The DIR Command
Important note: Before proceeding with this tutorial, ensure that the following is set correctly within your Acad.pgp file (AutoCAD Program Parameters File.)
DIR, DIR, 1,File specification: ,
You will find the "DIR" parameters under the "Examples of external commands for command windows" section within your Acad.pgp file.
The Acad.pgp file can normally be found within your AutoCAD Support directory, for example: C:/Program Files/Autocad 2002/Support/Acad.pgp. You can simply open and edit this file using Notepad.
The "DIR" command is a DOS (remember that dark place) command that displays a list of a directories files and subdirectories. But did you know that you can use the "DIR" command from within AutoLisp? This is a great function for obtaining a list of files in a directory, especially useful for Batch Processing Routines.
Let's have a look at it. Fire up AutoCAD and type this at the Command prompt :
Command: (command "dir" "*.* > Temp.txt")
What this statement is asking for is a directory listing of all the files in the current directory output to the file Temp.txt.
Now open Temp.txt and you should have something like this :
Volume in drive O has no label
Directory of O:\E51D\E51D1
. <DIR> 09-11-99 3:13p .
.. <DIR> 09-11-99 3:13p ..
9961 DXF 345,167 08-05-99 12:14p 9961.DXF
9962 DXF 8,246,298 08-05-99 12:14p 9962.DXF
Ant exe 701,121 08-05-99 11:36a Ant.exe
batchp1 exe 11,776 01-18-99 11:23a batchp1.exe
BATCHP1 EXE 13,312 01-19-99 8:19a BatchPurge.Exe
DCLTUT GIF 2,635 08-01-99 11:19p DCLTUT.GIF
debex <DIR> 07-28-99 7:04a debex
N1 dxf 245,702 08-02-99 3:23p N1.dxf
NAMDEB DXF 28,320,177 07-30-99 12:29p NAMDEB.DXF
projair dwg 120,055 07-06-99 3:11p projair.dwg
R12K471 DWG 421,118 07-02-99 10:28a R12K47646.dwg
sort dwg 125,471 07-26-99 1:17p sort.dwg
SORTER dwg 27,981 07-27-99 10:35a SORTER.dwg
temp <DIR> 09-11-99 3:13p temp
temp txt 0 09-11-99 3:13p temp.txt
test <DIR> 08-20-99 11:15a test
title dwg 99,381 08-02-99 2:30p title.dwg
truss1 dwg 84,382 07-09-99 11:13a truss1.dwg
truss2 dwg 88,296 07-09-99 11:13a truss2.dwg
uniglide dwg 205,715 07-19-99 9:09a uniglide.dwg
VALVE dwg 24,693 07-29-99 11:31a VALVE.dwg
18 file(s) 39,083,280 bytes
5 dir(s) 2,147,450,880 bytes free
This is a listing of all the files and sub directories contained in your current working directory. OK, I know, it's not quite formatted the way we would want it to be. So, let's use a couple "DIR" switches to format the file list the way that we would like it. Try this :
Command: (command "dir" " /b *.* >temp.txt")
That's better, we've now got just the file names. The /b switch limits the list to only file names. Temp.txt should now look something like this :
9961.DXF 9962.DXF Ant.exe batchp1.exe BatchPurge.Exe DCLTUT.GIF debex N1.dxf NAMDEB.DXF projair.dwg R12K47646.dwg sort.dwg SORTER.dwg temp temp.txt test title.dwg truss1.dwg truss2.dwg uniglide.dwg VALVE.dwg
Right, now retrieve just the DWG filenames :
Command: (command "dir" " /b *.dwg > temp.txt")
Temp.txt should now look something like this :
projair.dwg R12K47646.dwg sort.dwg SORTER.dwg title.dwg truss1.dwg truss2.dwg uniglide.dwg VALVE.dwg
That's it, we have now got our required file listing in the format that we require. The "DIR" command has got a lot more switches that you can use to restrict your listings to whatever you desire. I suggest you dust off one of your old DOS Reference Manuals and look "DIR" up.
Hint : Would you like a listing of all the files in the current directory AND all sub-directories? Use the /s switch :
Command: (command "dir" " /b/s *.dwg >temp.txt")
You should get a listing something like this :
O:\E51D\E51D1\projair.dwg O:\E51D\E51D1\R12K47646.dwg O:\E51D\E51D1\sort.dwg O:\E51D\E51D1\SORTER.dwg O:\E51D\E51D1\title.dwg O:\E51D\E51D1\truss1.dwg O:\E51D\E51D1\truss2.dwg O:\E51D\E51D1\uniglide.dwg O:\E51D\E51D1\VALVE.dwg O:\E51D\E51D1\test\SCANNEX1.dwg O:\E51D\E51D1\test\SCANNEX2.dwg O:\E51D\E51D1\test\SCANNEX3.dwg O:\E51D\E51D1\test\SCANNEX4.dwg
