Using Date and Times in a batch file to create a file name

Question

I am running a program from a batch file, which when it is done performs an automatic backup of my MySQL database.

I would like the batch file to create a different back up for each run, so I can backtrace.

The desired filename would be gnucash_shockwave-20121128210344.sql (Date format YYYY-MM-DD-HH-MM-SS)

I have googled a few things that said try %DATE:~4% and %Date.Year% but I get an error that says The system cannot find the specified path.

If I remove the attempt to timestamp it, the script works fine, but over writes the previous backup

Here is the section of code I'm talking about:

@REM *** EXECUTION ***
echo. Starting backup...
SET timestamp %DATE:~-4%%DATE:~4,2%%DATE:~7,2%%TIME%
%mysqldir%\mysqldump -u %mysqluser% -p%mysqlpassword% -h %mysqlhost% -P %mysqlport% --databases --routines --verbose gnucash_shockwave > %BackupDir%\gnucash_shockwave-%timestamp%.sql

echo.------------------------------------------------------
echo. Backup complete!

Any suggestions?

Answer 1

The Date and Time format depends on what you've specified in the Region and Language Control Panel applet.

Run the following batch file (which assumes dd/mm/yyyy and hh:mm:ss) and modify the substring extraction (using the : and ~ characters) as required to get the proper parts from both Date and Time strings:

@echo off
cls
echo Date format = %date%
echo dd = %date:~0,2%
echo mm = %date:~3,2%
echo yyyy = %date:~6,4%
echo.
echo Time format = %time%
echo hh = %time:~0,2%
echo mm = %time:~3,2%
echo ss = %time:~6,2%
echo.
echo Timestamp = %date:~6,4%-%date:~3,2%-%date:~0,2%-%time:~0,2%-%time:~3,2%-%time:~6,2%

For more help on substring extraction, type set /? at the command prompt or see this page.

Answer 2

Here's what worked for me.

Format - mmddyyyy_HHMMSS

echo %DATE% %TIME%

Date format = Thu 03/05/2015 15:48:26.22

echo mm = %date:~4,2%

echo dd = %date:~7,2%

echo yyyy = %date:~10,4%

echo Timestamp = %date:~4,2%%date:~7,2%%date:~10,4%_%time:~0,2%%time:~3,2%%time:~6,2%

Timestamp - 03052015_154013

Answer 3

With a little tweaking I got this

@echo off
cls
echo Date format = %date%
echo dd = %date:~0,2%
echo mm = %date:~3,2%
echo yyyy = %date:~6,8%
echo.
echo Time format = %time%
echo hh = %time:~0,2%
echo mm = %time:~3,2%
echo ss = %time:~6,2%
echo.
echo Timestamp = %date:~0,2%_%date:~3,2%_%date:~6,8%-%time:~0,2%_%time:~3,2%_%time:~6,2%
ECHO "TEST..." > test-%date:~0,2%_%date:~3,2%_%date:~6,8%-%time:~0,2%_%time:~3,2%_%time:~6,2%.txt

Result:

"test-do_25_06-2015-22_21_51.txt" (Thursday_25th_June_2015-22:21.51)

Answer 4

Sorry for dthe delay...

The only reliable way to get appropriate date whatever regional setting are is the solution of foxidrive @ https://stackoverflow.com/questions/11037831/filename-timestamp-in-windows-cmd-batch-script

@echo off
for /f "tokens=2 delims==" %%a in ('wmic OS Get localdatetime /value') do set "dt=%%a"
set "YY=%dt:~2,2%" & set "YYYY=%dt:~0,4%" & set "MM=%dt:~4,2%" & set "DD=%dt:~6,2%"
set "HH=%dt:~8,2%" & set "Min=%dt:~10,2%" & set "Sec=%dt:~12,2%"

set "datestamp=%YYYY%%MM%%DD%" & set "timestamp=%HH%%Min%%Sec%"
set "fullstamp=%YYYY%-%MM%-%DD%_%HH%-%Min%-%Sec%"
echo datestamp: "%datestamp%"
echo timestamp: "%timestamp%"
echo fullstamp: "%fullstamp%"
pause

Answer 5

i think this improves @Nick Rogers answer a little bit.

EX: with the german locate (de_DE) there is a leading whitespace at hours below 10.

also i wanted a leading zero at the hour. "echo - !^_hh! -" gives "09" instead of only "9"

so i break the code in two pieces for better reading. this example should match more locales.

+bonus: _ms = milliseconds or whatever the last two digits are (-;

remark: sometimes the HOUR needs to be escaped, see inside code

SETLOCAL
SETLOCAL EnableExtensions
SETLOCAL EnableDelayedExpansion
@ECHO ON
@rem use FOR /F to 'break out' the components of %DATE% and %TIME%, assuming 'yyyy/mm/dd' format date i.e.
@rem works also with german standard format dd.mm.yyyy

echo ----- date -----
    echo _%date%_
    for /F "tokens=1-3 delims=.-/" %%i IN ("%date%") DO Set "_Y=%%i"& Set "_M=%%j"& Set "_D=%%k"
    @rem Switch the year and day if appropriate
    IF "xx%_D:~2%" == "xx" Set "_Y=%_D%"& Set "_D=%_Y%"
    set __date=%_Y%%_M%%_D%
    echo _%__date%_
echo ----- date -----

echo ----- time -----
    echo _%time%_
    for /F "tokens=1-4 delims=:," %%l IN ("%time%") DO Set "_tmp_hh=%%l"& Set "_mm=%%m"& Set "_ss=%%n"& Set "_ms=%%o"
    @rem add leading zero to hour if necessary
    if %_tmp_hh% LSS 10 (set _hh=^0%_tmp_hh:~1,1%) ELSE (set _hh=%time:~0,2%)
    @rem sometimes the HOUR needs to be escaped, like this
    echo - !^_hh! -
    set __time=%_hh%%_mm%%_ss%%_ms%
    echo _%__time%_
echo ----- time -----

    Set fullTime=%_Y%%_M%%_D%-%_hh%%_mm%%_ss%%_ms%
    echo _%fullTime%_
pause

outputs: echo fullTime = 15062018-10182821

Answer 6

the shortest (most versatile?) answer is as per the following TimeStamp.cmd script containing just three lines of code (excluding comments etc.)...

@ECHO ON
@REM use FOR /F to 'break out' the components of %DATE% and %TIME%, assuming 'yyyy/mm/dd' format date i.e.

    for /F "tokens=1-6* delims=.:-/ " %%i IN ("%DATE% %TIME%") DO Set "YYYY=%%i"& Set "MM=%%j"& Set "DD=%%k"& Set "HH=%%l"& Set "MI=%%m"& Set "SS=%%n"

@REM Switch the year and day if appropriate

    IF NOT "X%DD:~2%" == "X" Set "YYYY=%DD%"& Set "DD=%YYYY%"

    Set "TimeStamp=%YYYY%%MM%%DD%%HH%%MI%%SS%"

Note the need to use %% rather than % for the variable in a FOR statement in a batch file

...execution yields (blank lines and comments removed)...

C:\>timestamp.cmd
C:\>for /F "tokens=1-6* delims=.:-/ " %i IN ("2018/03/02 11:17:43.35") DO Set "YYYY=%i"  & Set "MM=%j"  & Set "DD=%k"  & Set "HH=%l"  & Set "MI=%m"  & Set "SS=%n"
C:\>Set "YYYY=2018"  & Set "MM=03"  & Set "DD=02"  & Set "HH=11"  & Set "MI=17"  & Set "SS=43"
C:\>IF NOT "X" == "X" Set "YYYY=02"  & Set "DD=2018"
C:\>Set "TimeStamp=20180302111743"