Skip to main content

How to List Directory Contents in a Tree Structure in Batch Script

When you need to visualize a folder's hierarchy—including its subfolders and files—a standard DIR listing can be hard to read. For a clearer, more intuitive representation, you need a tree structure. Windows provides a built-in, classic command-line utility called TREE that is designed for exactly this purpose.

This guide will teach you how to use the TREE command to generate a visual map of a directory, how to include files in the listing, and how to save this structure to a text file for documentation or analysis.

The Core Command: TREE​

The TREE command is a simple yet powerful utility that graphically displays the folder structure of a drive or path. By default, it only shows directories, not the files within them.

The syntax is straightforward: TREE [path]

  • [path]: The starting directory for the tree. If omitted, it will start from the current directory.

Basic Example: Displaying the Folder Structure​

Let's run the TREE command on a typical project folder.

Consider this directory structure:

MyProject\
+---assets\
|   \---styles\
+---data\
\---src\

and run this command

C:\> TREE MyProject

The output that TREE command generates is a clean, easy-to-read diagram of the folder hierarchy:

Folder PATH listing for volume Windows
Volume serial number is 1234-ABCD
C:\MYPROJECT
├───assets
│   └───styles
├───data
└───src

Including Files in the Tree (/F)​

The default view is useful, but you often want to see the files within each folder as well. The /F switch tells TREE to include Files in its output.

C:\> TREE MyProject /F

The output now includes both the folders and the files they contain, giving a complete picture of the directory's contents.

Folder PATH listing for volume Windows
Volume serial number is 1234-ABCD
C:\MYPROJECT
│   README.md
│
├───assets
│   │   logo.png
│   │
│   └───styles
│           main.css
│
├───data
└───src
        app.js

Saving the Tree to a File​

The output of the TREE command can be very long, especially for complex directories. The best way to review or share it is to save it directly to a text file using the output redirection operator (>).

This script will save the full file and folder tree of a directory to structure.txt.

@ECHO OFF
SET "TARGET_FOLDER=C:\MyProject"
SET "OUTPUT_FILE=structure.txt"

ECHO Generating directory tree for "%TARGET_FOLDER%"...
TREE "%TARGET_FOLDER%" /F > "%OUTPUT_FILE%"

ECHO.
ECHO [SUCCESS] The directory structure has been saved to "%OUTPUT_FILE%".

This creates a text file that you can easily open, search, or share with others.

Common Pitfalls and How to Solve Them​

Problem: The Output is Too Long for the Screen​

When you run TREE /F on a large directory, the output can scroll past so quickly that it's impossible to read.

Solution: Pipe to MORE​

You can pipe the output of the TREE command to the MORE command. This will pause the output after each screenful, allowing you to review it at your own pace.

TREE "C:\Program Files" /F | MORE

Press Enter to advance one line at a time, or the Spacebar to advance one page at a time.

Problem: Handling Special Characters in Folder Names​

The TREE command can sometimes produce messy output if folder names contain certain special characters. Using a different character set for the graphical lines can improve readability.

Solution: Use the /A Switch​

The /A switch tells TREE to use ASCII characters (+, -, \) instead of the extended graphical characters (├───). This creates a simpler, more universally compatible output that is less prone to rendering errors in different text editors or terminals.

TREE /F /A

Output with /A:

C:\MYPROJECT
|   README.md
|
+---assets
|   |   logo.png
|   |
|   \---styles
|           main.css
...

Practical Example: Documenting a Project's Structure​

This script is a simple utility that creates a "manifest" of a project folder. It takes the project folder as an argument and saves a detailed tree structure to a documentation folder.

CreateManifest.bat
@ECHO OFF
SETLOCAL
SET "PROJECT_FOLDER=%~1"
SET "DOCS_FOLDER=%PROJECT_FOLDER%\docs"

ECHO --- Project Manifest Generator ---
IF "%PROJECT_FOLDER%"=="" (ECHO [ERROR] Please provide a project folder path. & GOTO :End)
IF NOT EXIST "%PROJECT_FOLDER%\" (ECHO [ERROR] Project folder not found. & GOTO :End)

MKDIR "%DOCS_FOLDER%" 2>NUL
SET "OUTPUT_FILE=%DOCS_FOLDER%\directory_structure.txt"

ECHO.
ECHO Generating manifest for: "%PROJECT_FOLDER%"
ECHO Saving to: "%OUTPUT_FILE%"

REM Use the /A switch for maximum compatibility.
(
    ECHO Project Structure for: %PROJECT_FOLDER%
    ECHO Generated on: %DATE% %TIME%
    ECHO ------------------------------------
    TREE "%PROJECT_FOLDER%" /F /A
) > "%OUTPUT_FILE%"

ECHO.
ECHO [SUCCESS] Manifest created.

:End
ENDLOCAL

Conclusion​

The TREE command is the definitive tool for creating a visual representation of a directory's hierarchy in Windows. It is an invaluable utility for documentation, analysis, and understanding complex folder structures.

Key takeaways for using TREE:

  • Run TREE by itself to see the folder-only structure.
  • Add the /F switch to include files in the listing.
  • Use the /A switch to produce a simple, ASCII-only output for better compatibility.
  • Redirect the output with > "filename.txt" to save the tree for later review.

By incorporating TREE into your workflow, you can quickly and easily document and visualize any directory on your system.

Table of Contents