List Directory and number of files with specific extension, build a specific menu

Question

I am trying to create a menu with submenus which their names without extension come from the directory. However, I am unable to make a variable for choice as number. This code does not work anyhow. I would also want to display a number at the beginning of each file name in the menu; in fact, number of the files will also be one of the number that user selects as input. I could not overcome the problem.

@echo off
cd C:\Users\Murray\Documents\ConfigFiles\
for /f %%A in ('dir /a-d-s-h /b *conf ^| find /v /c ""') do set count=%%A
echo File count = %count%

for %%F in ("C:\Users\Murray\Documents\ConfigFiles\*.conf") do echo %%~nxF
set choice=
set /C /N="Please choice: " 

if "%choice%" == "%count%" goto SUBMENU
if NOT EXIST "C:\Users\Murray\Documents\ConfigFiles\%choice%" goto NOFILE

:SUBMENU
Echo You are here

goto end

:NOFILE
echo %choice% could not be found.

goto END

:end

Any help will be appreciated.

Answer 1

Batch's limitations are to blame for sub-par corrections to this question. Here's the best I could whip up in a few seconds:

@echo off
:one
cls
cd C:\Users\Murray\Documents\ConfigFiles\
 for %%F in ("C:\Users\Murray\Documents\ConfigFiles\*.conf") do echo %%~nxF
echo.
echo Enter Configuration Name:
set/p "prompt=>"
if exist %prompt%.txt goto :two
if exist %prompt% goto :two

cls
echo File not found
pause >NUL
goto :one

:two
cls
REM When file is found, this code will run
pause >NUL

The set command does not prompt for user input unless specified with the /p switch. To make your code more friendly, i'd also recommend to prompt for the filepath earlier on in the code.

EDIT: A few alternative solutions: Declare the 9th option of the prompt of the choice command as a "second page" or "more" option. This would really be a pain for the user in a directory with tens or hundreds of files. Another; you can assign an integer to each file that matches your quasi-query and echo them before each filename on the screen, then allow the user to input the number to get that file. That seems fairly efficient, and if you'd like to explore one or both of those alternates I can help (if you need it).

Answer 2

Here's a quick example of a method touted in the answer by on no. It will print a number to the screen followed by the names of each file matching file extension, so will allow a large number of matching files, (although the end user may have to scroll a long list). Once a file is chosen, your end user then just types its corresponding number. The code should not proceed beyond the input request until a number matching one in the list is ENTERed.

@Echo Off
SetLocal EnableExtensions DisableDelayedExpansion

Set "src=C:\Users\Murray\Documents\ConfigFiles"
Set "ext=.config"

If Not Exist "%src%\*%ext%" Echo No file matches.& GoTo End
For /F "Delims==" %%G In ('"(Set #) 2>NUL"') Do Set "%%G="
For /F "Delims==" %%G In ('%SystemRoot%\System32\wbem\WMIC.exe OS Call /? ^|
 %SystemRoot%\System32\find.exe "=="') Do Set "HT=%%G"
For /F "Tokens=1* Delims=:" %%G In ('Dir /B /A:-D "%src%\*%ext%" 2^>NUL ^|
 %SystemRoot%\System32\findstr.exe /E /I /L /N "%ext%"'
) Do Set "#%%G=%%H" & Echo( %%G.%HT:~-1%%%H
If Not Defined #1 Echo No file matches.& GoTo End

:Opt
Echo(
Set "HT=" & Set "opt="
Set /P "opt=Enter the number for your chosen file>"
If Not Defined opt (GoTo Opt) Else Set "opt=%opt:"=%"
Set # | %SystemRoot%\System32\findstr.exe /B /L "#%opt%=" 1>NUL || GoTo Opt
SetLocal EnableDelayedExpansion
For %%G In ("!#%opt%!") Do EndLocal & Set "opt=%%~G"

@Rem Your code goes below here

Echo(& Echo You Selected %opt%

@Rem Your code ends above here

:End
Setlocal EnableDelayedExpansion & For /F "Tokens=1,2" %%G In ("!CMDCMDLINE!"
) Do Endlocal & If /I "%%~nG" == "cmd" If /I "%%~H" == "/c" Echo(& Echo Press^
 any key to exit.&Pause 1>NUL

All you need to do is to modify the variables values on lines 4 and 5, if necessary, in order to test it. I will not be supporting changes or additions beyond that. Once you have tested the code, you may insert your code between lines 25 and 29, replacing the example line I left there for your test.