=%%~pI"
SetLocal EnableDelayedExpansion & Set "}=!}:~1,-1!"
For %%J In ("!}:\=_!") Do (EndLocal & %__AppDir__%robocopy.exe ^
"%%~dpG." "%%~dpG%%~J" "%%~nxG" /Mov 1> NUL))))