Windows – How to export a directory list from command prompt

command lineexportwindows

I have a folder full of media that I want to export to a list (csv, doc, xml, whatever…). When I navigate in Command Prompt to that folder, I can use dir to display the files in that directory. I want to export that list. How can I do this from command prompt?

Also is there an alternative way (built-in) to do it without command prompt?

Best Answer

dir > textfile.txt

will export (pipe) it to a plain text file. You can do whatever you want with it afterwards.

If you wish to append, use two >>'s

dir >> textfile.txt

If you wish the file to be in another directory, just use

dir > c:\temp\textfile.txt

Without timestamp

dir/b

for example ?

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Windows – Is there any way to customize Windows command line’s Prompt

You can use the prompt command, which changes the displayed prompt.
Type prompt /? and you will get this:

C:\>PROMPT /?
Changes the cmd.exe command prompt.

PROMPT [text]

    text    Specifies a new command prompt

Prompt can be made of normal characters and the following special codes:

    $A    & (Ampersand)
    $B    | (Pipe)
    $C    ( (Left parenthesis)
    $D    Current date
    $E    Escape code (ASCII code 27)
    $F    ) (Right parenthesis)
    $G    > (Greater-than sign)
    $H    Backspace (erases previous character
    $L    < (Less-than sign)
    $N    Current drive
    $P    Current drive and path
    $Q    = (Equals sign)
    $S      (Space)
    $T    Current time
    $V    Windows version
    $_    Carriage return and linefeed
    $$    $ (Dollar sign)

If command extensions are enabled, there are a few more options, but these are the relevant ones.

In case you were wondering, the default prompt is: prompt $P$G,
and a BASH style prompt is: prompt $$.

The one that I use when I'm working in long directories is prompt $G, which is simply '>'.

Although there is no way to display just the current folder, you can always use dir to display folder information, including the path

Windows – how to list all files and directories in given directory with full path but not recursive

If you don't want to install anything, you could also use the following command:

for /f "delims=" %a in ('cd') do @for /f %b in ('dir /b /a') do @echo %a\%b

You have to cd into the directory first or it won't work.

Best Answer

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Windows – Is there any way to customize Windows command line’s Prompt

Windows – how to list all files and directories in given directory with full path but not recursive

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