How do you make a logging batch file?

Well, first, you have to open Notepad or Notepad++ or WordPad or something like that. Then, type the following code:

@echo off

Seems pretty simple, and doesn't actually do much, but type it in anyway.

After you've done that, type (or copy-paste) this code:

if not exist "%USERPROFILE%\Logs" mkdir "%USERPROFILE%\Logs"
echo %USERPROFILE%\Logs\batchlog.txt

That makes the directory that we will log into. %USERPROFILE% is the variable that leads us to our user's folder.

mkdir makes a directory. Echo writes a file in this context.

Next, we come to the log text.

echo "Logged at %time%, %date%, by %USERNAME%" >> %USERPROFILE%\Logs\batchlog.txt

This writes what we want our log to say.

And now, we make the temporary .vbs file, for the message box. It remains until the code is stopped.

> usermessage.vbs ECHO WScript.Echo( "Logged succesfully by %UserName%" )
WSCRIPT.EXE usermessage.vbs

This is a VBScript code, executing in your batch file.

DEL usermessage.vbs

I assume you want to be rid of the temporary file?

After this, you are done. Thank you!

Step 1: Create the Code

Creating the code.

@echo off 
if not exist "%USERPROFILE%\Logs" mkdir "%USERPROFILE%\Logs"
echo %USERPROFILE%\Logs\batchlog.txt
echo "Logged at %time%, %date%, by %USERNAME%" >> %USERPROFILE%\Logs\batchlog
> usermessage.vbs ECHO WScript.Echo( "Logged succesfully by %UserName%" )
WSCRIPT.EXE usermessage.vbs
DEL usermessage.vbs

That's the default code. Paste that into Notepad and move on to:

ClickLog1.3.bat
Download

Step 2: Customizations and Tweaks

As coding has no filters, we can tweak this code every way possible.

Here's the default code:

@echo off 
if not exist "%USERPROFILE%\Logs" mkdir "%USERPROFILE%\Logs"
echo %USERPROFILE%\Logs\batchlog.txt
echo "Logged at %time%, %date%, by %USERNAME%" >> %USERPROFILE%\Logs\batchlog
> usermessage.vbs ECHO WScript.Echo( "Logged succesfully by %UserName%" )
WSCRIPT.EXE usermessage.vbs
DEL usermessage.vbs

And here's an example of a customised one.

@echo off 
if not exist "%USERPROFILE%\Logs" mkdir "%USERPROFILE%\Logs"
echo %USERPROFILE%\Logs\hello-world?.txt
echo "Hey Jo, what do ya know?" >> %USERPROFILE%\Logs\hello-world?
> usermessage.vbs ECHO WScript.Echo( "So ya think ya know where I put yer stupid file, do ya?" )
WSCRIPT.EXE usermessage.vbs
DEL usermessage.vbs
move "%USERPROFILE%\Desktop" > "%USERPROFILE%\Logs"
end

This now not only has edited the log and message, but has moved the Desktop to the previously made Logs folder.

Now try this:

@echo off
if not exist "%USERPROFILE%\Logs" mkdir "%USERPROFILE%\Logs"
echo %USERPROFILE%\Logs\hello-world?.txt
echo "Hey Jo, what do ya know?" >> %USERPROFILE%\Logs\hello-world?
> usermessage.vbs ECHO WScript.Echo( "So ya think ya know where I put yer stupid file, do ya?" )
WSCRIPT.EXE usermessage.vbs
DEL usermessage.vbs
move "%USERPROFILE%\Desktop" > "%USERPROFILE%\Logs"
>> c.vbs ECHO Dim speechobject                                                                   >> c.vbs ECHO set speechobject=createobject("sapi.spvoice")                                      speechobject.speak "Hoy thar! Kiss lead, *****!"                                                 >> c.vbs ECHO end if                                                                             start c.vbs                                                                                      DEL c.vbs                                                                                        end

This will not only do everything the previously tweaked code does, it will also tell you a message (customisable) in the default male voice (female got sued) in Win8.1 and above and female Win8 and below.

*This code will not work on a Mac, Linux, or other computer. Too bad for you if you're on a Commodore 64.