Windows & DOS: Issues & Discussions

Yes. I agree. I don't know what I was thinking!

Apologies.

Robin

well. I'd love to do this without anything added besides the general DOS Shell.

I'd probably even cope with commands longer than 2 lines if needed.

Step 1: Install DOS. (You don't get that anymore, just Windows CMD.)

If CMD will do:

Code:

for %a in (*.png) DO ( set V=%a
echo rename %%V%% %%V:~2%% )

You can't do it in one statement because %a is not a 'real' variable, windows for is a strange beast.

Remove the echo once you've tested and are sure it does what you want.

Windows CMD is inconsistent here in that more %'s are required when you put this in a batch file than when you run it in a shell window; cmd's 'for' is a very strange beast. Some experimentation may be required.

dd's skip obviates both cat and the subshell. Therefore, it is with a heavy heart that I must award you this useless use of cat award

Regards,
Alister

Doesn't seem to work... neither directly in CMD nor in a bat file.

Like I said I want to achieve this without installing anything else...

To repeat:

I tried to make it so it would work in a batch file, but didn't get the right combination I guess. This exact code works when typed into shell:

Code:

for %a in (*.txt) DO (
        set V=%a
        echo rename %V% %V:~2%
)

Nope that doesn't work in DOS either.

I put a test.png in a folder.

1st try:
paste script in batch, execute -> Fail, png stays unrenamed

2nd try:
execute said script from CMD: -> Fail, output: "a cannot be syntactically processed here."

3rd try:
execute by pasting into command line -> see 1





Honestly I would be happy with ONLY ONE approach that will work while executed form a batch script...