Create Subdirectories Under Each Directory Using Windows Command Line

Question

I am attempting to create a windows command line script that will allow me to re-create a directory structure under each of the folders that exist on my network drive. I am initially creating the code in CMD and will then convert it to a batch file when I have the desired outcome.

At present I have the following:

set location=\\READYSHARE\USB_Storage\Global

for /r %location% %f in ("dir %location% /a:D") do (

MD "%location%\Archived Tenants"
MD "%location%\Current tenant -"
MD "%location%\Current tenant -\Tenancy Sign up Pack"
MD "%location%\Owners\"
MD "%location%\Owners\Advertising Photos"
MD "%location%\Owners\Invoices"
MD "%location%\Owners\Quotes"
MD "%location%\Owners\Routine Inspections"
)

Obviously this doesn't give me the desired output because the folders are being created under \\READYSHARE\\USB_Storage\\Global and not for all sub directories contained within \\READYSHARE\\USB_Storage\\Global. So then I changed this to:

set location=\\READYSHARE\USB_Storage\Global

for /r %location% %f in ("dir %location% /a:D") do (

MD "%f\Archived Tenants"
MD "%f\Current tenant -"
MD "%f\Current tenant -\Tenancy Sign up Pack"
MD "%F\Owners\"
MD "%f\Owners\Advertising Photos"
MD "%f\Owners\Invoices"
MD "%f\Owners\Quotes"
MD "%f\Owners\Routine Inspections"
)

Which obviously doesn't work either.

Can someone please offer me assistance on how to produce the desired result?

Thank you for your help.

Regards, Scott

Answer 1

for /r %location% %f in ("dir %location% /a:D") do (

You're mixing up the syntax of for /r (recursive processing) with the syntax of for /f (file processing/command substitution). Also, if you're running this in a batch file you need to double the % on the loop variable ( %%f ).

If you want to create the folder structure directly under %location% do this:

@echo off

setlocal

set "location=\\READYSHARE\USB_Storage\Global"

md "%location%\Archived Tenants"
md "%location%\Current tenant -"
md "%location%\Current tenant -\Tenancy Sign up Pack"
md "%location%\Owners\"
md "%location%\Owners\Advertising Photos"
md "%location%\Owners\Invoices"
md "%location%\Owners\Quotes"
md "%location%\Owners\Routine Inspections"

If you want to create the folder structure under all top-level folders of %location% do this:

@echo off

setlocal

set "location=\\READYSHARE\USB_Storage\Global"

for /d %%d in (%location%\*) do (
  md "%%d\Archived Tenants"
  md "%%d\Current tenant -"
  md "%%d\Current tenant -\Tenancy Sign up Pack"
  md "%%d\Owners\"
  md "%%d\Owners\Advertising Photos"
  md "%%d\Owners\Invoices"
  md "%%d\Owners\Quotes"
  md "%%d\Owners\Routine Inspections"
)

If you want to create the folder structure under all subfolders of %location% (including their subfolders) do this:

@echo off

setlocal

set "location=\\READYSHARE\USB_Storage\Global"

for /f "delims=" %%d in ('dir /b /a:d /s "%location%"') do (
  md "%%d\Archived Tenants"
  md "%%d\Current tenant -"
  md "%%d\Current tenant -\Tenancy Sign up Pack"
  md "%%d\Owners\"
  md "%%d\Owners\Advertising Photos"
  md "%%d\Owners\Invoices"
  md "%%d\Owners\Quotes"
  md "%%d\Owners\Routine Inspections"
)

Answer 2

You can use FOR command with /F option to parse the output of DIR command, and then use the %a variable as the name of the subdirectory.

for /f %a in ('dir /a:D /B %location%') do (
  MD "%location%\%a\Archived Tenants"
  MD "%location%\%a\Current tenant -"
  MD "%location%\%a\Current tenant -\Tenancy Sign up Pack"
  MD "%location%\%a\Owners\"
  MD "%location%\%a\Owners\Advertising Photos"
  MD "%location%\%a\Owners\Invoices"
  MD "%location%\%a\Owners\Quotes"
  MD "%location%\%a\Owners\Routine Inspections"
)

Note: when you will translate this into batch file you'll need to duplicate the % in the variable name (%a > %%a)