cd Into a newly created folder with a random name - windows

Question

I'm currently in the process of running a script that exports a registry key for Outlook profiles before deleting them.
My script currently achieves this - however I am trying to create a folder named Outlook_Backup under the user profile which is dated and has a timestamp.
Is there any way of being able to Create the Outlook_Backup directory and then cd to the Outlook_Backup-dd-mm-yy folder in this location despite having a different folder name each time the script is run?
Usually you could cd to Outlook_Backup but each folder will change such as Outlook_Backup-29-01-2019-26-08-91 and Outlook_Backup-29-01-2019-26-15-65
cd %userprofile% & mkdir Outlook_Backup & cd Outlook_Backup & mkdir Outlook_Backup-%date:~-10,2%"-"%date:~7,2%"-"%date:~-4,4%"-"%time:~3,2%"-"%time:~6,2%"-"%time:~9,2%
The code provided works, however is there a way to append something such as cd latest.Outlook_Backup or the latest created in the Outlook_Backup directory?

Answer 1

I totally get where you are comming from with this.
There are times you want to just paste one or several lines into a CMD Prompt CLIinstance and be done ( and might want to just, as I put it about my own such use of CMD CLI, "Be Lazy", not create permanent variables, or keep itall in one lineto easily give yo oyhers to paste on in to cmd or for whatever reason)
So you have a few options:
A: separate the cmd into separate lines, save the date in a variable and use throughout.
B: wrap everything in a loop ( which also means it can still be written to span multiple lines without them running imdividually as they are entered )
C: Use a loop at the end to find the name of the folder written each time.
All are completely valid methods.
I usually prefered option B when trying to keep things single lined as the loop allows me to stipl paste itnmulti-linee but get a more? when testing in case I missed something in my copy paste, and its easy to expand/collapse (IMO)
I'm on mobile, writing this and my kids just started waking up. Gotta get rolling.
I will paste option B in real quick if I can but not going to have time to write all 3 just this moment.
Oh, another thing, avoid CDing into locations if possible. Ymmv but often writing a cmd that generates the full path is more efficient and less likely to cause issues.
In any case:
For %%A IN ("%date:~-10,2%"-"%date:~7,2%"-"%date:~-4,4%"-"%time:~3,2%"-"%time:~6,2%"-"%time:~9,2%") DO ( cd %userprofile% & mkdir Outlook_Backup & cd Outlook_Backup & mkdir Outlook_Backup-%%~A & CD Outlook_Backup-%%~A
)
The above can be run across multiple lines as so:
For %%A IN (
"%date:~-10,2%"-"%date:~7,2%"-"%date:~-4,4%"-"%time:~3,2%"-"%time:~6,2%"-"%time:~9,2%"
) DO (
cd %userprofile%
mkdir Outlook_Backup
cd Outlook_Backup
mkdir Outlook_Backup-%%~A
CD Outlook_Backup-%%~A)
You don't neee those ChDir (CD) statements (as I mention above) and MkDir (MD) can create multiple levels of sub directories, so it would be pragmatic to write it as this:
For %%A IN (
"%date:~-10,2%"-"%date:~7,2%"-"%date:~-4,4%"-"%time:~3,2%"-"%time:~6,2%"-"%time:~9,2%"
) DO (
MD "%userprofile%\Outlook_Backup\Outlook_Backup-%%~A\"
CD /D "%userprofile%\Outlook_Backup\Outlook_Backup-%%~A\" )
Or as a single line:'
For %%A IN ( "%date:~-10,2%"-"%date:~7,2%"-"%date:~-4,4%"-"%time:~3,2%"-"%time:~6,2%"-"%time:~9,2%") DO ( MD "%userprofile%\Outlook_Backup\Outlook_Backup-%%~A\" & CD /D "%userprofile%\Outlook_Backup\Outlook_Backup-%%~A\" )