How to get a batch file to handle spaces in file names

batch-filefilenames

I am using the following batch file to make a zip file for each xml in a folder:

FOR %%f in ("C:\files\*.xml") DO 7za.exe a C:\files\zips\%%~nf.zip (%%f)

However if the file name has a space in it (test plop.xml) then the batch file does not work. It seems to split the name and thinks it is 2 files.

How to modify the batch file so that it properly handles file names with spaces?

Try placing quotes around the output file name.

Change

FOR %%f in ("C:\files*.xml") DO 7za.exe a C:\files\zips\%%~nf.zip (%%f)

to:

FOR %%f in ("C:\files*.xml") DO 7za.exe a "C:\files\zips\%%~nf.zip" (%%f)

May also be the variable %%f, may need to place quotes around this as well.

Another useful tip is to use %* to mean "all". For example:

echo off
set arg1=%1
set arg2=%2
shift
shift
fake-command /u %arg1% /p %arg2% %*

When you run:

test-command admin password foo bar

the above batch file will run:

fake-command /u admin /p password admin password foo bar

I may have the syntax slightly wrong, but this is the general idea.

Assuming you have two programs that process the two files, process_in.exe and process_out.exe:

for %%f in (*.in) do (
    echo %%~nf
    process_in "%%~nf.in"
    process_out "%%~nf.out"
)

%%~nf is a substitution modifier, that expands %f to a file name only. See other modifiers in https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb490909.aspx (midway down the page) or just in the next answer.