Get size of a file and save it to a variable in Windows console?

07
2014-07
  • Hito_kun

    I'm making a windows batch script, I need to get the specific size of a file so I can Insert that and other values I already got to a database, but I just can't figure out the proper way to do it.

    Assuming the name of the file is c:\test!basename!.zip (I'm in a for loop here), how can I get the filesize and store it to a variable?

    The machine is a Win2008 Server.

    ANSWER

    EliadTech proposed a solution that I've already tried

    for %I in (test.jpg) do @echo %~zI

    That worked directly in the command prompt, but failed inside the script.

    EliadTech, as we already suspected, thought of checking the escaping, so we got this

    for %%I in (c:\test\!basename!.zip) do @echo yay %%~zI

    Works like a charm.

    Kinda dumb mistake, but bash has spoiled me beyond repair :)

    • Answers
  • EliadTech

    There are a few suggestions here. I think this is best suited to you:

    for %I in (test.jpg) do @echo %~zI

    • Related Question

    Why unload variables in Windows batch files
  • ChrisB

    Is it considered necessary or good practice to unload variables used in Windows batch files?
    For example in the following code, is the set myFolder= at the end necessary?

    @echo off
set myFolder="C:\Temp\Batchfiles"
echo %myFolder%

set myFolder=

    I have seen this in a number of places online, surely the variables are unloaded automatically when the batch file ends?


    • Related Answers
  • Oliver Salzburg

    SET will set a global environment variable. It will persist after the execution of your script.

    Let's have a look at an example.
    First, I clear the variable to make sure it doesn't exist.

    C:\Users\Oliver\Desktop>set TEST=

    A quick test:

    C:\Users\Oliver\Desktop>echo %TEST%
%TEST%

    Let's create that batch file and execute it: 

    C:\Users\Oliver\Desktop>echo set TEST=something>test.bat
C:\Users\Oliver\Desktop>test.bat
C:\Users\Oliver\Desktop>set TEST=something

    Let's see the value of TEST after the execution of my .bat file:

    C:\Users\Oliver\Desktop>echo %TEST%
something

    So, yes, clearing the variable at the end of the script is good practice.

    Even better would be to use SETLOCAL and ENDLOCAL to avoid the whole problem.

    Here, I created a new .bat file that uses SETLOCAL and ENDLOCAL:

    C:\Users\Oliver\Desktop>type test.bat
setlocal
set TEST=something
endlocal

    Let's clear TEST and echo it to make sure we start clean:

    C:\Users\Oliver\Desktop>set TEST=
C:\Users\Oliver\Desktop>echo %TEST%
%TEST%

    Great, now let's run the new .bat:

    C:\Users\Oliver\Desktop>test.bat
C:\Users\Oliver\Desktop>setlocal
C:\Users\Oliver\Desktop>set TEST=something    
C:\Users\Oliver\Desktop>endlocal

    Now TEST will still be empty:

    C:\Users\Oliver\Desktop>echo %TEST%
%TEST%