controlling windows batch files

[tmshort]

I am reading up on Windows batch files and have not yet seen what I need.
1) How do I check to see if a file exists?
2) How do I wait to keep the batch file from using too much cpu time?
Here is the basic concept:

echo starting ftp processor
cd c:\ftpdir
:top

if exists put*.txt // how do I check for this
ftp -sut_<postfix>.txt // this should be dash s colon put, no happy face intended
del put_<postfix>.txt
end if // for if exists put.txt

sleep 6000 // how do I wait for six seconds
goto top

An existing program creates files such as put_abc.txt in the directory. The file contains the specs to perform an FTP operation. The file name may be put_def.txt, put_efg.txt, etc.

I see the "find" command, but have not yet figured out how to use it in this context.

From looking at the else statement, its a single line command so I may have to do something like:

if exists put*.txt
call putfile.bat

Is that correct?

I just discovered PowerShell. Is PowerShell much better?

After more readings, I developed two files for my ftp operations as shown below. The get getlock operation is successful.

The problem is that after doing the getlock ftp operation, my command window is left in ftp mode showing the ftp prompt. It does not execute the if exist statement. When I type in "quit" to get out of the ftp mode, the batch file seems to continue running but does not do what I expect. I have tried putting a bye and quit command in both the batch file and in the ftp control file to no avail. Here are the two files:

batch file:

@echo on

echo ftp test batch

ftp -v -s:getlock.txt

if exist lock.txt (
echo.
echo COMPUTER BUSY, WILL TRY LATER
echo.
) else (
for %%a in (put*.txt ) do (
echo.
echo putting some files
ftp -v s:%%a
echo.
)
)

contents of getlock.txt

open <my server>
<my user id>
<my password>
cd incoming
get lock.txt


Thanks for your time.

New discovery, for me that is.
If the file lock.txt exists on the server I don't want to send data. However, the attempt to do an FTP get for the file lock.txt from the other computer always creates a local file called lock.txt. The size of the local file is 0 (zero bytes) if the file on the server does not exist.

Is there a way I can supress that file creation. If not, how do I test for a zero length file in a batch file?

Regardless, thank you to Saxon for consolodating my posts. I appreciate the links, but I cannot buy things to make this project work. I just have to make it work. I will keep looking. Thanks for your time.

 

[Trotter]

Your "message" is regarded as spam here. Spam can get you banned.

 

[tmshort]

I do not see any reason why what I wrote would be regarded as spam. A private email suggested language, but I did not write anything inappropraite. Please explain.

 

[KSoD]

Posting multiple times in a row without using the edit button which you can for 24 hours is considered spamming. You had 4 posts in a row. Never bothered to edit which you are supposed to do for the first 24 hours instead of posting again and again to put your thread at the top of the list (Also known as bumping) to be seen first.