TSCMD083 FAQ: How to archive files with a rotation of five latest generations? Assorted NT/2000/XP/.. CMD.EXE script tricks written by Timo Salmi

This page is edited from the 1cmdfaq.txt faq-file contained in my tscmd.zip command line interface (CLI) collection. That zipped file has much additional material, including a number of detached .cmd script files. It is recommended that you also get the zipped version as a companion.

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83} How to archive files with a rotation of five latest generations?

I would like to archive some files periodically but only keep the last five iterations. The directories would ideally have date names. I know how to get a date into a directory name but I'm having a bit of trouble trying to figure out how to delete the oldest directory.

Such a backup rotation uses moves or renames. Below is the logic. The commands (e.g. zipping or whatever) are easily written once the simple logic sinks in:

archive4 --> archive5
archive3 --> archive4
archive2 --> archive3
archive1 --> archive2
delete archive1
Do the new archiving to archive1 (optionally with dates)

Assorted NT/2000/XP/.. CMD.EXE Script Tricks From the html version of the tscmd.zip 1cmdfaq.txt file To the Description and the Index

Assorted NT/2000/XP/.. CMD.EXE Script Tricks
From the html version of the tscmd.zip 1cmdfaq.txt file
To the Description and the Index