Batch File to Move Files with Same Beginning String to a Folder with That String Name

Question

So I have a set of files that look something like this:

Bob - Test Name - 1.txt
Bob - Test Name - 2.txt
Bob - Test Name - 3.txt
Sam- Foo Name - 1.txt
Sam- Foo Name - 2.txt
Sam- Foo Name - 3.txt
Phil - 1.txt
Phil - 2.txt
Phil - 3.txt
Phil 2 - 1.txt
Phil 2 - 2.txt
Phil 2 - 3.txt

Simply, the pattern is something like this:

[WHATEVER] - #.txt
[WHATEVER](space)-(space)(number).extension

I would like to do the following:

1. Scan the folder
2. Capture WHATEVER. In example above, captures: "Bob - Test Name"
3. Create folder called WHATEVER. Here, "Bob - Test Name"
4. Moves all files that has WHATEVER string to folder.
5. And repeat 2-4 through all files.

So far, everything I have tried, I have failed. Not knowing how to troubleshoot or see what batch is doing, I am shooting in the wind.

I would like this to be extension agnostic as I have various file types (mp3, etc) for this scenario (set extension at the beginning of the batch file).

Answer 1

@echo off &SETLOCAL
SET "startfolder=c:\test\test"

CD /d "%startfolder%"
FOR %%X IN (*.txt) DO (
    FOR /f "delims=" %%a IN ('echo(%%~NX^|sed -r "s/^(.*)\s-\s[0-9]+$/\1/"') DO (
    IF NOT EXIST "%%~a\" MD "%%~a"
    MOVE "%%~X" "%%~a"
    )
)

sed

Answer 2

I'm not entirely sure what you want, but I think this will work:

setlocal enabledelayedexpansion
cd C:\...[path to folder]
set /a count=0
for /r "delims=-" %%a in (*) do (
set /a count=!count!+1
for /l %%z in (1,1,!count!) do (
if %%a equ !%%z! ( move %%a C:\...[out put folder collection]\!%%z!\%%a%%b
) else ( set !count!=%%a)
)
)

Output

Folder Collection
 > 1
    >> name - 1.txt
    >> name - 2.txt
    >> name - 3.txt
 > 2
    >> name - 1.txt
    >> name - 2.txt
    >> name - 3.txt
 > 3
    >> name - 1.txt
    >> name - 2.txt
    >> name - 3.txt

I'm pretty sure that will work. Haven't tested it, so if you find or get any errors tell me.

Note: This will only accept one "-" in the file name. Having more then one means it will exclude the extension. Also, I havn't made it work for specified extensions. Making another answer, this time using forfiles where you can specify the extension.

Mona

Answer 3

This piece of code will work on files which match * - #.*, where # is a number and * may contain multiple (space)-(space) - only first (space)-(space)(number). is accounted.

SETLOCAL ENABLEDELAYEDEXPANSION
REM Call process for each file that match "name - number.extension"
FOR %%f IN ("* - *.*") DO CALL :process "" "%%f"
GOTO :EOF

REM Recursive function process: accepts two arguments: prefix and filepart
REM process checks if number part of supplied filename is a number.
REM prefix is string already checked but mismatched number. Example:
REM Call 1: "" "a - b - c - 1.ext" mismatch ("b - c - 1" is not a number)
REM Call 2: "a -" " b - c - 1.ext" mismatch ("c - 1" is not a number)
REM Call 3: "a - b -" " c - 1.ext" match ("1" is a number)
:process
REM Break filepart at first "-"
FOR /F "TOKENS=1,* DELIMS=-" %%i IN (%2) DO (
    REM If after "-" is empty, file mismatch (something like "abc.ext-")
    IF "%%j" == "" GOTO :EOF
    REM Break part after "-" at first "."
    FOR /F "TOKENS=1,* DELIMS=." %%n IN ("%%j") DO (
        REM Multiply part before "." by 1. If part is not number, will evaluate to 0.
        SET /A "number=1*%%n"
        REM Check if rebuilt part afte "-" match using parsed number
        IF "%%j" == " !number!.%%o" (
            REM Matched, so do whatever is needed
            ECHO Moving "%~1%~2" to "%~1%%i"...
            IF NOT EXIST "%~1%%i" MD "%~1%%i"
            REM MOVE "%~1%~2" "%~1%%i"
            REM Exit function
            GOTO :EOF
        )

    )
    REM File part didn't match, so recall process shifting part before "-" to prefix
    REM and using part after "-" as filepart.
    CALL :process "%~1%%i-" "%%j"
)

It may leak on, eg, name1 - 1. name2 - 2.txt, creating folder name1 instead of name1 - 1. name2.

EDIT: Added comments. Corrected typo on CALL :process "%~1%%i-" "%%j"