Get parent directory name for a particular file using DOS Batch scripting

Question

I need to find the name of the parent directory for a file in DOS

for ex.

Suppose this is the directory

C:\\test\\pack\\a.txt

Answer 1

I found this combination of approaches from the answers of djangofan and paranoid to be both, simple and perfectly sufficient, when looking up my script's parent directory:

set FULL_PATH=%~dp0
set FULL_PATH=%FULL_PATH:~1,-1%
for %%i in ("%FULL_PATH%") do set "PARENT_FOLDER=%%~ni"
echo %PARENT_FOLDER%

Since you want to work on user input instead, you have to do some minimal additional work, to handle legal variations like C:\foo\bar\a.txt vs. C:\foo\bar\a.txt or c:/foo/bar/a.txt. This might then work for you:

@setlocal
@echo off

call:GET_PARENT_FOLDER C:\foo\bar\a.txt
echo %PARENT_FOLDER%
call:GET_PARENT_FOLDER C:\foo\bar\\a.txt
echo %PARENT_FOLDER%
call:GET_PARENT_FOLDER c:/foo/bar/a.txt
echo %PARENT_FOLDER%

pause
goto:EOF

:GET_PARENT_FOLDER
:: Strip the filename, so we get something like this: 'C:\foor\bar\'
set "_FULL_PATH=%~dp1"

:: Strips all dangling '\' and '/' in a loop, so the last folder name becomes accessible
:_STRIP
if not "%_FULL_PATH:~-1%"=="\" if not "%_FULL_PATH:~-1%"=="/" goto:_STRIP_END
set "_FULL_PATH=%_FULL_PATH:~1,-1%"
goto:_STRIP
:_STRIP_END

:: We need the context of a for-loop for the special path operators to be available
for %%i in ("%_FULL_PATH%") do set "PARENT_FOLDER=%%~ni"

goto:EOF

Answer 2

First answer above does not work if parent directory name contains a space. The following works:

@echo off
setlocal

set ParentDir=%~p1
set ParentDir=%ParentDir: =:%
set ParentDir=%ParentDir:\= %
call :getparentdir %ParentDir%
set ParentDir=%ParentDir::= %

echo ParentDir is %ParentDir%
goto :EOF

:getparentdir
if "%~1" EQU "" goto :EOF
Set ParentDir=%~1
shift
goto :getparentdir

Calling the above with parameter of "C:\Temp\Parent Dir With Space\myfile.txt" gives following:

>GetParentDir "C:\Temp\Parent Dir With Space\myfile.txt"
ParentDir is Parent Dir With Space

The above works by replacing spaces with colons (these should not exist in Windows paths), then replacing directory delimiters with spaces to so individual directories are passed to getparentdir as separate arguments. Function getparentdir loops until it finds its last argument. Finally any colons in result are replaced by spaces.

Answer 3

see this question

@echo OFF
set mydir="%~p1"
SET mydir=%mydir:\=;%

for /F "tokens=* delims=;" %%i IN (%mydir%) DO call :LAST_FOLDER %%i
goto :EOF

:LAST_FOLDER
if "%1"=="" (
    @echo %LAST%
    goto :EOF
)

set LAST=%1
SHIFT

goto :LAST_FOLDER

Answer 4

It can be very simple to get the parent folder of the batch file:

@echo off
for %%a in ("%~dp0\.") do set "parent=%%~nxa"
echo %parent%

And for a parent of a file path as per the question:

@echo off
for %%a in ("c:\test\pack\a.txt") do for %%b in ("%%~dpa\.") do set "parent=%%~nxb"
echo %parent%

Answer 5

Here's a way that does not use CALL and I believe is faster.Based on jeb's splitting function (might fail if the directory name contains !) :

@echo off

set "mydir=%~p1"
SET mydir=%mydir:~0,-1%

setlocal EnableDelayedExpansion
set LF=^


rem ** Two empty lines are required

for %%L in ("!LF!") DO (
    set "dir_name=!mydir:\=%%L!"
)
for /f "delims=" %%P in (""!dir_name!"") do set "dn=%%~P"
echo %dn%

exit /b 0 

Answer 6

Here is another solution:

SET LAST=%CD%
SET PARENTNAME=NONE
cd /D C:\test\pack
FOR %%I in (%CD%) do SET PARENTNAME=%%~nI
cd /D %LAST%
ECHO %PARENTNAME%

%%~nI: '~n' extracts name from path stored in %%I variable
cd: '/D' parameter added to switch between disks also