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Windows Batch Scripting: Getting Started

Getting Started with Windows Batch Scripting

Windows batch scripting is incredibly accessible – it works on just about any modern Windows machine. You can create and modify batch scripts on just about any modern Windows machine. The tools come out of the box: the Windows command prompt and a text editor like Notepad.exe. It’s definitely far from the best shell scripting langauge, but, it gets the job done. It’s my “duct tape” for Windows.

Launching the Command Prompt

Windows gurus launch the command prompt using the keyboard shortcut Windows Logo Key + R (i.e., “Run”) > Type cmd.exe then Enter . This is way faster than navigating the Windows Start Menu to find the Command Prompt.

Editing Batch Files

The universal text editor for batch files is Notepad ( Windows Logo Key + R > Type notepad then Enter ). Since batch files are just ASCII text, you can probably use just about any text editor or word processor. Very few editors do anything special for Batch files like syntax highlighting or keyword support, so notepad is good enough fine and will likely be installed on just about every Windows system you encounter.

Viewing Batch Files

I would stick with Notepad for viewing the contents of a batch file. In Windows Explorer (aka, “My Computer”), you should be able to view a batch file in Notepad by right clicking the file and seleting Edit from the context menu. If you need to view the contents within a command prompt window itself, you can use a DOS command like TYPE myscript.cmd or MORE myscript.cmd or EDIT myscript.cmd

Batch File Names and File Extensions

Assuming you are using Windows XP or newer, I recommend saving your batch files with the file extension .cmd . Some seriously outdated Windows versions used .bat , though I recommend sticking with the more modern .cmd to avoid some rare side effects with .bat files.

With the .cmd file extension, you can use just about filename you like. I recommend avoiding spaces in filenames, as spaces only create headaches in shell scripting. Pascal casing your filenames is an easy way to avoid spaces (e.g., HelloWorld.cmd instead of Hello World.cmd ). You can also use punctuation characters like . or — or _ (e.g. Hello.World.cmd , Hello-World.cmd , Hello_World.cmd ).

Another thing with names to consider is avoiding names that use the same name of any built-in commands, system binaries, or popular programs. For example, I would avoid naming a script ping.cmd since there is a widely used system binary named ping.exe . Things might get very confusing if you try to run ping and inadvertently call ping.cmd when you really wanted ping.cmd . (Stay tuned for how this could happen.) I might called the script RemoteHeartbeat.cmd or something similar to add some context to the script’s name and also avoid any naming collisions with any other executable files. Of course, there could be a very unique circumstance in which you want to modify the default behavior of ping in which this naming suggestion would not apply.

Saving Batch Files in Windows

Notepad by default tries to save all files as plain jane text files. To get Notepad to save a file with a .cmd extension, you will need to change the “Save as type” to “All Files (.)”. See the screenshot below for an example of saving a script named “HelloWorld.cmd” in Notepad.

SIDEBAR: I’ve used a shortcut in this screenshot that you will learn more about later. I’ve saved the file to my “user profile folder” by naming the file %USERPROFILE%\HelloWorld.cmd . The %USERPROFILE% keyword is the Windows environmental variable for the full path to your user profile folder. On newer Windows systems, your user profile folder will typically be C:\Users\ . This shortcut saves a little bit of time because a new command prompt will generally default the “working directory” to your user profile folder. This lets you run HelloWorld.cmd in a new command prompt without changing directories beforehand or needing to specify the path to the script.

Running your Batch File

The easy way to run your batch file in Windows is to just double click the batch file in Windows Explorer (aka “My Computer”). Unfortunately, the command prompt will not give you much of a chance to see the output and any errors. The command prompt window for the script will disappear as soon as the script exits. (We will learn how to handle this problem in Part 10 – Advanced Tricks ).

When editing a new script, you will likely need to run the batch file in an existing command window. For newbies, I think the easiest foolproof way to run your script is to drag and drop the script into a command prompt window. The command prompt will enter the full path to your script on the command line, and will quote any paths containing spaces.

Some other tips to running batch files:

• You can recall previous commands using the up arrow and down arrow keys to navigate the command line history.
• I usually run the script as %COMPSPEC% /C /D «C:\Users\User\SomeScriptPath.cmd» Arg1 Arg2 Arg3 This runs your script in a new command prompt child process. The /C option instructs the child process to quit when your script quits. The /D disables any auto-run scripts (this is optional, but, I use auto-run scripts). The reason I do this is to keep the command prompt window from automatically closing should my script, or a called script, call the EXIT command. The EXIT command automatically closes the command prompt window unless the EXIT is called from a child command prompt process. This is annoying because you lose any messages printed by your script.

Comments

The official way to add a comment to a batch file is with the REM (Remark) keyword:

The power user method is to use :: , which is a hack to uses the the label operator : twice, which is almost always ignored.

Most power authors find the :: to be less distracting than REM . Be warned though there are a few places where :: will cause errors.

For example, a FOR loop will error out with :: style comments. Simply fall back to using REM if you think you have a situation like this.

Silencing Display of Commands in Batch Files

The first non-comment line of a batch file is usually a command to turn off printing (ECHO’ing) of each batch file line.

The @ is a special operator to suppress printing of the command line. Once we set ECHO’ing to off, we won’t need the @ operator again in our script commands.

You restore printing of commands in your script with:

Upon exit of your script, the command prompt will automatically restore ECHO to it’s previous state.

Debugging Your Scripts

Batch files invole a lot of trial and error coding. Sadly, I don’t know of any true debugger for Windows batch scripts. Worse yet, I don’t know of a way to put the command processor into a verbose state to help troubleshoot the script (this is the common technique for Unix/Linux scripts.) Printing custom ad-hoc debugging messages is about your only option using the ECHO command. Advanced script writers can do some trickery to selectively print debugging messages, though, I prefer to remove the debugging/instrumentation code once my script is functioning as desired.

Posted by Steve Jansen Mar 1 st , 2013 batch, scripting, shell, windows

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Hi, I’m Steve. I’m a software developer loving life in Charlotte, NC, an (ISC) 2 CSSLP and an avid fan of Crossfit.

And, no, I’m not Steve Jansen the British jazz drummer, though that does sound like a sweet career.

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Command to run a .bat file

I’m trying to make my Visual Studio build script execute a .bat file that does something important.

Here is what I’m want to do right now:

But it doesn’t work.

I have to do this to make it work:

But this is pretty difficult to add to the Visual Studio script.

How can I do this in one single line?

4 Answers 4

«F:\- Big Packets -\kitterengine\Common\Template.bat» maybe prefaced with call (see call /? ). Or Cd /d «F:\- Big Packets -\kitterengine\Common\» & Template.bat .

CMD Cheat Sheet

CMD.exe

First thing to remember its a way of operating a computer. It’s the way we did it before WIMP (Windows, Icons, Mouse, Popup menus) became common. It owes it roots to CPM, VMS, and Unix. It was used to start programs and copy and delete files. Also you could change the time and date.

For help on starting CMD type cmd /? . You must start it with either the /k or /c switch unless you just want to type in it.

Getting Help

For general help. Type Help in the command prompt. For each command listed type help (eg help dir ) or /? (eg dir /? ).

Some commands have sub commands. For example schtasks /create /? .

The NET command’s help is unusual. Typing net use /? is brief help. Type net help use for full help. The same applies at the root — net /? is also brief help, use net help .

References in Help to new behaviour are describing changes from CMD in OS/2 and Windows NT4 to the current CMD which is in Windows 2000 and later.

WMIC is a multipurpose command. Type wmic /? .

Punctuation

Naming Files

Starting a Program

See start /? and call /? for help on all three ways.

There are two types of Windows programs — console or non console (these are called GUI even if they don’t have one). Console programs attach to the current console or Windows creates a new console. GUI programs have to explicitly create their own windows.

If a full path isn’t given then Windows looks in

The directory from which the application loaded.

The current directory for the parent process.

Windows NT/2000/XP: The 32-bit Windows system directory. Use the GetSystemDirectory function to get the path of this directory. The name of this directory is System32.

Windows NT/2000/XP: The 16-bit Windows system directory. There is no function that obtains the path of this directory, but it is searched. The name of this directory is System.

The Windows directory. Use the GetWindowsDirectory function to get the path of this directory.

The directories that are listed in the PATH environment variable.

Specify a program name

This is the standard way to start a program.

In a batch file the batch will wait for the program to exit. When typed the command prompt does not wait for graphical programs to exit.

If the program is a batch file control is transferred and the rest of the calling batch file is not executed.

Use Start command

Start starts programs in non standard ways.

Start starts a program and does not wait. Console programs start in a new window. Using the /b switch forces console programs into the same window, which negates the main purpose of Start.

Start uses the Windows graphical shell — same as typing in WinKey + R (Run dialog). Try

Also program names registered under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths can also be typed without specifying a full path.

Also note the first set of quotes, if any, MUST be the window title.

Use Call command

Call is used to start batch files and wait for them to exit and continue the current batch file.

Other Filenames

Typing a non program filename is the same as double clicking the file.

Keys

Ctrl + C exits a program without exiting the console window.

For other editing keys type Doskey /? .

↑ and ↓ recall commands

ESC clears command line

F7 displays command history

ALT + F7 clears command history

F8 searches command history

F9 selects a command by number

ALT + F10 clears macro definitions

Also not listed

Ctrl + ← or → Moves a word at a time

Ctrl + Backspace Deletes the previous word

Home Beginning of line

End End of line

Ctrl + End Deletes to end of line

There are many possibilities to solve this task.

1. RUN the batch file with full path

The easiest solution is running the batch file with full path.

Once end of batch file Template.bat is reached, there is no return to previous script in case of the command line above is within a *.bat or *.cmd file.

The current directory for the batch file Template.bat is the current directory of the current process. In case of Template.bat requires that the directory of this batch file is the current directory, the batch file Template.bat should contain after @echo off as second line the following command line:

Run in a command prompt window cd /? for getting displayed the help of this command explaining parameter /D . change to specified directory also on a different drive.

Run in a command prompt window call /? for getting displayed the help of this command used also in 2., 4. and 5. solution and explaining also %

dp0 . drive and path of argument 0 which is the name of the batch file.

2. CALL the batch file with full path

Another solution is calling the batch file with full path.

The difference to first solution is that after end of batch file Template.bat is reached the batch processing continues in batch script containing this command line.

For the current directory read above.

3. Change directory and RUN batch file with one command line

There are 3 operators for running multiple commands on one command line: & , && and || .
For details see answer on Single line with multiple commands using Windows batch file

I suggest for this task the && operator.

As on first solution there is no return to current script if this is a *.bat or *.cmd file and changing the directory and continuation of batch processing on Template.bat is successful.

4. Change directory and CALL batch file with one command line

This command line changes the directory and on success calls the batch file.

The difference to third solution is the return to current batch script on exiting processing of Template.bat .

5. Change directory and CALL batch file with keeping current environment with one command line

The four solutions above change the current directory and it is unknown what Template.bat does regarding

1. current directory
2. environment variables
3. command extensions state
4. delayed expansion state

In case of it is important to keep the environment of current *.bat or *.cmd script unmodified by whatever Template.bat changes on environment for itself, it is advisable to use setlocal and endlocal .

Run in a command prompt window setlocal /? and endlocal /? for getting displayed the help of these two commands. And read answer on change directory command cd ..not working in batch file after npm install explaining more detailed what these two commands do.

Now there is only & instead of && used as it is important here that after setlocal is executed the command endlocal is finally also executed.