I'm making a batch file with a menu that with options, type in an option and it opens multiple web pages at once. I can get it to open one web page but how do I get it to open several. So far I have:
For example, I want to hit "g" and have it open google and gmail and another website.
:: turn off "verbose" command writeback.
#echo off
:loop
:: write a simple list of options to console,
:main
echo Options;
echo f : facebook
echo g : google
:: Prompt for input,
set /p "strMenu=typey:"
:: Compare input through if commands,
:: `if not defined strMenu goto :menu` can be used here if prefered.
if "%strMenu%" equ "f" start "" "https://www.facebook.com"
if "%strMenu%" equ "g" start "" "http://www.google.com"
goto loop
start "" "www.google.com" opens google in a new tab in the default browser (when it's already open, of course - else it just opens the browser with that one tab) (at least it does for me (IE11) - different browsers may behave different here), so this should open three tabs in one browser:
if /i "%strMenu%" equ "f" (
start "" "https://www.facebook.com"
start "" "https://www.google.com"
start "" "https://www.yahoo.com"
)
You should also consider the use of choice instead of set /p (no need to press ENTER)
Related
If I have the following example code:
#echo off
:menu
cls
echo 1. win
echo 2. lose
set /p menu=
goto %menu%
pause>nul
:win
cls
echo yay lolz
pause>nul
:lose
cls
echo really?
pause>nul
How do I stop the batch from quitting if I type "test" instead of a valid response?
1. Documentations for the Windows commands
I suggest bookmarking in your browser:
Microsoft's command-line reference
An A-Z Index of the Windows CMD command line (SS64)
There can be get help for each Windows command by running in a command prompt window the command with /? as parameter, for example if /?, set /?, ... The execution of help results in an output of an incomplete list of Windows commands with a brief description.
2. Usage of SET /P for user prompts
It is advisable not using set /p if the user should choose from one of several offered options. There are multiple facts which must be taken into account on prompting a user for entering a string and assigning it to an environment variable:
The environment variable MyVar is not modified on usage of set /P "MyVar=Your choice: " if the user presses intentionally or by mistake just RETURN or ENTER. This means if the environment variable MyVar is not defined already before the user prompt, it is still not defined after the user prompt finished with just hitting key RETURN. And if MyVar is defined already before the user prompt, it keeps its value unmodified in case of the user presses just RETURN or ENTER. The command SET exits with error value 1 on user did not enter a string at all as documented by What are the ERRORLEVEL values set by internal cmd.exe commands?
The user has the freedom to type any string on being prompted with set /P. The batch file author has no control on what the user really enters. So the batch file author must take into account that the user enters by mistake or intentionally a string which could result in an exit of batch file execution because of a syntax error, or it does something completely different as it is defined for.
A simple example:
#echo on
:MainMenu
#set /P "menu=Your choice: "
if %menu% == 1 goto Label1
if %menu% == 2 goto Label2
goto MainMenu
:Label1
#echo Option 1 was chosen, fine.
exit /B
:Label2
#echo Option 2 was chosen, okay.
This batch file with echo on instead of echo off at top is started from within a command prompt window for debugging purposes.
Just RETURN is pressed on user prompt on first run. Windows command interpreter exits the batch file processing because first IF condition is preprocessed before execution of IF command to:
if == 1 goto Label1
There is obviously missing the first argument. cmd.exe encounters this syntax error and exits batch processing with an appropriate error message. The reason is the missing definition of environment variable menu which is not defined before user prompt and is still not defined after user prompt.
The string 2 is entered on second run of the batch file from within command prompt window and the batch file works as expected.
On third run of the batch file from within same command prompt window again just RETURN is pressed on user prompt. The batch file outputs again the second message. Why? The environment variable menu is still defined from second batch file execution with that string and the variable was not modified on pressing RETURN.
Okay, let us modify the example batch file to:
#echo on
:MainMenu
#set "menu=2"
#set /P "menu=Your choice: "
if "%menu%" == "1" goto Label1
if "%menu%" == "2" goto Label2
goto MainMenu
:Label1
#echo Option 1 was chosen, fine.
exit /B
:Label2
#echo Option 2 was chosen, okay.
This is already better as now environment variable menu is always predefined with value 2. So if the user enters nothing, a jump to Label2 is done. Also the value of previous run of variable menu has no effect anymore on execution of the batch file.
Another solution would be making use of exit code 1 on user not entering a string at all and define only in this case the environment variable with a default value by using:
#set /P "menu=Your choice: " || set "menu=2"
Single line with multiple commands using Windows batch file describes the conditional execution operator || to run the second command set "menu=2" only if the first executed prompt command set /P "menu=Your choice: " exits with an exit code not equal 0 as done when the user does not enter anything at all.
Thanks aschipfl for this contribution.
But is that really secure and fail safe now?
No, it isn't. The user still can enter by mistake a wrong string.
For example the user enters by mistake " instead of 2 which is easy on German keyboards as CapsLock+2 or Shift+2 results in entering ". The first IF command line after preprocessing is now:
if """ == "1" goto Label1
And this is again an invalid command line resulting in an exit of batch file processing because of a syntax error.
Let us assume a user enters on prompt the string:
" == "" call dir "%USERPROFILE%\Desktop" & rem
Note: There is a space at end.
The first IF condition is preprocessed by Windows command interpreter to:
if "" == "" call dir "%USERPROFILE%\Desktop" & rem " == "1" goto Label1
It can be seen that the batch file executes now a command not written in the batch file at all on both IF conditions.
How to get a user prompt fail safe and secure?
A user prompt can be made fail safe and secure by using delayed variable expansion at least for the code evaluating the string input by the user.
#echo on
:MainMenu
#setlocal EnableDelayedExpansion
#set "Label=MainMenu"
#set /P "menu=Your choice: " || set "menu=2"
if "!menu!" == "1" set "Label=Label1"
if "!menu!" == "2" set "Label=Label2"
endlocal & goto %Label%
:Label1
#echo Option 1 was chosen, fine.
exit /B
:Label2
#echo Option 2 was chosen, okay.
Now the user input string does not modify anymore the command lines executed by Windows command processor. So an exit of batch file processing because of a syntax error caused by user input is not possible anymore (fail safe). Furthermore, the batch file never executes commands not written in batch file (secure).
3. Usage of CHOICE for a choice prompt
There is a better command than set /P for a simple choice menu – CHOICE.
#echo off
:MainMenu
cls
echo/
echo 1 ... Option 1
echo 2 ... Option 2
echo E ... Exit
echo/
%SystemRoot%\System32\choice.exe /C 12E /N /M "Your choice: "
if errorlevel 3 exit /B
if errorlevel 2 goto Label2
if not errorlevel 1 goto MainMenu
#echo Option 1 was chosen, fine.
exit /B
:Label2
#echo Option 2 was chosen, okay.
The user has no freedom anymore to enter something not defined by batch file author. The batch file continues immediately after the user has pressed either 1, 2, E or Shift+E. Everything else is ignored by choice with exception of Ctrl+C.
The dynamic variable ERRORLEVEL has with three options nearly always a value in range 1 to 3 after choice terminated with returning 1 to 3 as exit code to calling cmd.exe. The exception is the rare use case that the user of a batch file pressed Ctrl+C on prompt and answers the next prompt Terminate batch job (Y/N)? of cmd.exe with N. In this case the dynamic variable ERRORLEVEL has the value 0 which is the reason for if not errorlevel 1 goto MainMenu to handle also this very special use case.
Note: if errorlevel X means IF GREATER OR EQUAL X. So it is always necessary to start with highest possible exit code of command choice.
As the exit code assigned to ERRORLEVEL is well known, it is possible on larger menus to optimize the code further by using appropriate labels:
#echo off
setlocal EnableExtensions DisableDelayedExpansion
set "ERRORLEVEL="
:MainMenu
cls
echo/
echo 1 ... Option 1
echo 2 ... Option 2
echo E ... Exit
echo/
%SystemRoot%\System32\choice.exe /C 12E /N /M "Your choice: "
goto Label%ERRORLEVEL%
:Label0
rem The user pressed Ctrl+C and on next prompt N and
rem so made no choice. Prompt the user once again.
goto MainMenu
:Label1
#echo Option 1 was chosen, fine.
exit /B
:Label2
#echo Option 2 was chosen, okay.
exit /B
:Label3
The usage of command CHOICE can make choice menus very simple to code.
The third command line makes sure that there is not defined by chance an environment variable with name ERRORLEVEL which would otherwise prevent accessing the current value of dynamic variable ERRORLEVEL using with the exit code of command CHOICE using the syntax %ERRORLEVEL%.
Note: The usage of goto Label%ERRORLEVEL% is only possible with the choice menu command lines not being inside a command block starting with ( and ending with a matching ).
See also: How can I make an "are you sure" prompt in a Windows batch file?
Hint 1: There is a beep sound output by CHOICE if the user presses a not acceptable key. It is not possible to suppress that beep as there is no option offered by CHOICE to avoid output of the beep sound.
Hint 2: See also my answer on Where does GOTO :EOF return to? explaining also exit /B.
I have three different labels, but it doesn't matter with one I choose: It will always got to the first label (= cmd is also opening if i am writing "google")! What's the error and why is it happening?
#echo off
:start
set /p input = What do you want to open?
if "%input%" == "cmd" goto cmd
if "%input%" == "notepad" goto notepad
if "%input%" == "google" goto google
:cmd
start
goto start
:notepad
start notepad
goto start
:google
start https://www.google.at/
goto start
Your first problem is in this line
set /p input = What do you want to open?
This line creates a variable called "input " with a space after it, and which is different than the "input" variable you're testing. Unlike every other programming language, you can't add spaces to beautify your code. Change the line to
set /p "input=What do you want to open? "
Your second problem is that after all three if statements fail (because of testing the wrong variable), CMD simply executes the next line it sees, which is the :cmd label. To avoid this, you need to add a default label after your three if statements, for when the variable doesn't match.
if "%input%" == "cmd" goto cmd
if "%input%" == "notepad" goto notepad
if "%input%" == "google" goto google
goto default
:cmd
start
goto start
If you just want the script to end there and don't want to create a :default block, you can change it to goto :eof, which is a special label for the end of the script. Or even better, use exit /B 1 which terminates the script immediately with an error code of 1 (which another script can check using %errorlevel%)
Your set /p isn't working as you think it should. input ends up empty and it falls through all of your if statements and right into the :cmd block.
I have been writing some batch files now-a-days. I am beginner !. So i have made a custom batch in which by entering a setup name it launches it but. I'am having some problem creating this custom file.
#echo off
set /p lnk="Setup Name = "
if "%lnk%"=="install.itunes.x64.windows" goto itunes
:itunes
start=(path)(setup.exe).....
cls
But if a user enters "itues or "installitunes" or "KJEWBFciou" whatever that don't matchs my custom command I want a error Pop-up in this condition.
What can i Do?
and don't ask to put "if not "%lnk%" i have already tried help level:0
Because i have many setups like itunes if input will not equal to custom command it launches the next setup.
Please help me
Please igonre my errors i only made 'em here not in batch file.
in line 2 %lnk% , lnk
and line 3 "%lnk" ,"%lnk%"
Ok so..
1 #echo off
2 set /p %lnk%="Setup Name = "
3 if "%lnk%=="install.itunes.x64.windows" goto itunes
4 :itunes
5 start=(path)(setup.exe).....
6 cls
A few errors but you're close.
In line 2, you use:
set /p %lnk%=="Setup Name = " goto itunes
When setting a variable you can't use %% around it, but thats only used when comparing, because when creating the variable, the computer will replace [set /p %lnk%=] with [set /p =] which is invalid syntax.
In line 3:
if "%lnk%=="install.itunes.x64.windows" goto itunes
You never closed the quotes on the left of the '==' comparison. Do note you can also use [if %val1% equ %val2%] to the same results, which can help when you want to use other comparison tags.
A sidenote for the task you have set, although [goto itunes] works fine, its a good habit to use [goto :itunes] instead, and if you want to keep your code all together, you can just make a code block like:
if %val1% equ %val2% (
rem do stuff here
)
do note, if you either want a task to run if variables match, and if not try the next match, you can use multiple of these. Otherwise you can use:
if %val1% equ %val2% (
rem do stuff here
) else (
rem do other stuff here
)
In response to your issue on it launching the next command, thats because in line 3, you check if the variable matches your string, but if it doesnt batch skips it and runs the next line, which is your :itunes label.
All in all, this should work better, after you fix [start=(path)(setup.exe).....] to launch as desired.
#echo off && color f0 && title Itunes
:top
cls
set /p lnk="Setup Name = "
if "%lnk%"=="install.itunes.x64.windows" (
start=(path)(setup.exe).....
cls
)
cls
echo "%lnk%" was not matched to any choices...
pause
goto :top
:: _Arescet
I want to create a batch file that takes input as website name or folder location as input as opens site in browser or location in windowsexplorer respectively.
But whenever it runs, it just opens another command prompt. Please help.
Here's the code:
#echo off
:up
echo 1. Windows Explorer
echo 2. Website
echo 3. Exit
set /p ch=Enter choice for app to open:
if %ch%==1 (
set /p pth=Enter full path of folder:
start "%pth%"
pause
goto up
)
if %ch%==2 (
set /p site=Enter name of website:
start "%site%"
pause
goto up
)
Found the solution
Just had to add double quotes after start as I'm using double quotes to specify the address
Like this:
start "" "%site%"
I have a few things set up in a batch game. Instead of going where it is supposed to when the sure enters an option and hits "Enter" it goes to the next thing that starts with a : (I don't know what it is called).
Instead of it going to "Youtube" when the user types "Y".
:visitoption
echo Would you like to visit the RST Garry's mod gaming community website?
set /p option=Y or N:
if %option%==Y start chrome (Censored link)
if %option%==N cls goto :youtube
if %option%==y start chrome (Censored link)
if %option%==n cls goto :youtube
:version
cls
#echo off
echo.
echo[
#echo off
echo.
echo[
echo --Version--
echo Lightup Demo
#echo off
echo.
echo[
#echo off
echo.
echo[
#echo off
echo.
echo[
pause
goto :versionwhite
:youtube
echo Would you like to visit the Creator's Youtube channel?
echo Gameplay commentarys and such.
set /p option=Y or N:
if %option%==Y start chrome (Censored link)
if %option%==N goto :Beginning
if %option%==y start chrome (Censored link)
if %option%==n goto :Beginning
Essentially you were missing a command separator after the CLS but I've made some other changes such as /i case insensitive comparing and made the checking routines more robust to spaces or no input.
:visitoption
echo Would you like to visit the RST Garry's mod gaming community website?
set /p option=Y or N:
if /i "%option%"=="Y" start "" chrome "(Censored link)"
if /i "%option%"=="N" cls & goto :youtube
goto :visitoption
The "thing" is called a label
Since you have no control over what the user types, you should use
if "%option%"=="Y" start chrome (Censored link)
that is, quote both sides of the comparison (this is not bullet-proof, but serves adequately where the user is not deliberately trying to break your system.)
Adding the /i switch to the if will make the comparison case-insensitive.
if defined option set "option=%option:~0,1%"
will set option to just the first character.
Note that if the user replies simply Enter then the value of the variable remains unchanged. You can use this characteristic to your advantage
set "option=defaultvalue"
set /p option=Y or N:
will set option to defaultvalue if the user replies simply Enter.
start will start a process independently. The batch simply carries on to the next statement. You are probably beter off using start "window title for this instance" ... - it's a quirk of start that the first "quoted parameter" is used as the window title where you may be expecting it to be used as a parameter.
To concatenate a series of commands in a single line, you need to separate the individual commands with an ampersand &
Once you've turned echo off once, you don't need to do it again (unless you execute echo on, which you can do during debugging to show the program flow.) The leading # means don't echo this command - without it, the initial ECHO OFF would be reproduced.
You can use call :label to execute a subroutine that starts at :label in this batch file. If you use call label then the "subroutine" executed is the executable label. This is a very important distinction.
For this reason, I eschew the use of goto :label - although it works - because the colon is not necessary and for congruence between the goto and call commands.
The one exception to this omit-the-colons approach is where the colon actually does have an effect - goto :eof very specifically means 'goto the physical end of this batch file' - the label :eof is understood by cmd to have that meaning, and should not be defined in the batch.
You've set it so that it goes to youtube when the user presses n, not when the user enters y like you said your trying to in the question:
if %option%==N cls goto :youtube
Please try seeing what the cod eyour using is doing before you post a question on it.
And SO has one of the worlds easiest CodeSlabing systems. HOW BLOODY HARD IS IT TO PRESS SPACE 4 TIMES OR HIGHLIGHT AND PRESS THE "Code Sample" BUTTON?
Mona.