DEL--Examples
To delete the CAT.TMP file from the TEST directory on drive C, you can use
either of the following commands:
del c:\test\cat.tmp
erase c:\test\cat.tmp
To delete all the files in a directory named TEST on drive C, you can use
either of the following commands:
del c:\test
del c:\test\*.*
This batch file is tested in Win98 and is not to be used in DOS version 6.22
This batch file contents information about how to:
1. Create a file which delete it self without displaying an error message.
2. Create a two lines solution for either CALL or not (i.e. won't return).
@echo off
echo exit|%comspec%/kPROMPT n%temp%.\~.bat$_e0'del %%%%0'1A$_rcx$_7$_w0$_q
|debug>nul
choice /cn''''''''''''''y/n Return back [Y,N]?
for %%v in (CALL " ") do if exist %temp%.\~.bat if errorlevel 0%%v %%v %te
mp%.\~.bat
echo Back here :-)
Notes: Whether the user choose to return back to see the message in line num
5 above (Back here :-) or choose to not return, then the created file
named %temp%.\~.bat would be deleted.
About line number 2:
The 'del %%%%0'1A$_rcx$_7 can be substituted with
'del %%%%temp%%%%.\~.bat'1A$_rcx$_12
About line number 3 and 4:
My first attempt was not a succes, %comspec%/c can't be used here as:
choice /c''''''''''''''''''n''''''''''''y/n Return back to here[Y,N]?
for %%v in (Ccall C) do if errorlevel %%v %comspec%/%%v %temp%.\~.bat
so, it would fail but I wanted to find a solution and I found it. :-)
Links: Here's a link to another page, which also use an EOF character: <1Ah>
The following is tested in Win98:
DEL ????????????
will delete files with a name such as
XXXXXXXXXXXX (12 characters, without an extension)
XXXXXXXX.XXX (8+3)
XXXXXXXXX.XX (9+2) and
XXXXXXXXXX.X (10+1)
maybe not a surprise but the above DEL command
will also include this:
XXXXXXXXXXX (11 characters, without an extension)
but NOT filenames of 10 characters. Btw. it will also include this:
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX.XXX
and other (n+3) names will be included... Hmmm, so, I made a table.
Now one could say that he knows all about a simple command
such as the DEL command but both:
DEL ??????????? and
DEL ????????????? won't follow the same pattern as the
previours one.
======================================================================
A: DEL * delete all files.
B: DEL *.* delete all files.
C: DEL *. delete all files without an EXTension.
======================================================================
Without an EXT: EXT of 3 char: EXT of 2 char:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
1: DEL ? 1 character
2: DEL ?? 1 or 2 char.
3: DEL ??? 2 or 3 char.
4: DEL ???? 3 or 4 1+2
5: DEL ????? 4 or 5 1+3 2+2
6: DEL ?????? 5 or 6 2+3 3+2
7: DEL ??????? 6 or 7 3+3 4+2
8: DEL ???????? 7 or greater 4+3 5+2
9: DEL ????????? 8 or greater 5+3 6+2
10: DEL ?????????? 9 or 10 6+3 7+2
11: DEL ??????????? 10 or 11 7+3 8+2 or greater
12: DEL ???????????? 11 or 12 8+3 or greater 9+2
13: DEL ????????????? 12 or 13 9+3 10+2
======================================================================
Notis that the above syntax number 8, 9 and 12 can be used to delete a
lot of files, example: number 12 would delete 8+3, 9+3, 10+3 and so...
To be continued... goto sleep
:sleep
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