Many times we need to check a file's size, its last-modified date, its location, or we may require its fully qualified path in short (8.3) notation.
Arguably CMD's most versatile internal command to the rescue: FOR.
FOR %%? IN (file_to_be_queried) DO ( ECHO File Name Only : %%~n? ECHO File Extension : %%~x? ECHO Name in 8.3 notation : %%~sn? ECHO File Attributes : %%~a? ECHO Located on Drive : %%~d? ECHO File Size : %%~z? ECHO Last-Modified Date : %%~t? ECHO Parent Folder : %%~dp? ECHO Fully Qualified Path : %%~f? ECHO FQP in 8.3 notation : %%~sf? ECHO Location in the PATH : %%~dp$PATH:? )
| Notes: | 1: | Not all of these properties can be read this way in every Windows version. With every new Windows version, more options became available. Type FOR /? for more details. |
| 2: | These properties can only be read if the file exists and can be found. Open a command prompt and go to a directory, assuming D:\ for the sake of this explanation. Now try this command: FOR %%A IN (notepad.exe) DO ECHO.%%~$PATH:AIt will show you notepad.exe's fully qualified path regardless of the current directory (because notepad.exe is located in a folder that is in the PATH). Now try FOR %%A IN (notepad.exe) DO ECHO.%%~fAThis will show you a fully qualified path as if notepad were located in the current directory, e.g. D:\notepad.exeSo make sure the file to be queried is either in the current directory, or use its fully qualified path, or use %%~$PATH:? if it is located in the PATH. |
Many of these properties can be combined, as is shown for the s option (short, or 8.3 notation).
Play with it, experiment, and learn. Have fun.
page last modified: 2017-08-25; loaded in 0.0019 seconds
