Batch Programming

Part I
 Version
Date Author Version Changelog

20/12/07 [email protected] 1.0.0 Initial Version

Added susbt, minor corrections and more examples

21/12/07 [email protected] 1.0.1 (some provided by [email protected] and
[email protected])

Fixed an xcopy example, minor stuff, some spell

26/12/07 [email protected] 1.0.2
mistakes and the MS url

Fixed explanation for delayed expansion (thanks

27/12/07 [email protected] 1.0.3 [email protected]). Added
examples for getting a substring of a variable

Fixed bug expanding the TEXT variable for obtaining a

17/04/08 [email protected] 1.0.4
substring (thanks [email protected])
Guideline

● Basic
● Environment
● Flow control
● File system
● Bibliography
Basic
Basic
help and /?

● Syntax:
– HELP [command]
– [command] /?

● Both are the same. Shows a help for a XP

command:
– i.e.
● dir /?

● help set
Basic
rem, “::” and “;”

● “;” is only used in config.sys file

● rem and :: seems that are the same but:
– At least in MS-DOS rem is slower because
Command.com parse it

rem this is valid comment

:: this is a valid comment too
Basic
echo

● Syntax:
– echo [{on|off}] [message]
● On/off activate/deactivate the echo
● @ prevents the echo of the command echo
– i.e. @echo blablabla.... prints “blablabla....” only
● Append a line feed
– i.e. @echo. >> manifest.mf
● Use ^ as escaping character
– i.e. echo ^> a test
Basic
getting arguments & shift
make.bat data EN

%0 %1 %2 %*
● Shift
– Changes the values of the batch parameters %0
through %9 by copying each parameter into the
previous one

Shift Shift /1 Shift /2

%0 data %0 make.bat %0 make.bat
%1 EN %1 EN %1 data
%2 %2 %2
%* data EN %* data EN %* data EN
Basic
error handling

● When a program stops, it returns an exit code. You

can always ask it through the %ERRORLEVEL%
variable (0 means OK)
“%JAVA_HOME%\bin\java.exe” *.java
if not %ERRORLEVEL%==0 (
goto error
)
goto end

:error
@echo FAILED! Errorcode: %ERRORLEVEL%

:end
 Basic
error handling

● You can use the binary operators too:

– CMD1 && CMD2
● Execute CMD2 if and only if CMD1 succeeds.

– CMD1 || CMD2
● Execute CMD2 if and only if CMD1 fails

D:\scripts>cd bogus_dir && cd ..

The system cannot find the path specified.

D:\scripts>cd bogus_dir || echo %CD%\bogus_dir missing.

D:\scripts\bogus_dir is missing.
Basic
error handling

● Always check if the variable/path exists!!

...
rmdir %WORK_DATA_STRING_PATH%\ /s /q > NUL
...
1 vs 100 example

THIS WOULD DELETE FROM C:\

IF WORK_DATA_STRING_PATH DOESN'T EXISTS

if defined %WORK_DATA_STRING_PATH% (
rmdir %WORK_DATA_STRING_PATH%\ /s /q > NUL
)
Basic
Redirection

Operator Description
Writes the command output to a file or a device, such as a
>
printer, instead of the Command Prompt window.
Reads the command input from a file, instead of reading
<
input from the keyboard.
Appends the command output to the end of a file without
>>
deleting the information that is already in the file.
Writes the output from one handle to the input of another
>&
handle.
Reads the input from one handle and writes it to the output
<&
of another handle.
Reads the output from one command and writes it to the
|
input of another command. Also known as a pipe.
Basic
Redirection

Handle Number Description

STDIN 0 Keyboard input
STDOUT 1 Output to the Command Prompt window
STDERR 2 Error output to the Command Prompt window
These handles are defined individually by the application
UNDEFINED 3– 9
and are specific to each tool.

File Description
CON The console
NUL Void
LPT1 Printer on the 1st parallel port
PRN Default printer
Basic
Redirection

● Create/override output.log file

– i.e. ipconfig.exe > output.log
● Append/create to output.log file the ipconfig's
STDOUT
– i.e. ipconfig.exe >> output.log
● The same but log also redirect the STDERR
– i.e. ipconfig.exe >> output.log 2>&1
● Redirect STDERR to Void (nothing)
– i.e. ipconfig.exe 2> NUL
– i.e. cd bug_dir 2> NUL
Basic
Redirection

● Sort names.txt and redirect the output to

names2.txt
– i.e. sort < names.txt > names2.txt
● Sort (reverse mode) the output of dir
– i.e. dir | sort /R
Environment
Environment
set

● Displays, sets, or removes environment variables.

Used without parameters, set displays the current
environment settings.
set [[/a [expression]] [/p [variable=]] string]

/a : Sets string to a numerical expression that is evaluated.

/p : Sets the value of variable to a line of input.
variable : Specifies the variable you want to set or modify.
string : Specifies the string you want to associate with the specified variable.
Environment
set

● Substitution:
– %VARIABLE:str1=str2%
● Substring:
– %VARIABLE:~start=noChars%
● Expression
– Character escape: ^
Operator Operation performed
<> Grouping
* / %+- Arithmetic
<< >> Logical shift
& Bitwise AND
^ Bitwise exclusive OR
| What does this ? Bitwise OR
*= /= = %= += -= &= ^= '|'= <<= >>= Assignment
, Expression separator
Environment
set

● Set from the command line “anything”

– set /p anything=
● Removes “anything”
– set anything=
● Set “anything” using an expression
– set /a anything=anything + 1
– set /a anything=0x0E
– set /a anything=a^&a
Environment
set

● If TEXT==ABC then...
– %TEXT:~0,1% returns A
– %TEXT:~0,2% returns AB
– %TEXT:~1,2% returns BC
– %TEXT:~-3,1% returns C
– %TEXT:~-2,1% returns B
– %TEXT:~-1,1% returns A
● Substitutes c: by d: in “PATH”
– set PATH=%PATH:c:=d:%
Environment
set

APPDATA PROCESSOR_IDENTIFIER
CD PROCESSOR_LEVEL
CMDCMDLINE PROCESSOR_REVISION
CMDEXTVERSION PROGRAMFILES
COMPUTERNAME PROMPT
COMSPEC RANDOM
DATE SYSTEMDRIVE
ERRORLEVEL SYSTEMROOT
HOMEDRIVE TEMP
HOMEPATH TMP
HOMESHARE TIME
NUMBER_OF_PROCESSORS USERDOMAIN
OS USERNAME
PATH USERPROFILE
PATHEXT WINDIR
Environment
set

● Start -> run -> cmd

– Users & System variables inhirited:

C:\>set
ALLUSERSPROFILE=C:\Documents and Settings\All Users
APPDATA=C:\Documents and Settings\diego.mercado\Datos de
programa
APR_ICONV_PATH=C:\Archivos de programa\Subversion\iconv
CLIENTNAME=Console
CommonProgramFiles=C:\Archivos de programa\Archivos
comunes
COMPUTERNAME=CORWKS0170
ComSpec=C:\WINDOWS\system32\cmd.exe
DEFAULT_CA_NR=CA6
FP_NO_HOST_CHECK=NO
HOME=C:\HOME
HOMEDRIVE=C:
.......
USERDNSDOMAIN=GAMELOFT.ORG
USERDOMAIN=GAMELOFT
USERNAME=diego.mercado
USERPROFILE=C:\Documents and Settings\diego.mercado
windir=C:\WINDOWS
Environment
set

● If....

C:\>set zz=TEST This opens another

C:\>start cmd command shell

● What would happen if we call set ?

Environment
set

C:\>set
ALLUSERSPROFILE=C:\Documents and Settings\All Users
APPDATA=C:\Documents and Settings\diego.mercado\Datos de
programa
APR_ICONV_PATH=C:\Archivos de programa\Subversion\iconv
CLIENTNAME=Console
CommonProgramFiles=C:\Archivos de programa\Archivos
comunes
COMPUTERNAME=CORWKS0170
ComSpec=C:\WINDOWS\system32\cmd.exe
DEFAULT_CA_NR=CA6
FP_NO_HOST_CHECK=NO
HOME=C:\HOME
HOMEDRIVE=C:
.......
USERDNSDOMAIN=GAMELOFT.ORG
USERDOMAIN=GAMELOFT Means just a copy
USERNAME=diego.mercado
USERPROFILE=C:\Documents and Settings\diego.mercado
windir=C:\WINDOWS
zz=TEST

Every environment is inherited

Environment
setlocal & endlocal

● SETLOCAL: Starts localization of environment variables in a

batch file. Localization continues until a matching endlocal
command is encountered or the end of the batch file is
reached.

setlocal
{enableextensions | disableextensions}
{enabledelayedexpansion |disabledelayedexpansion}

● ENDLOCAL: Ends localization of environment changes in a

batch file, restoring environment variables to their values
before the matching setlocal command
endlocal

By default: enableextension disabledelayedexpansion

Environment
setlocal & endlocal

@echo off
@echo off setlocal
set computername=any set computername=any
echo %computername% endlocal
echo %computername%

any CORWKS0170
Environment
setlocal & endlocal

● What are the extensions ?

– Means extra features
– Disabling it would remove or change the following
commands:
● DEL o ERASE, COLOR, CD o CHDIR, MD o MKDIR,
PROMPT, PUSHD, POPD, SET, SETLOCAL,
ENDLOCAL, IF, FOR, CALL, SHIFT, GOTO, START,
ASSOC, FTYPE
Environment
setlocal & endlocal

● What is a delayed expansion ?

@echo off
set VAR=before
if "%VAR%" == "before" (
set VAR=after
if "%VAR%" == "after" ( Why it doesn't work ?
@echo If you see this, it worked
)
)
Environment
setlocal & endlocal

@echo off Delayed environment

setlocal enabledelayedexpansion variable expansion
set VAR=before
if "%VAR%" == "before" ( allows you to expand
set VAR=after the variable inside of
if "!VAR!" == "after" ( the IF sentence by
@echo If you see this, it worked
) using a different
) character (the
endlocal exclamation mark)
Note: You could set it in the registry or by invoking cmd:
c:\cmd /V:{ON|OFF}
Flow control
Flow control
if

● if [not] errorlevel number command

[else expression]
– i.e. IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 1 goto end

● if [not] string1==string2 command [else

expression]
– literal strings or batch variables
– i.e. IF "game over"==%1 @echo success...
Flow control
if

● if [not] exist FileName command [else

expression]
– i.e. IF EXIST c:\autoexec.bat del c:\autoexec.bat

● if defined variable command [else

expression]
– i.e. IF DEFINED %TMP%\ rmdir %TMP%\ /s /q
Flow control
if

● if [/i] string1 CompareOp string2

command [else expression]
● /i : Forces string comparisons to ignore case.

Operator Description
EQU equal to
NEQ not equal to
LSS less than
LEQ less than or equal to
GTR greater than
GEQ greater than or equal to
Flow control
if

● Case/insensitive comparision
– IF /i “H” EQU “h” @echo succeed
– IF “h” EQU “h” @echo succeed

● Using operators
– IF %errorlevel% LSS 1 goto okay
Flow control
call

● Syntax
– call [[Drive:][Path] FileName
[BatchParameters]] [:label [arguments]]
● Do not use pipes and redirection
● i.e. call make.bat %1 %2
Flow control
call

● Used as a subroutine:
@echo off
echo 1
:sub1
echo 2 sub1
call :sub2
echo 4 What does this ?
goto end
:sub2 sub2
echo 3
goto :EOF
:end end
echo 5
flow.bat
Flow control
call

● Used as a subroutine:
@echo off
echo 1
:sub1
echo 2 sub1 C:\flow.bat
call :sub2 1
echo 4 2
goto end 3
:sub2 sub2 4
echo 3 5
goto :EOF
:end end
echo 5
flow.bat
Flow control
pushd & popd

● PUSHD: Stores the actual directory and changes

to the specified directory
PUSHD [path | ...]

path Directory to be changed

● POPD: Changes the current directory to the

directory stored by the pushd command.
POPD
Flow control
pushd & popd

● You can store multiple directories by using the

pushd command multiple times
● The directories are stored sequentially in a virtual
stack.
Flow control
pushd & popd
pushd A
A

pushd B
B
A

pushd C
C
B
A
t
Flow control
pushd & popd

popd
C

popd
B

popd
A
t
Flow control
pushd & popd

● Example:
@echo off
rem This batch file list the *.txt files in a specified
directory
pushd %1
dir
popd
cls
Flow control
pushd & popd

● If command extensions are enabled, the pushd command

accepts either a network path or a local drive letter and
path.
– Assign temporally to the first unused drive letter. At
the end it removes it
Flow control
pushd & popd

● Example:
@echo off
rem This batch file list the directories located at a
network direction
pushd \\Corwks5000\dfs\cor
dir
popd
Flow control
for

for {%variable|%%variable} in (set) do

command [ CommandLineOptions]

●
{%variable|%%variable}
– Both are case-sensitive
– %% is for scripting and % is for command-line
● (set)
– Specifies one or more files, directories, range of
values, or text strings
● command & CommandLineOptions
– The command to be executed with the current args
Flow control
for

● Basically:
– Take a set of data
– Make a FOR Parameter %%X equal to some part of
that data
– Perform a command
● optionally using the parameter as part of the command.
– Repeat for each item of data
Flow control
for

● syntax-FOR-Files
– FOR %%parameter IN (set) DO command

From command-line
c:\>FOR %%F IN (c:\windows\*.*) DO @echo %%F

From script
FOR %%F IN (c:\windows\*.*) DO @echo %%F

Why the fist thing doesn't work?

What does the second one ?
Flow control
for

c:\>FOR %A IN (1 2) DO FOR %B IN (A B) DO ECHO %A%B

What does this ?
Flow control
for

c:\>FOR %A IN (1 2) DO FOR %B IN (A B) DO ECHO %A%B

1A
1B
2A
2B
(Cartesian product)
Flow control
for

● syntax-FOR-Files-Rooted at Path
– FOR /R [[drive:]path] %%parameter IN (set)
DO command

From script
FOR /R %%F IN (c:\windows\*.*) DO @echo %%F

What does this ?

Flow control
for

● syntax-FOR-Folders
– FOR /D %%parameter IN (folder_set) DO
command
setlocal enabledelayedexpansion
for /D %%i in (*.*) do (
cd %%i
if exist make.bat (
call make.bat %1 %2 %3 %4
if not %ERRORLEVEL%==0 (
echo ERROR:: error in %%i
What does this ? goto error
)
)
cd ..
)
:error
endlocal
Flow control
for

● syntax-FOR-List of numbers
– FOR /L %%parameter IN (start,step,end) DO
command
FOR /L %%G IN (1,1,5) DO echo %%G
1
2
3
4
5
Flow control
for

FOR /L %%G IN (5,-1,1) DO echo %%G

FOR /L %%G IN (20,-5,10) DO echo %%G

What sequences generates?

Flow control
for

FOR /L %%G IN (5,-1,1) DO echo %%G

5
4
3
2
1

FOR /L %%G IN (20,-5,10) DO echo %%G

20
15
10
Flow control
for

● syntax-FOR-File contents
– FOR /F ["options"] %%parameter IN
(filenameset) DO command
– FOR /F ["options"] %%parameter IN ("Text
string to process") DO command
● syntax-FOR-Command Results
– FOR /F ["options"] %%parameter IN ('command
to process') DO command
 Flow control
for

Keyword Description
eol=c Specifies an end of line character (just one character).
skip=n Specifies the number of lines to skip at the beginning of the file.
Specifies a delimiter set. This replaces the default delimiter set of space and
delims=xxx tab.
each iteration. As a result, additional variable names are allocated. The m-n
form is a range, specifying the mth through the nth tokens. If the last
character in the tokens= string is an asterisk (*), an additional variable is
allocated and receives the remaining text on the line after the last token that is
tokens=x,y,m-n parsed.
Specifies that you can use quotation marks to quote file names in filenameset,
a back quoted string is executed as a command, and a single quoted string is a
usebackq literal string command.
Flow control
for
1.2.3;
version.txt
@echo off
FOR /F "eol=;tokens=1,2,3 delims=." %%i IN (version.txt) DO (
echo version1 is %%i
echo version2 is %%j
echo version3 is %%k
)
@echo on
getVersion.bat

C:\>getVersion.bat
version1 is 1
version2 is 2
version3 is 3
Flow control
for

● Variable substitution (for any variable I)

Variable Description
%~I Expands %I which removes any surrounding quotation marks ("").
%~fI Expands %I to a fully qualified path name.
%~dI Expands %I to a drive letter only.
%~pI Expands %I to a path only.
%~nI Expands %I to a file name only.
%~xI Expands %I to a file extension only.
%~sI Expands path to contain short names only.
%~aI Expands %I to the file attributes of file.
%~tI Expands %I to the date and time of file.
%~zI Expands %I to the size of file.
Searches the directories listed in the PATH environment variable and expands
%I to the fully qualified name of the first one found. If the environment
%~$PATH:I
variable name is not defined or the file is not found by the search, this
modifier expands to the empty string.
Flow control
for

● For instance, this can lead to the following

combination:
– %~dpI = drive + path
– %~nxI = file + extension
– %~fsI = full qualified path name + short name
– %~dp$PATH:I = Searches the directories listed in the PATH
environment variable for %I and expands to the drive letter and
path of the first one found.
– %~ftzaI = full qualified path name + date & time + size + file
attributes
Flow control
for

FOR %F IN (c:\windows\*.*)
DO @echo Name:%~nxF – Size:%~zF
....
Name:ADFUUD.SYS - Size:12634
Name:AdfuUpdate.inf - Size:1562
Name:Alcmtr.exe – Size:69632
....
 Flow control
for

for /F %%I in ("%BUILD_RELEASE_PATH%\%JAR_NAME%.jar")

do set JAR_SIZE=%%~zI echo MIDlet-Jar-Size:%JAR_SIZE%
>>"%BUILD_RELEASE_PATH%\%JAR_NAME%.jad"

What does this ?

File system
File system
del / erase

● Syntax:
– {del|erase} [Drive:][Path] FileName [ ...]
[/p] [/f] [/s] [/q] [/a[:attributes]]
● /p: Prompts you for confirmation before deleting the

specified file.
● /f: Forces deletion of read-only files.

● /s: Deletes specified files from the current directory and all

subdirectories. Displays the names of the files as they are

being deleted.
● /q: Specifies quiet mode. You are not prompted for delete

confirmation.
● /a: Deletes files based on specified attributes.
File system
mkdir

● Syntax
– mkdir [Drive:]Path
– i.e. mkdir Work\0-preprocess\tmp creates the
3 directories
File system
rmdir / rd

● Syntax:
– {rmdir|rd} [Drive:]Path [/s] [/q]
● /s: Removes the specified directory and all subdirectories

including any files

● /q: quiet mode. Without confirmation
File system
xcopy

● Syntax
– xcopy Source [Destination] [/w] [/p] [/c]
[/v] [/q] [/f] [/l] [/g] [/d[:mm-dd-yyyy]]
[/u] [/i] [/s [/e]] [/t] [/k] [/r] [/h]
[{/a|/m}] [/n] [/o] [/x]
[/exclude:file1[+[file2]][+[file3]] [{/y|/-
y}] [/z]
● /s: Copies directories and subdirectories, unless they are

empty
● /e: Copies all subdirectories, even if they are empty

● /y: Suppresses prompting to confirm that you want to

overwrite
File system
xcopy

● /i: if destination does not exist, xcopy assumes destination

specifies a directory name and creates a new directory
● /f: Displays source and destination file names while
copying
● /q: Suppresses the display of xcopy messages
● /exclude:file1[+[file2]][+[file3] :
Specifies a list of files containing strings
– Matchs any part of the string
File system
xcopy

● Copy everything from the local path to D:\Mydir

excluding anything that matches the string “obj”
(*.obj, \obj\, object, etc...), specified in the file
exclude.lst
– i.e. XCOPY *.* D:\Mydir /EXCLUDE:exclude.lst
● Override masters with specific sources (excluding
.svn files):
– i.e. xcopy /s /a /Y “%SRC_SPEC%” “%SRC0%” > NUL
Bibliography

● WINDOWS XP COMMANDS
http://www.ss64.com/nt/

● LENGUAJE DE COMANDOS
http://multingles.net/docs/jmt/comandos/comandos1.html

● Gameloft wiki
https://wiki.gameloft.org/twiki/bin/view/Main/BatchScripting

● Microsoft Command-line reference A-Z

http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/prod
docs/en-us/ntcmds.mspx