Using a for loop in Microsoft cmd.exe, how can I process only the files with a certain extension?

Question

I have a the folder c:\test\ and two files in it a.txt and b.txtv.

I would like to process just the files with extension equal to .txt.

If I write this commands

cd c:\test
for %f in (*.txt) do echo %f

I will get the result where both a.txt and b.txtv are listed.

The same happens with

cd c:\test
dir *.txt

It seems .txt is the same of .txtv.

I have Windows XP SP3 in Italian and the result of

ver

is Microsoft Windows XP [Versione 5.1.2600].

The same result is from Windows 7 in English Microsoft Windows XP [Version 6.1.7601].

Just a side note but Windows Ver. 6.1 is the official version number for Windows 7. — Brent Pabst, Jul 02 '12 at 15:18

score 7 · Answer 1 · edited Jul 02 '12 at 15:09

7

Try using forfiles instead. It seems to be more restrictive on what it returns for the extension, plus it has the added benefit of a built in for loop. Should already be on the Win7 box, but you might have to install a 2003 Server Resource kit on the XP box to get it on there.

edited Jul 02 '12 at 15:09

jscott

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answered Jul 02 '12 at 15:05

August

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score 4 · Accepted Answer · answered Jul 02 '12 at 15:33

for %%I in (*.*) do if "%%~xI"==".txt" (echo %%I)

That should do it.

Edit: that's the "scripting" syntax. If you want to type this at the command line, you must remove one of the % sign each time they are doubled, linke this:

for %I in (*.*) do if "%~xI"==".txt" (echo %I)

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Jul 02 '12 at 15:21

0

It's really simple in PowerShell and works fine with the following:

PS C:\Users\bpabst\Desktop> ls *.txt


Directory: C:\Users\bpabst\Desktop


Mode                LastWriteTime     Length Name
----                -------------     ------ ----
-a---          7/2/2012  11:19 AM         11 test.txt

answered Jul 02 '12 at 15:21

Brent Pabst

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So how does this explain the behavior OP is seeing with `cmd` and `FOR`? – jscott Jul 02 '12 at 15:34
How about in this pre-existing question: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1523043/how-to-loop-through-files-and-rename-using-powershell – Brent Pabst Jul 02 '12 at 15:46
I'm still not seeing "powershell" listed anywhere in the OP's question. They even tagged it [batch] and [cmd]. – jscott Jul 02 '12 at 15:48
"Better technology" -- Sorry, I think you're missing the point of the OP's question. – jscott Jul 02 '12 at 16:02

Using a for loop in Microsoft cmd.exe, how can I process only the files with a certain extension?

3 Answers3