create blank .txt file with a batch file

[mb2]

how do u create a new blank .txt file using XP's command prompt? (ie so i can use it in a batch file.)

[spacesurfer]

I'm not sure how you can get a blank file but the command

echo >> blank.txt

give you a file with the words "Echo is on."

If you do

echo . >> blank.txt

you'll get a text file with the period.

If you know the escape sequence for the space, you might be able to get a blank file.

[spacesurfer]

Or what you can do is create a blank text file somewhere on your drive, then have the batch file copy it to where you want to.

[mhc]

I'm sure there's a better way to do it, but you can create zero-length files using the DEBUG program. To automate the process you'll first need to create a file (we'll call it TEST.DBG) containing two lines, as follows:

w

q

The first line will tell DEBUG to write a file, the second will end DEBUG. You can now use the TEST.DBG file to create a zero-length file. Here's an example:

DEBUG ZEROLEN.TXT <TEST.DBG

The above command will create a zero-length file of the name ZEROLEN.TXT. A possible limitation is that DEBUG is a DOS program and only understands 8-dot-3 names for files and directories.

You can use this method to change the size of any file to zero bytes, but the TEST.DBG file would be six lines:

rbx

0

rcx

0

w

q

The above is limited to files whose original size was 512K or smaller. It also will not work on .EXE files, or on those which cannot be modified due to lack of permission or read-only status.

mhc

[Bezalel]

You can run a program that does not produce any output and redirect the output to a text file.

wuauclt > blank.txt

wuauclt was first program I could think of that never produces any output.

If you have a C compiler you can compile this program that does nothing and use it instead of wuauclt.

int main(){}

Edited July 2, 2006 by Bezalel

[mb2]

excellent, thanks guys.. how do u delete folders (ie not just their contents?) with command prompt also?

edit: what i was trying to do was delete all the ??.lproj folders and their contents except for the en.lproj folders in iTunes. anyway i've created the following batch file to get rid of the ipodservice.exe and ituneshelper.exe processes, as well as all the useless foreign language stuff, as it was getting annoying doing it manually after every update etc.

i've managed to hack it enough to get it to get rid of all the files atleast, but its far from an elegant, simple, solution, and the folders are still there.

can anyone improve?. hopefully it'll be of use to some people too.. (tried to upload as .bat but didn't let me.. )

taskkill /IM iTunesHelper.exe /F
c:
cd c:\Program Files\iTunes\
del iTunesHelper.exe
type nul>iTuneshelper.exe
attrib +R iTuneshelper.exe
taskkill /IM ipodservice.exe /F
cd c:\Program Files\ipod\bin\
del * /q /f /s
type nul>iPodService.exe
attrib +R iPodService.exe
cd C:\Program Files\iTunes\iTunesMiniPlayer.Resources\
taskkill /IM iTunes.exe /F
move en.lproj ..\
move itunesminiplayer.dll ..\i
del * /q /f /s
move ..\en.lproj .
move ..\i .\itunesminiplayer.dll
cd C:\Program Files\iTunes\iTunesHelper.Resources\
move en.lproj ..\
move ituneshelper.dll ..\
del * /q /f /s
move ..\en.lproj .\
move ..\ituneshelper.dll .
cd C:\Program Files\iTunes\iTunes.Resources\
move en.lproj ..\
move itunes.dll ..\
move itunesregistry.dll ..\
move itunes.qtr ..\
del * /q /f /s
move ..\en.lproj .
move ..\itunes.dll .\
move ..\itunesregistry.dll .
move ..\itunes.qtr .

**** command prompt can be a PITA!

..eh, u sensor the word dam'n now?

Edited July 3, 2006 by mb2

[Yzöwl]

To create a zero byte file called test.txt

type nul>test.txt

To 'delete folders', (if you used the correct terminology, it may be easier to look up), use RD (Remove Directory). For its usage open a command prompt and type & enter

RD /?

[mb2]

from my reading the problem with RD is that it doesn't accept wildcards..? (see problem edited above^^)

[LLXX]

from my reading the problem with RD is that it doesn't accept wildcards..? (see problem edited above^^)

for %a in ( name* ) do rd %a

Surprising how many ways there are to create a 0-byte file.

This is the recommended solution:

type nul>test.txt

[mb2]

for %a in ( name* ) do rd %a

sorry.. can u say that some other way i'm not getting it. does %a replace * ..or?

[pmshah]

excellent, thanks guys.. how do u delete folders (ie not just their contents?) with command prompt also?

edit: what i was trying to do was delete all the ??.lproj folders and their contents except for the en.lproj folders in iTunes. anyway i've created the following batch file to get rid of the ipodservice.exe and ituneshelper.exe processes, as well as all the useless foreign language stuff, as it was getting annoying doing it manually after every update etc.

i've managed to hack it enough to get it to get rid of all the files atleast, but its far from an elegant, simple, solution, and the folders are still there.

can anyone improve?. hopefully it'll be of use to some people too.. (tried to upload as .bat but didn't let me.. )

taskkill /IM iTunesHelper.exe /F
c:
cd c:\Program Files\iTunes\
del iTunesHelper.exe
type nul>iTuneshelper.exe
attrib +R iTuneshelper.exe
taskkill /IM ipodservice.exe /F
cd c:\Program Files\ipod\bin\
del * /q /f /s
type nul>iPodService.exe
attrib +R iPodService.exe
cd C:\Program Files\iTunes\iTunesMiniPlayer.Resources\
taskkill /IM iTunes.exe /F
move en.lproj ..\
move itunesminiplayer.dll ..\i
del * /q /f /s
move ..\en.lproj .
move ..\i .\itunesminiplayer.dll
cd C:\Program Files\iTunes\iTunesHelper.Resources\
move en.lproj ..\
move ituneshelper.dll ..\
del * /q /f /s
move ..\en.lproj .\
move ..\ituneshelper.dll .
cd C:\Program Files\iTunes\iTunes.Resources\
move en.lproj ..\
move itunes.dll ..\
move itunesregistry.dll ..\
move itunes.qtr ..\
del * /q /f /s
move ..\en.lproj .
move ..\itunes.dll .\
move ..\itunesregistry.dll .
move ..\itunes.qtr .

**** command prompt can be a PITA!

..eh, u sensor the word dam'n now?

Use 4NT as a replacement for cmd.exe It can do really fancy stuff. You can also try 4dos version 7.5 which is now free.

[mb2]

bump.. (see post 6/10).. (would rather use M$ CMD.exe if possible)

Edited July 7, 2006 by mb2