Trying to use batch code to parse and archive log files... Errors...

An alternative, tested and working. Note that the source/destination locations highlighted in RED will need to be changed to suit your requirements.

Code:

rem test
echo off
cls
if exist "c:\users\cyclops\desktop\archives" (goto main)
mkdir "c:\users\cyclops\desktop\archives"
:main
for %%a in ("c:\users\cyclops\desktop\folder\*.txt") do (call :parse %%~na)
:parse
set filename=%1
if %filename:~0,20% == %filename% goto found20
if %filename:~0,24% == %filename% goto found24
:found20
echo %filename:~16,4%
echo %filename:~0,16%
goto bye
:found24
echo %filename:~20,4%
echo %filename:~0,20%
goto bye
:bye
pause

LOL. Yeah, I wrote my first batch files under DOS in 1984 so I guess that means I've been doing it for awhile.

If you use CALL without the colon : it will look externally for a second batch file with that name. CALL with the colon allows you to call a subroutine within the current batch file. If you CALL either an external batch file or an internal subroutine, execution will return and resume with the line following the CALL. GOTO is used to jump to a line indicated by a label and doesn't return. The colon is required to indicate the label but is not used to GOTO that label.

As for what Dwarf posted, it's good practice to use a path to a specific location so that you don't need to be in a particular folder when the batch file is executed. If you're not careful and execute a batch file that assumes it's being executed within a particular folder and it isn't, there can be very unwanted results.

BTW, it occurs to me that there is actually a bug in the batch file using the ELSE statement. As written, if the archives folder doesn't exist then it will be created but the rest of the files won't be processed. If the archives folder is found then the other files will be processed. The batch file will need to be executed twice if the archives folder doesn't exist the first time the batch is executed. I don't think that was your intention.

You don't want IF/ELSE in this case. You want to check for the existence of the folder but you want to parse the files regardless so the ELSE shouldn't be used. This has nothing to do with batch limitations, it would be the same with any language you used.

Why the 2 different lengths for the filenames?

Ah, OK. I'll work out some generic code and highlight the sections that need modifying/repeating to accommodate this.

Are the filenames always of the format nameYYYY.ext,where the 4-digit year immediately precedes the file extension?