I'm writing a .bat file that calls a .exe that processes a bunch of documents. I am writing it to test the .exe's performance. Currently, the .bat file runs a for loop to run the .exe on every file in the folder. Sometimes the .exe will run into errors and will not be able to finish running due to incompatibility between the document and the .exe (still working on perfecting the .exe). How can I tell my .bat file to mark the bad files as errors and continue processing the rest of the files?
Edit: I don't want to terminate the batch file; I'd like to terminate the .exe for that specific file, and then continue with the for loop.
I was trying to make a batch file that compresses a specific folder (using winrar) to a specific location (not the same as the folder location), password (that I can choose myself) protects it AND does all of that without a cmd screen popping up.
I have very little knowledge of programming and managed to get some things working, but not all at the same time and in the same batch file.
Also to rar that file do I need Winrar to be installed on the computer or can I reffer to the rar.exe (copied from the Program Files Windows folder to a different location)?
AFAIK it's not possible to run a a bat file without a visible CMD window without using any additional tools. Here's a link to a post how to run a hidden console: https://superuser.com/questions/62525/run-a-batch-file-in-a-completely-hidden-way
It is possible to use just the rar.exe but I would use 7zip instead. The performance is way better, it's also portable and you have many options in the command line. So your project would contain the bat file itself, the vb script file and the 7z.exe (or rar.exe). If you want, you can even create a single .exe file out of these three by creating a SFX file: http://www.7zsfx.info/en/
Hope I could help you.
How would I create a self executing batch file to delete files in a specific folder.
Scenario: I have a folder on a server where all the scannered documents go to once they have been scanned. They want a the scanned documents to be deleted after 1 day. Can a batch file be created to do that everyday?
You can use the built in task scheduler - this can call a batch file, or just about anything.
(I am assuming Windows, since you mention batch files).
This is quite a well known method, and was documented in MSDN some time ago. This technique works on both Windows 95 and Windows NT. It works because MS-DOS batch files are able to delete themselves. To test this technique, create a small batch file containing the single command:
del %0.bat
The batch file, when run, deletes itself and issues an error "The batch file cannot be found". This error is just a simple message, so it can be safely ignored. By itself this isn't too useful, but when modified to delete our executable it solves our problem, albeit in a rather forceful manner. Our executable will create a batch file (called C:\DelUs.bat) with the following content:
:Repeat
del "C:\MYDIR\MYPROG.EXE"
if exist "MYPROG.EXE" goto Repeat
rmdir "C:\MYDIR"
del "\DelUS.bat"
This batch file repeatedly attempts to delete the specified file, and will run continuously consuming CPU until it succeeds. When the execuable has been deleted, the batch file then deletes itself.
The executable needs to spawn off the batch file using CreateProcess, and then should exit immediately. It would be a good idea to give the batch file's thread of execution a low priority so that it doesn't get much execution time until the original executable has terminated.
Read the entire article at http://www.catch22.net/tuts/self-deleting-executables that contains the full code to this technique.
I am using 7zip to pack an installation (im using 7z because i need it to work in linux and windows).
From what i've been reading the config.txt file can contains this:
;!#Install#!UTF-8!
RunProgram="Installer.exe"
;!#InstallEnd#!
But what if i need to run another exe before or after running installer.exe? Is it possible like it is in NSIS?
You can specify another progrem in 'RUnProgram' config parameter. Lets say its some .bat file. At the moment program is run, files are already extracted at TEMP location. As your .bat will run then, it can call Installer.exe once script is finished preparations.
i am using 'Bat to Exe Converter' to convert my batch files to exe format.
Now, i am running into some problems.
Whenever i convert something, and i set 'Working Directory' to 'Current Directory', and i start my exe in echo on mode, this is what i end up with to check if there is a specific file in the directory of my exe:
the actual command: if not exist "%~dp0\file.txt" goto :nofile
output: if not exist "C:\Users\MyUser\AppData\Local\Temp\4CBC\\file.txt" goto :nofile
Can anyone help me with this? I don't want it in the temp directory, i want it to be in the directory of my exe.
Thanks.
Without having Bat to Exe changed by the author, I think you have two options:
Remove the need for accessing %~dp0
Perhaps you can merge file.txt with the include option of Bat to Exe into the EXE file. If so, "file.txt" will automatically be unpacked in the current directory when running your compiled exe, and you can it access by %CD%\file.txt.
Get %~dp0 from outside and pass it to the exe as a command line parameter.
This can be done by a simple starter bat file that resides in the same directory as your compiled main batch file. This script schould contain the line
YourCompiled.Exe %~dp0% %%*
Your compiled exe then gets its directory from %1. So you cannot pack everything into one exe, but the main portion of it, perhaps that is sufficient for you.
Well, apparently your batch to exe converter simply packs the batch file and extracts it to a temporary directory prior to execution. Very simplistic, hard to get wrong (compared to actually understand the batch file) but it introduces errors such as the one you're describing.
Your best bet is probably to use another batch to exe converter; some of them are actually a little more sophisticated.
Generally, this is not a good idea. firstly, its prone to errors and instability of the converter on different cmd features. secondly, a determined hacker can still decode what you are doing with the batch. My suggestion, if you are so afraid of people looking into your batch,
1) let only the people who are authorized to use your batch to use it
2) give them the correct permissions.
OR, don't use batch at all
1) create a central interface such as a web interface, where all tasks to be done goes through that interface, like using an ATM machine where only buttons are allowed and all the available user options can be done by pushing buttons...etc..
2) authenticate your users through a central authentication system, eg Active Directory, or LDAP or a database.
This is an 2.5 yr old subject but there is an answer to this so I'm posting for anyone else that happens to find this in a search.
B2EC written by Fatih Kodak, has an option to "Submit current directory".
When this is used, you can reference %1 in your batch file to get the path of the EXE that was executed (instead of the path of the extracted BAT that is really being run).
Hovering over that option in the UI shows "Submit the current working directory as the last parameter". The "last parameter" in my use has always been %1 but you can test your code to be sure.
The latest version, 2.1.4 at time of writing, of Bat to Exe by Fatih Kodak creates an Environmental Variable at runtime that can be substituted in place of %~dp0 to reference the Exe's path. Therefore, you can simply replace %-dp0 with %b2eprogrampathname% in the original batch file.
You can use external folders with f2ko's batch to exe converter. Having
a separate folder for subroutines can neaten up a project folder.
To call mysubroutine that is located in mysubroutinesfolder\mysubroutine,
...
pushd mysubroutinesfolder
call mysubroutine
popd
...
The call can be made a one liner:
call xqt mysubroutine
where xqt.cmd is a program that does the call for you:
pushd mysubroutinesfolder
call %*
popd
exit /b
(the %* means "all of the arguments").
In this way your batch programs run as batch, and UNMODIFIED they will
compile with the bat to exe converter, creating a completely folder independent executable. Select "temporary directory",
and include all of the subroutines/executables in your mysubroutines folder
by "selecting them all" with your cursor as usual, then hit "copy".
Be sure to include the xqt.cmd program too; place it "outside" of your mysubroutines folder. Make sure that is is accessible by your main program. Remember to select x64 if you
are runnning on a x64 machine, or the executable will not find SYSTEM32
files. You can find f2k0's batch to exe converter at:
http://www.f2ko.de/programs.php?pid=b2e
Try this development environment for batch scripts, Batch Compiler . It has everything you need to develop a batch program.And compile into stable stand alone executable (Exe).
Friendly user interface.
Debugger, Check your code for syntax errors.
Powerful, versatile compiler.
Allows mouse input in batch files.
Use Windows Common Dialog Boxes.(BrowseFiles,BrowseFolders)
Draw graphics in batch files.
Reverse engineering proof encryption of source code.
Include Company name, Copyright info and Version info.
Make invisible(silent) executables.
Executables with administrator privileges.
Run & debug your script while editing.
Embed resources with executable.(music,images,files)
Advance Commands (BrowseFiles,LaunchSilent,MouseCMD)
Stand-alone executables.No dependencies needed.
Executables are woking on almost all windows operating systems.(98 to 10)
Quick download : http://bc.gotek.info/files/BatchCompiler159.zip
Cheers!
%cd% will give you the current directory:
if not exist "%CD%\file.txt" goto :nofile
Use %CD% instead of %~dp0.
EDIT:
B2EC is not a real converter. Creation location of equipped .cmd file was chosen to be %TEMP% and this is a good choice. Application just lacks 3rd option for working directory of the script - .exe file directory. I advise you to mail the author about adding this one.
Different paths for .exe and created .cmd lead to information loss, i.e. we are unable to know .exe directory and current directory at the same time without providing additional information to the script (e.g. using environment variable or passing it as first/last argument to the script). This script would need to handle it and we would end writing cmd scripts tailored for this converter, which is bad.
%~dp0 - script directory (%TEMP%/.../) - practically useless
%cd% - working directory (as set up in the converter) - currently there are only 2 options: current directory (working directory of .exe) and temporary directory (actually equal to %~dp0, but without trailing backslash)
I think it can be solved by patching cmd.exe instance in memory to change the script path, but that's B2EC developer's duty.
Side note: Normal executable files can be easily executed with specified 0th argument by providing appriopriate lpApplicationName and lpCommandLine to CreateProcess function. Command files are executed via cmd.exe, so 0th argument cannot be set this way.