Running commands in the background while another is processing? - batch-file

Question

#echo off
:start
cls
color e
echo YOU HAVE WON $1,000,000! WHAT WILL YOU DO?
echo.
echo =================
echo -Take it (1)
echo -Leave it (2)
echo -Double it (3)
echo =================
echo.
timeout /t 1 >nul 2>&1
color a
timeout /t 1 >nul 2>&1
color b
timeout /t 1 >nul 2>&1
color e
timeout /t 1 >nul 2>&1
color a
timeout /t 1 >nul 2>&1
color b
timeout /t 1 >nul 2>&1
color e
timeout /t 1 >nul 2>&1
color a
timeout /t 1 >nul 2>&1
color b
timeout /t 1 >nul 2>&1
color e
timeout /t 1 >nul 2>&1
color a
timeout /t 1 >nul 2>&1
color b
timeout /t 1 >nul 2>&1
color e
set /p INPUT=Please specify your answer:
If /i "%INPUT%" == "1" goto 1
If /i "%INPUT%" == "2" goto 2
If /i "%INPUT%" == "3" goto 3
I have this code above, and there is a really annoying thing that I can't figure out. So you can see I am repeatedly changing the colors, but you can see it gets in the way of the next command. Is there a way I can make it like in the background until the answer has been chosen? (1, 2, or 3).

Answer 1

Using start /B with an aux script does the trick.
The aux script exits when it finds that a temporary file exists. Lame but works.
my mockup main routine (call it main.bat)
#echo off
:start
cls
color e
echo YOU HAVE WON $1,000,000! WHAT WILL YOU DO?
echo.
echo =================
echo -Take it (1)
echo -Leave it (2)
echo -Double it (3)
echo =================
echo.
start /B %~dp0\color_cycling.bat
:err
set /p INPUT=Please specify your answer:
If /i "%INPUT%" == "1" goto 1
If /i "%INPUT%" == "2" goto 2
If /i "%INPUT%" == "3" goto 3
goto err
:1
echo.> %TEMP%\stopcol
echo take it
set /p SURE=are you sure?
pause
:2
echo.> %TEMP%\stopcol
echo leave it
pause
My color_cycling.bat routine
#echo off
del %TEMP%\stopcol 2>NUL >NUL
:lab
for %%i in (a b e) do (
timeout /t 1 >nul 2>&1
color %%i
if exist %TEMP%\stopcol exit
)
goto lab
Nice effect from year 1977 indeed!