That does not seem to work for me:
Q:\scripts\scrap>type dir2.bat
dir | gawk "{printf \"%s \",$5}"
Q:\scripts\scrap>dir2.bat
Q:\scripts\scrap>dir | gawk "{printf \"s \",$5}"
s s s s s s s s s s s
Q:\scripts\scrap>
Removing the format specifier does work in this case:
Q:\scripts\scrap>type dir1.bat
dir | gawk "{printf( $4\" \" )}"
Q:\scripts\scrap>dir1
Q:\scripts\scrap>dir | gawk "{printf( $4\" \" )}"
Q is . .. dir1.bat dir2.bat bytes bytes
Q:\scripts\scrap>
IS ther a book on making windows scripts using installed utilities, simlar to the plethora of books on making unix shell scripts?