Is there any way to use the dir command / some DOS Script to select only first file of similar pattern of files in a direcotory and rename it for example, one directory has 5 files abc_1005.txt abc_5256.txt abc_2001.txt abc_2003.txt abc_3006.txt by use script I would like to select only first file abc_1005.txt and rename(move) it as abc.txt; For next run, directory has 4 files, script returns the first file as abc_5256.txt and rename it as abc.txt... In UNIX, the we can use a single line command as mv `ls /u01/opt/incoming/abc_*.txt | head -1 ` abc.txt I just wondering is there any similar command or script in DOS? Thanks for your help,

Not that I know of, but you could try installing cygwin & bash in windows - that should give you the bash shell on a windows box & you can use your *nix tools...

It's easier to grab the last line, so if you wanted the first file by name: FOR /F "delims=" %%a IN ('DIR /a-d/b/o-n') DO SET file=%%a

It is good, But actual requirement is to select ONLY ONE first file and rename it. can you help in this?

Depends on how you define 'first' file. ===================================== If at first you don't succeed, you're about average. M2

I am fine with sorting on any order. but select only one file and rename it in each run.

@echo off & setLocal EnableDelayedExpansion if exist abc.txt del abc.txt for /f "tokens=* delims= " %%a in ('dir/b/a-d/o-d *.txt') do ( ren %%a abc.txt goto :eof ) ===================================== If at first you don't succeed, you're about average. M2