DOS ain't dead - Batch program for natural to 7-digit file name conversion?

Torsten

09.06.2017, 11:23

Batch program for natural to 7-digit file name conversion? (Miscellaneous)

Dear all,

I need to transfer data between different programs. However, the names
of the files with the respective data follow different conventions:
the input uses natural numbers for files names (i.e. 1, 2 ... 999999),
whereas the target program requires seven-digit file names, with leading
zeroes (0000001, 0000002 ... 0999999, 1000000) to order them properly.

I wonder whether such conversion could be done with a batch program's
"FOR %variable IN (set) DO"-loops, or if a more complex command set is
required. Maybe with a 4DOS's .BTM batch file, or using a script
language (Perl, Java, Rexx)?

Thanks for input, Torsten

tom

Germany (West),
09.06.2017, 13:02

@ Torsten

Batch program for natural to 7-digit file name conversion?

Post reply

> Dear all,
>
> I need to transfer data between different programs. However, the names
> of the files with the respective data follow different conventions:
> the input uses natural numbers for files names (i.e. 1, 2 ... 999999),
> whereas the target program requires seven-digit file names, with leading
> zeroes (0000001, 0000002 ... 0999999, 1000000) to order them properly.
>
> I wonder whether such conversion could be done with a batch program's
> "FOR %variable IN (set) DO"-loops, or if a more complex command set is
> required. Maybe with a 4DOS's .BTM batch file, or using a script
> language (Perl, Java, Rexx)?
>
> Thanks for input, Torsten

FOR %%i IN (?) DO call move.bat %%i 000000%%i
FOR %%i IN (??) DO call move.bat %%i 00000%%i
...

move.bat:
move /Y srcdir\%1 destdir
ren destdir\%1 %2

**** OR even better ******
FOR %%i IN (?) DO ren %%i 0%%i
FOR %%i IN (??) DO ren %%i 0%%i
FOR %%i IN (???) DO ren %%i 0%%i
FOR %%i IN (????) DO ren %%i 0%%i
FOR %%i IN (?????) DO ren %%i 0%%i
FOR %%i IN (??????) DO ren %%i 0%%i
FOR %%i IN (???????) DO ren %%i 0%%i

*** both methods assume there are only files to be converted in the directory

Torsten

28.06.2017, 13:29

@ tom

Batch program for natural to 7-digit file name conversion?

Post reply

> @ECHO OFF
> REM Batch file 00RENAME June 9, 2017 by Tom E., renames files using natural
> REM numbers as names (1, 2 ... 999999) to file names with leading zeroes
> REM (0000001, 0000002 ... 0999999). Helps to overcome different ordering
> REM conventions when transferring data from one program to another. Caution:
> REM in the current directory, any file without an extension will be renamed.
> FOR %%i IN (?) DO ren %%i 0%%i
> FOR %%i IN (??) DO ren %%i 0%%i
> FOR %%i IN (???) DO ren %%i 0%%i
> FOR %%i IN (????) DO ren %%i 0%%i
> FOR %%i IN (?????) DO ren %%i 0%%i
> FOR %%i IN (??????) DO ren %%i 0%%i
> FOR %%i IN (???????) DO ren %%i 0%%i
> ECHO ON

Works perfectly, Tom, thank you!
In this particular case, it is even unnecessary to move index and tag
files into another directory: they use file extensions and your batch thus
doesn't affect them (folder's contents must be re-indexed later, anyway).
Regards, Torsten