Solve : Piping Question ...?

1.	Solve : Piping Question ...?
Answer» Hello all, Could anyone please shed some light as to why none of the following work (xp prompt), its fairly obvious what I am trying to achieve ... rd/s/q * rd/s/q < listOfDirs dir/b/ad \| rd/s/q Been winding me up all day ... thanks, BoByes its obvious. but show the error messages you got...if anywhat an incredibly helpful reply ! whats so obvious about it? when your carrying out the first command in a directory that only contains other directories (no files), the second command TRIES to get its input from listOfDirs which is the output of a dir/b/ad > listOfDirs. Anyway, for the first one I get : The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect. And for the second + third ones I get : The syntax of the command is incorrect.I don't know your intentions, but they can't be good... Though, for the first one, try: Code: (Delete all files/folders in the current dir, inc.) [Select]rd /s /q %cd%I have a hard drive that needs wiping and wanted to do it in dos ... ? Thank you so much for your answer tho 'DeltaSlaya', have learned from that! Could anyone tell me the reason for the piping / redirecting not working however?WELL you said: Quote Could anyone please shed some light as to why none of the following work (xp prompt), its fairly obvious what I am trying to achieve ... So, I assumed wrong. But, to answer your question. Quote from: RD Help C:\>rd /? Removes (deletes) a directory. RMDIR [/S] [/Q] [drive:]path RD [/S] [/Q] [drive:]path /S Removes all directories and files in the specified directory in addition to the directory itself. Used to remove a directory tree. /Q Quiet MODE, do not ask if ok to remove a directory tree with /S Note the singluar 'directory' etc. This means that piping or by other means giving a list of directories to the rd command will NOT work. It requires a directory name. Also, if you want * a wildcard to work I think you have to use the 'del' command. Code: (this would grab a directory name from a file and use it) [Select]@set dirname=<dirtodelete.txt @rd /s /q %dirname% NOTE: That will only work for one directory in the file. Pretty pointless but it wouldn't work the other way.Thank you again DeltaSlaya ... however, what I dont understand is that if rd is only supposed to work with a single directory, then why does this code work as expected ... md moo cow duck rd moo cow duck You see what I mean?Good point. Looking over it again i see how that could work. But the two original methods you supplied will not work. Perhaps a for statement could perform it with multiple directories as well. To use a file with a list of directories on each line, or on the same with a space on each this should work. Code: [Select]for /F "delims=" %%i in ('findstr . dirstodel.txt') do rd /s /q %%i I'm learning for statements myself, but that should work with a file full of directories.This may explain better, but remember I'm not a DOS command expert: Code: [Select]@echo off :: Create txt file with list of dirs echo Testfolder1 Testfolder2 Testfolder3 Testfolder4 Testfolder5>todel.txt :: Assign var with contents set /p d=<todel.txt :: Make directories mkdir %d% :: So you can check they were made echo Any key. pause >nul :: Delete with FOR for /F "delims=" %%i in ('findstr . todel.txt') do rd /s /q %%i ::Finished echo. echo Done. ping -n 3 LOCALHOST >nulOk I will look over that! Thanks for your help! TOP man!

Answer»

Hello all,

Could anyone please shed some light as to why none of the following work (xp prompt), its fairly obvious what I am trying to achieve ...

rd/s/q *

rd/s/q < listOfDirs

dir/b/ad | rd/s/q

Been winding me up all day ... thanks,

BoByes its obvious. but show the error messages you got...if anywhat an incredibly helpful reply !

whats so obvious about it? when your carrying out the first command in a directory that only contains other directories (no files), the second command TRIES to get its input from listOfDirs which is the output of a dir/b/ad > listOfDirs.

Anyway, for the first one I get :

The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect.

And for the second + third ones I get :

The syntax of the command is incorrect.I don't know your intentions, but they can't be good...

Though, for the first one, try:

Code: (Delete all files/folders in the current dir, inc.) [Select]rd /s /q %cd%I have a hard drive that needs wiping and wanted to do it in dos ... ?

Thank you so much for your answer tho 'DeltaSlaya', have learned from that!

Could anyone tell me the reason for the piping / redirecting not working however?WELL you said:

Quote

Could anyone please shed some light as to why none of the following work (xp prompt), its fairly obvious what I am trying to achieve ...

So, I assumed wrong.

But, to answer your question.

Quote from: RD Help

C:\>rd /?
Removes (deletes) a directory.

RMDIR [/S] [/Q] [drive:]path
RD [/S] [/Q] [drive:]path

/S Removes all directories and files in the specified directory
in addition to the directory itself. Used to remove a directory
tree.

/Q Quiet MODE, do not ask if ok to remove a directory tree with /S

Note the singluar 'directory' etc.
This means that piping or by other means giving a list of directories to the rd command will NOT work. It requires a directory name.

Also, if you want * a wildcard to work I think you have to use the 'del' command.

Code: (this would grab a directory name from a file and use it) [Select]@set dirname=<dirtodelete.txt
@rd /s /q %dirname%
NOTE: That will only work for one directory in the file. Pretty pointless but it wouldn't work the other way.Thank you again DeltaSlaya ... however, what I dont understand is that if rd is only supposed to work with a single directory, then why does this code work as expected ...

md moo cow duck
rd moo cow duck

You see what I mean?Good point. Looking over it again i see how that could work. But the two original methods you supplied will not work. Perhaps a for statement could perform it with multiple directories as well.

To use a file with a list of directories on each line, or on the same with a space on each this should work.

Code: [Select]for /F "delims=" %%i in ('findstr . dirstodel.txt') do rd /s /q %%i
I'm learning for statements myself, but that should work with a file full of directories.This may explain better, but remember I'm not a DOS command expert:

Code: [Select]@echo off

:: Create txt file with list of dirs
echo Testfolder1 Testfolder2 Testfolder3 Testfolder4 Testfolder5>todel.txt

:: Assign var with contents
set /p d=<todel.txt

:: Make directories
mkdir %d%

:: So you can check they were made
echo Any key.
pause >nul

:: Delete with FOR
for /F "delims=" %%i in ('findstr . todel.txt') do rd /s /q %%i

::Finished
echo.
echo Done.
ping -n 3 LOCALHOST >nulOk I will look over that! Thanks for your help! TOP man!

Solve : Piping Question ...?

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