Checking File Existence

Basic Command

if exist Command

Command Prompt does not have a command solely for checking file existence; instead, the if command with the exist option is used to check for file existence.

This command checks if the specified file or folder exists and executes a specific process if it does.

if exist %file_path% (
  rem_File_exists_processing
)

Let’s look at an example of checking if a text file exists.

The following code checks if the sample.txt file in the user’s Documents folder exists.

set file_path=%userprofile%\Documents\sample.txt

if exist %file_path% (
    echo The_file_exists.
) else (
    echo The_file_does_not_exist.
)

Additionally, the following code shows an example of storing the existence status of a file in a variable.

set file_path=%userprofile%\Documents\sample.txt

if exist %file_path% (
    set file_exist=true
) else (
    set file_exist=false
)

if %file_exist%==true (
    echo The_file_exists.
) else (
    echo The_file_does_not_exist.
)

By storing the status in a variable, you can separate the file existence check from subsequent processing.

Practical Examples

Application in Batch Files

Using batch files, you can automate the file existence check. Below is an example of a batch file that executes specific processing if the specified file exists.

@echo off
setlocal

set file_path=%userprofile%\Documents\sample.txt

if exist %file_path% (
    echo %file_path% exists.
    rem_Processing_if_file_exists
) else (
    echo %file_path% does_not_exist.
    rem_Processing_if_file_does_not_exist
)

pause
endlocal

For more details about @echo off, refer to the following page.

By running this batch file, the appropriate processing is automatically executed based on the result.

Validation Processing

When performing processing that assumes the existence of a specific file, it is important to perform validation processing.

The following code checks if two files exist and executes specific processing if both exist.

@echo off
setlocal

set file1=%userprofile%\Documents\file1.txt
set file2=%userprofile%\Documents\file2.txt

if not exist %file1% (
    echo %file1% does_not_exist.
    pause
    exit
)
if not exist %file2% (
    echo %file2% does_not_exist.
    pause
    exit
)

rem_Processing_if_files_exist

pause
endlocal

In this script, the existence of file1 and file2 is checked, and different processing is performed based on the result.

Summary

We have explained how to check if a specified file exists using Command Prompt. By using the if exist command, you can easily check for file existence. By creating batch files or complex scripts, you can perform conditional processing and error handling. Utilizing these methods allows for more efficient file management.