Date variable in batch file

I am writing a batch file to copy some files and directories to another drive once a day for backup purposes.

Because the destination will hold several days backups, I would like to include a Make Directory command that will make a folder based on the date i.e. MD e:\backup folder\%todays_date% and then copy everything to that.

Could anyone tell me the name of the variable, if there is one, or suggest another way of creating a folder from a batch file ,with a different name?

Thanks

 

This should do what you want.

echo.|date|find "Current" >cu##ent.bat
echo set date=%%4> current.bat
call cu##ent.bat
del cu??ent.bat > nul
mkdir d:\%date%

(** "stolen" from somewhere. Apologies to author)

 

LOL

There are sometimes that I see "neat" solutions, copy them but forget to note where and who I "stole" it from.

 

Many Thanks for the reply. The date generating bit of the script worked ok, but when it comes to "md e:\%date%" it falls over because the date format is 23/3/03. DOS thinks these are switches which are of course invalid.

It is not as urgent now, as it turns out that the files I am backing up are 70Mb and the disc is zip drive of 100mb so I can only fit one day's worth on anyway

Thanks again.

 

Winrar has some useful parameters to do these things.
regards

 

"when it comes to "md e:\%date%" it falls over because the date format is 23/3/03 "

Interesting!!

On my PC, the date is returned as 03-21-2003. (Dashes instead of slashes).

This must be a bios setting ??, since it occurs in real DOS also.

 

Of course, I should have thought of that - easy to change too.

Thanks

 

The DOS Date format seems to be driven by the setting of Country Code in Config.sys. (I didn't see any obvious place to control it in the Bios)

http://fd-doc.sourceforge.net/spec/config.html
http://fd-doc.sourceforge.net/spec/country.html

Obviously the Canadian default is mm-dd-yyyy and yours (US?), is mm/dd/yyyy!

 

It;s OK, it is all in the date separator in the Ctrl Panel/Regional Settings.

I am UK settings, changed it to "-" and I now have a folder called "Fri 23-03-2003 "

I had to put quotes either side of %date% in the last line because of the spaces in the variable result.

At least it all works now and as you borrowed it from somewhere else, I can claim all the credit and get lots of brownie points from my bosses - probably no end of year bonuses though.

Thanks again for your help

 

Interesting again.

My regional settings have a slash in them, and both a DOS windows and a restart to DOS result in the batch file working fine, and with dashes.

Did you try the file in "real" DOS. The regional settings are Windows related and thus should not have any affect!

I guess it really doesn't matter as long as what you have works, and it will always be done in a DOS window. (twas just out of interest).