Batch script to install fonts not setting fext variable - batch-file

Question

This is really driving me insane. The following is part of an 8,000 line batch script. This section of code is at line 3380 approx and not working for me, as the fext variable is not getting set.
Apologies for the long post.
Rem *********************************************************************************************************************************************
Rem * Copy and register fonts *
Rem *********************************************************************************************************************************************
:FONTS
IF EXIST "%SrcPath%\Fonts\" (
Echo Installing Custom Fonts
Echo. >>C:\%USERDOMAIN%.PostInstall.Log 2>&1
Echo %time% === Installing Custom Fonts === >>C:\%USERDOMAIN%.PostInstall.Log 2>&1
FOR %%a in ("%SrcPath%\Fonts\*.?tf") do call :Installfont "%%~nxa"
Echo %time% Fonts will not be available until the system has been restarted >>C:\%USERDOMAIN%.PostInstall.Log 2>&1
Echo %time% === Finished Installing Custom Fonts === >>C:\%USERDOMAIN%.PostInstall.Log 2>&1
)
Goto SYMLNK
:Installfont
Set font=
Set fext=
set ftype=
Set "font=%~1"
IF EXIST "%LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Fonts\%font%" echo Font "%font%" already installed. >>C:\%USERDOMAIN%.PostInstall.Log 2>&1
IF EXIST "%WINDIR%\Fonts\%font%" echo Font "%font%" already installed. >>C:\%USERDOMAIN%.PostInstall.Log 2>&1
IF NOT EXIST "%LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Fonts\%font%" IF NOT EXIST "%WINDIR%\Fonts\%font%" (
Set "fext=%font:~-3%"
IF "%fext%"=="" Echo null extension for font "%font%"
IF /i "%fext%"=="ttf" Set ftype=Truetype
IF /i "%fext%"=="otf" Set ftype=Opentype
Echo %time% Installing "%font%" to "%LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Fonts" >>C:\%USERDOMAIN%.PostInstall.Log 2>&1
Echo %time% Processing font "%font%" Extension: %fext% Type: "(%ftype%)" >>C:\%USERDOMAIN%.PostInstall.Log 2>&1
echo "%font%" "%fext%" "%ftype%"
Pause
copy "%SrcPath%\Fonts\%font%" "%LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Fonts" /y >>C:\%USERDOMAIN%.PostInstall.Log 2>&1
REG ADD "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Fonts" /v "%font% (%ftype%)" /d "%LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Fonts\%font%" /t REG_SZ /f >>C:\%USERDOMAIN%.PostInstall.Log 2>&1
)
exit /b
:SYMLNK
Echo Finished
Endlocal
The srcpath and src variables are set at the top of the script...
#Echo Off
powershell -command "&{$w=(get-host).ui.rawui;$w.buffersize=#{width=132;height=2500};$w.windowsize=#{width=128;height=70};}"
setlocal
Rem What drive are we on? Save the source drive
SET SRC=%CD:~0,2%
Rem Shorten the source path
set SrcPath=%SRC%\PostInstall\%USERNAME%
If I don't clear the variables at the start of the subroutine the effect is cumulative. First time neither fext nor ftype are set. 2nd time fext is set, but ftype is not, third time both are set, so I added the sets at the start of the subroutine to clear them.
What I end up with is the registry entry name (eg). airstrike.ttf (). The value data is correct. What should be in the brackets is either truetype or opentype.
The copy command doesn't work at all. Just says 0 files copied.
Some fonts have spaces in the name such as Spirit & Ghost.ttf, which is why I've quoted everything.
I must admit I don't really have a good grasp of delayedexpansion but attempting to use it totally bricks the script.
The entire script contains a considerable amount of personal info, so sharing it is problematic. But if it's definitely needed I can go through and mask out the personal stuff, but then it's not an accurate copy of the real script.
You will see that the script writes to a log file. This is what's in the log file...
16:11:41.91 === Installing Custom Fonts ===
16:11:41.94 Installing "airstrike.ttf" to "C:\Users\Phillip\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Fonts"
16:11:41.94 Processing font "airstrike.ttf" Extension: Type: "()"
0 file(s) copied.
The operation completed successfully.
Would greatly appreciate some help with why this doesn't work.
thank you.

Answer 1

IF EXIST "%LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Fonts\%font%" exit /b
IF EXIST "%WINDIR%\Fonts\%font%" exit /b
Set "fext=%font:~-3%"
IF "%fext%"=="" Echo null extension for font "%font%"
IF /i "%fext%"=="ttf" Set ftype=Truetype
IF /i "%fext%"=="otf" Set ftype=Opentype
Echo %time% Installing "%font%" to "%LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Fonts" >>C:\%USERDOMAIN%.PostInstall.Log 2>&1
Echo %time% Processing font "%font%" Extension: %fext% Type: "(%ftype%)" >>C:\%USERDOMAIN%.PostInstall.Log 2>&1
echo "%font%" "%fext%" "%ftype%"
Pause
copy "%SrcPath%\Fonts\%font%" "%LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Fonts" /y >>C:\%USERDOMAIN%.PostInstall.Log 2>&1
REG ADD "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Fonts" /v "%font% (%ftype%)" /d "%LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Fonts\%font%" /t REG_SZ /f >>C:\%USERDOMAIN%.PostInstall.Log 2>&1
exit /b
The issue is that within a block statement (a parenthesised series of statements), the entire block is parsed and then executed. Any %var% within the block will be replaced by that variable's value at the time the block is parsed - before the block is executed - the same thing applies to a FOR ... DO (block).
Hence, IF (something) else (somethingelse) will be executed using the values of %variables% at the time the IF is encountered.
Two common ways to overcome this are 1) to use setlocal enabledelayedexpansion (outside of the block or more usually after the initial #echo off) and use !var! in place of %var% to access the changed value of var or 2) to call a subroutine to perform further processing using the changed values.
Note therefore the use of CALL ECHO %%var%% which displays the changed value of var. CALL ECHO %%errorlevel%% displays, but sadly then RESETS errorlevel.
In this case, simply exit /b if the block in question is NOT to be executed, then execute the individual statements of the block, so they will be processed as you expect, avoiding the characteristic of blocks - which is a commonly-encountered phenomenon with thousands of mentions in SO solutions.