Batch Programming, confusion about FOR loop syntax?

Question

I've never used batch programming before, my experience is with Java and C#, but I wanted to try to learn. I am trying to make a script so that when I run it, I put in a directory path, and then the program will go through every file in said folder, tell me the name of it and ask if I want to delete it. This is what I have so far:

@ECHO off
set /p folder="Folder Address: "
FOR /R %folder% %%G IN (.) DO (
    set filepath=%%~dpa
    set /p delete="Delete?: "
    IF %delete%="Y" IF %delete%="y"(
    del %filepath%
    )

    pause
)

So when I start the script, it asks for the folder address. I type in C:\Users\Tim\Downloads and press Enter. Then, the command prompt closes and nothing happens. I've been looking into the FOR loop syntax and whatnot, but I still can't find what I'm doing wrong. Any help would be appreciated, thanks!

Edit: I'm pretty sure there are differences in syntax between operating systems. So just in case it's important, I have Windows 7.

Edit: I have updated the code to what npocmaka suggested:

@ECHO off
set /p folder="Folder Address: "
FOR /R %folder% %%G IN (.) DO (
    set filepath=%%~dpa
    set /p delete="Delete?: "
    IF /I !delete!="Y"(
      del !filepath!
    )

    pause
)

It still yields the same results, however.

You can use the tree command. <br> Example: tree D:\

Roke
– Roke

2015-09-14 22:47:59 +00:00
Commented Sep 14, 2015 at 22:47 — Roke
– Roke, Commented Sep 14, 2015 at 22:47

npocmaka · Accepted Answer · 2015-09-14 19:49:14Z

1

You need delayed expansion and proper OR logic (the one you are using is rather AND - use the /I switch in IF ):

   @ECHO off
set /p folder="Folder Address: "
setlocal enableDelayedExpansion
FOR /R "%folder%" %%G IN (*) DO (
    set "filepath=%%~fG"
    set /p delete="Delete !filepath!?: "
    IF /I "!delete!" equ "Y" (
       del /Q "!filepath!"
    )

    rem pause
)

edited Sep 14, 2015 at 19:49

answered Sep 14, 2015 at 19:28

npocmaka

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6 Comments

Tim Over a year ago

Are you purposely using exclamation marks at !delete! and !filepath!? Is that correct or did you mean to use %'s? Sorry, you can see how new I am to this haha

npocmaka Over a year ago

@Tim - when the delayed expansion is turned on you can access both ! and % to expand the variables.But with with ! variables are expanded when the command is executed and % when the command is parsed.So ! expands the variable a little bit later - in this case after the code block is parsed.

Tim Over a year ago

Alright, cool. It still is doing nothing though. Could I be entering the address wrong when I run it? I type it exactly as C:\Users\Tim\Downloads

npocmaka Over a year ago

@Tim - aah.%folder% should be quoted.Edited now

npocmaka Over a year ago

@Tim And with FOR /R you need wild card to display files correctly.Also fixed

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