Batch file to create directory tree in MS-DOS 6.21

[Clueless in Seattle]

I suspect that the answer to this is right in front of me, but everything I've tried has failed.

What I'm trying to do is write a batch file in MS-DOS 6.21 that will copy a directory tree from drive E: to drive D:

But, I don't want to copy any of the files in the directories on E:, I just want to copy empty directories.

Here's an example of a tree I'd like to copy:

E:\TRUNKDIR\BRANCH1\BRANCH1a\

I plan to enter the directory path as a parameter on the DOS command line when I run the batch file. So, if the batch file were named MAKETREE.BAT, then the command line might look something like this:

E:\>MAKETREE D:\TRUNKDIR\BRANCH1\BRANCH1a\

I've tried using MD, with and without that last backslash, and with and without the drive letter, but it keeps giving me error messages.

I can get it to work with XCOPY, but XCOPY copies all the files in the sub-directories. And I don't want that. I want to create empty directories on the D: drive. My antique version of MS-DOS seems to lack the /T switch for XCOPY that would tell it to copy directories only..

I'd be grateful if someone could help me figure out a way to do this,

Will in Seattle
a.k.a. "Clueless"

[aGerman]

Unfortunately I'm not familiar with DOS anymore. I guess you could use XCOPY though. Try to copy NUL.

Code: Select all

XCOPY NUL D:\TRUNKDIR\BRANCH1\BRANCH1a /I

Regards
aGerman

[foxidrive]

In MSDOS you cannot create multiple levels of directory in one command.

To create D:\TRUNKDIR\BRANCH1\BRANCH1a you can do this

Code: Select all

MD D:\TRUNKDIR
MD D:\TRUNKDIR\BRANCH1
MD D:\TRUNKDIR\BRANCH1\BRANCH1a

I think the way to go about this in those days was to use DIR to create a list of directories in a text file and use QBASIC to parse it and create the folders.