How to verify if a file exists in a batch file?

Question

I have to create a .BAT file that does this:

1. If C:\myprogram\sync\data.handler exists, exit;
2. If C:\myprogram\html\data.sql does not exist, exit;
3. In C:\myprogram\sync\ delete all files and folders except (test, test3 and test2)
4. Copy C:\myprogram\html\data.sql to C:\myprogram\sync\
5. Call other batch file with option sync.bat myprogram.ini.

If it was in the Bash environment it was easy for me, but I do not know how to test if a file or folder exists and if it is a file or folder.

Answer 1

You can use IF EXIST to check for a file:

IF EXIST "filename" (
  REM Do one thing
) ELSE (
  REM Do another thing
)

If you do not need an "else", you can do something like this:

set __myVariable=
IF EXIST "C:\folder with space\myfile.txt" set __myVariable=C:\folder with space\myfile.txt
IF EXIST "C:\some other folder with space\myfile.txt" set __myVariable=C:\some other folder with space\myfile.txt
set __myVariable=

Here's a working example of searching for a file or a folder:

REM setup

echo "some text" > filename
mkdir "foldername"

REM finds file    

IF EXIST "filename" (
  ECHO file filename exists
) ELSE (
  ECHO file filename does not exist
)

REM does not find file

IF EXIST "filename2.txt" (
  ECHO file filename2.txt exists
) ELSE (
  ECHO file filename2.txt does not exist
)

REM folders must have a trailing backslash    

REM finds folder

IF EXIST "foldername\" (
  ECHO folder foldername exists
) ELSE (
  ECHO folder foldername does not exist
)

REM does not find folder

IF EXIST "filename\" (
  ECHO folder filename exists
) ELSE (
  ECHO folder filename does not exist
)