Looping through %1 as a directory in batch? - for-loop

Question

I've searched the web for answers but can't seem to find an answer. I want the user to provide a directory and to be able to loop through it. I'm able to loop through the current directory like so:
#Echo off
for /r %%f in (*.*) do (
echo %%f
)
But then when I try to do the same by looping through %1, I can't get the result I'm looking for. What am I doing wrong? Here's where I'm at in the batch file:
#Echo off
if exist %1 (
for /r %%f in (%1) do (
echo %%f
)
) else (
echo "That directory does not exist."
)
I've tried using /D but all that did was echo the directory I provided like this:
FileCount C:\Users\Me\Desktop
> C:\Users\Me\Desktop
Edit: My goal for this program is to eventually count the number of files within the given directory. I expect the directory to be provided as it's absolute path and I'll be executing this file through cmd. Here's an example of the input I'm expecting.
FileCount C:\Users\Me\Desktop
And the desired output would be something like:
> Hello world.txt
> Cat.png
> There are 2 files within this directory.
Side-note: I don't want to filter out the output of the dir command, I want to do this with a for loop.

Answer 1

Here's what you asked for, plus the optional recurs feature. Note that this will miss hidden files and directories.
#setlocal EnableExtensions
#prompt=$G
#set _Error_Success=0
#set _Error_PathNotFound=3
#if "%~1" equ "/?" goto :Usage
#if "%~1" equ "" goto :Usage
#if "%~1" equ "/r" (#set _recurs=/r & #set _root=%~2) else (#set _root=%~1)
#if not exist "%_root%" goto :Oops
#set count=0
#pushd "%_root%"
#for %_recurs% %%f in (*) do #call :Counter "%%f"
#popd
#echo There are %count% entries within this directory.
#exit /b %_Error_Success%
:Counter
#set /a count+=1
#echo %~1
#exit /b %_Error_Success%
:Oops
#echo "That directory does not exist."
#exit /b %_Error_PathNotFound%
:Usage
#echo Usage: FileCount [/r] path
And this uses the dir command, without resorting to invoking findstr:
#setlocal EnableExtensions
#prompt=$G
#set _Error_Success=0
#set _Error_PathNotFound=3
#set _Error_InvalidParameter=87
#set _attributes=
#set _recurs=
#set _count=0
#if "%~1" equ "/?" #goto :Usage & #exit
#if "%~1" equ "" goto :Usage
#set _root=%~1
#if not exist "%_root%" goto :Oops
#shift
#pushd "%_root%"
for /f %%G in ('dir /B /A-d %1 %2 %_root%') do #call :Counter "%%G"
#popd
#echo There are %_count% entries within this directory.
#exit /b %_Error_Success%
:Counter
#set /a _count+=1
#echo %~1
#exit /b %_Error_Success%
:HandleOptions
:Oops
#echo "That directory does not exist."
#exit /b %_Error_PathNotFound%
:Usage
#echo Usage: FileCount [/A<Attributes>] [/S] rootPath
#echo Where <Attributes> corresponds to 'dir /A' optiions (see 'help dir')
#echo and /S will cause recursion into subdirectories of rootPath.

Answer 2

This example, uses a for loop, and does not use the dir command, as per your inexplicable request, but it does use xcopy to list and count the files within it instead:
#For %%G In ("%~1") Do #If "%%~aG" Lss "d" (If "%%~aG" GEq "-" (
Echo Error: File argument given, expected a directory.
%SystemRoot%\System32\timeout.exe /T 3 /NoBreak 1> NUL
Exit /B 1) Else (
Echo Error: Invalid argument, directory path expected.
%SystemRoot%\System32\timeout.exe /T 3 /NoBreak 1> NUL
Exit /B 1)
) Else Echo File content of "%~1":& For /F Delims^= %%H In (
'%SystemRoot%\System32\xcopy.exe "%~1" : /HIL') Do #Echo %%~nxH
#%SystemRoot%\System32\timeout.exe /T -1 & Exit /B 0
If you want it to recurse the input directory, then I'd suggest this very small modification:
#For %%G In ("%~1") Do #If "%%~aG" Lss "d" (If "%%~aG" GEq "-" (
Echo Error: File argument given, expected a directory.
%SystemRoot%\System32\timeout.exe /T 3 /NoBreak 1> NUL
Exit /B 1) Else (
Echo Error: Invalid argument, directory path expected.
%SystemRoot%\System32\timeout.exe /T 3 /NoBreak 1> NUL
Exit /B 1)
) Else Echo File content of "%~1":& For /F Delims^= %%H In (
'%SystemRoot%\System32\xcopy.exe "%~1" : /HILS') Do #Echo %%H
#%SystemRoot%\System32\timeout.exe /T -1 & Exit /B 0
Or with a little more work, outputting relative paths instead:
#For %%G In ("%~1") Do #If "%%~aG" Lss "d" (If "%%~aG" GEq "-" (
Echo Error: File argument given, expected a directory.
%SystemRoot%\System32\timeout.exe /T 3 /NoBreak 1> NUL
Exit /B 1) Else (
Echo Error: Invalid argument, directory path expected.
%SystemRoot%\System32\timeout.exe /T 3 /NoBreak 1> NUL
Exit /B 1)
) Else Echo File content of "%~1":& For /F Delims^= %%H In (
'%SystemRoot%\System32\xcopy.exe "%~1" : /HILS') Do #(
Set "}=%%H" & SetLocal EnableDelayedExpansion
For %%I In ("!}:*%~1=.!") Do #EndLocal & Echo %%~I)
#%SystemRoot%\System32\timeout.exe /T -1 & Exit /B 0

Answer 3

setlocal enabledelayedexpansion
rem Put it into a folder that is in ENV PATH variable.
rem So, you can call it from wherever you want.
if not "%~1"=="" (
if exist "%~dpn1" (
set /a "filecount=0"
for /f "tokens=* delims=" %%f in ('dir /b "%~dpn1"') do (
echo %%f
set /a "filecount+=1"
)
echo:
echo In "%~dpn1" found !filecount! file^(s^).
) else (
echo:
echo [ERROR] Invalid input. Please specify:
echo 1. A full path.
echo 2. A folder in cwd.
echo:
echo If input is empty, current working directory (cwd)
echo will be considered.
exit /b 1
)
) else (
set /a "filecount=0"
for /f "tokens=* delims=" %%f in ('dir /b "%~dp0"') do (
echo %%f
set /a "filecount+=1"
)
echo:
echo In "%~dp0" found !filecount! file^(s^).
)
endlocal
If you want it recursive call it as progname.bat /r [foldname]:
setlocal enabledelayedexpansion
rem Put it into a folder that is in ENV PATH variable.
rem So, you can call it from wherever you want.
if "%1"=="/r" shift
if not "%1"=="" (
if exist "%~dpn1" (
set /a "filecount=0"
set /a "totalcount=0"
set "oldroot=%~dpn1"
for /f "tokens=* delims=" %%f in ('dir /b /s "!cd!"') do (
if not "%%~dpf"=="!oldroot!" (
echo:
echo In "!oldroot!" found !filecount! file^(s^).
echo:
set /a "filecount=0"
set "oldroot=%%~dpf"
)
echo --- %%f
set /a "filecount+=1"
set /a "totalcount+=1"
)
echo:
echo In "%~dpn1" found !totalcount! file^(s^).
) else (
echo:
echo [ERROR] Invalid input. Please specify:
echo 1. A full path.
echo 2. A folder in cwd.
echo:
echo If input is empty, current working directory (cwd)
echo will be considered.
exit /b 1
)
) else (
set /a "filecount=0"
set /a "totalcount=0"
set "oldroot=!cd!"
for /f "tokens=* delims=" %%f in ('dir /b /s "!cd!"') do (
if not "%%~dpf"=="!oldroot!" (
echo:
echo In "!oldroot!" found !filecount! file^(s^).
echo:
set /a "filecount=0"
set "oldroot=%%~dpf"
)
echo --- %%f
set /a "filecount+=1"
set /a "totalcount+=1"
)
echo:
echo In "%~dp0" found !totalcount! file^(s^).
)
endlocal
Try it and see if it is what you expected.

Answer 4

Thank you for the help everybody, I've found the solution to the problem and it was very simple. All I needed to do was loop through %1\*.* instead of %1 itself.
#Echo off
if exist %1 (
for %%f in (%1\*.*) do (
echo %%f
)
) else (
echo "That directory does not exist."
)