JSI Tip 1018. MOVE does not work if target file exists.

The MOVE command moves one or more files from one directory to the target directory. The syntax is:

move <source> <target>

where

<source> specifies the path and name of the file(s) to move.

<target> specifies the path and name to move file(s) to.

After a MOVE statement, the <source> file(s) no longer exists and the <target> file(s) have the same permissions (ACL) as they did in the <source> folder.

When using the MOVE command, you will receive

Cannot create a file when that file already exists.

if any <target> file already exists.

I have scripted MV.BAT to circumvent this problem. The syntax is:

mv <source> <target>

Wildcards (*) are supported. Examples:

mv <Drive:>\SourceFolder\*.log <Drive:>\TargetFolder\*.log
mv <Drive:>\SourceFolder\*.log <Drive:>\TargetFolder\*.txt
mv <Drive:>\SourceFolder\*.log <Drive:>\TargetFolder\*.*
mv <Drive:>\SourceFolder\file*.log <Drive:>\TargetFolder\*.log

MV.bat contains:


@echo off
setlocal
if %2"" goto syntax
set p1=%1
set p2=%2
set p2=%p2:"=%
set p2="%p2%"
set fp1=%~DP1
set fp2=%~DP2
set f2=%~N2
set x2=%~X2
if "%f2%""" set f2=*
if "%x2%""." set x2=.*
set px="%fp2%%f2%%x2%"
if /i %p2%%px% goto same
set px="%fp2%%f2%.*"
if /i %p2%%px% set x2=.*&goto same
set f2=*
:same
pushd %fp1%
for /f "Tokens=*" %%i in ('dir /b %p1%') do call :movit "%%i"
popd
endlocal
goto end
:syntax
@echo Syntax - MV <source> <target>
endlocal
goto end
:movit
set p2=%fp2%%f2%%x2%
if "%f2%""*" goto move2
if "%x2%"".*" set p2=%fp2%%f2%%~X1
:move1
if exist "%p2%" del /q /f "%p2%"
move %1 "%p2%"
goto end
:move2
set p2=%fp2%%~N1%x2%
if "%x2%"".*" set p2=%fp2%%~N1%~X1
goto move1
:end

Comments

Plain text

JSI Tip 1018. MOVE does not work if target file exists.

"" goto syntax set p1=%1 set p2=%2 set p2=%p2:"=% set p2="%p2%" set fp1=%~DP1 set fp2=%~DP2 set f2=%~N2 set x2=%~X2 if "%f2%"

"." set x2=.* set px="%fp2%%f2%%x2%" if /i %p2%

%px% set x2=.*&goto same set f2=* :same pushd %fp1% for /f "Tokens=*" %%i in ('dir /b %p1%') do call :movit "%%i" popd endlocal goto end :syntax @echo Syntax - MV <source> <target> endlocal goto end :movit set p2=%fp2%%f2%%x2% if "%f2%"

".*" set p2=%fp2%%f2%%~X1 :move1 if exist "%p2%" del /q /f "%p2%" move %1 "%p2%" goto end :move2 set p2=%fp2%%~N1%x2% if "%x2%"

Comments

Plain text

%px% set x2=.&goto same set f2= :same pushd %fp1% for /f "Tokens=*" %%i in ('dir /b %p1%') do call :movit "%%i" popd endlocal goto end :syntax @echo Syntax - MV <source> <target> endlocal goto end :movit set p2=%fp2%%f2%%x2% if "%f2%"