(Windows Batch File) IF statement inside FOR LOOP - batch-file

I'm trying to write manual document validation part of my program. It's basically opening all the pdf documents one by one in the same folder. When its open i would like to echo few possibilities for user. Here starts the problem. I have around 180 possible choices. I was thinking to ask for the first letter of choice. Then it will echo all choices with started with X letter and user has to simply enter the number of this choice. So for example we have :
1. Asomething
2. Asomename
3. Asomenametoo
4. Bname
5. Bname 2
6. Bname 3
I want user to choose first letter and print possible choices. When the choice is made program should add some string to txt file with the same name in the same folder. Here i have a problem with IF statement inside FOR loop. I wanted to use goto but i can't do it inside FOR loop.
I can set up all the strings for each number before. For example : When you choose 1 it will add SomeString to txt. It's important to use choice option to avoid any typo's. Does anybody knows any other way to do this inside FOR loop ?
CODE:
setlocal enabledelayedexpansion
FOR %%b IN (c:\test\*.txt) DO (
IF "%ERRORLEVEL%"=="0" ECHO Document will open now...
start Acrobat.exe %%b.pdf
ECHO 1. Sample 1
ECHO 2. Sample 2
set /p choice= Please enter number:
call :OPTION
ECHO !choice! >> %%b
PAUSE
taskkill /IM Acrobat.exe >> c:\test\log\temp.txt
)
PAUSE
GOTO MENU
:OPTION
IF !choice!==1 SET /A !choice!==MNV666
IF !choice!==2 SET /A !choice!==MNV777
GOTO:EOF

I'm having some trouble understanding the problem you're having, but it looks like all of the statements following the IF should all be conditions of the IF, not just the ECHO statement. For that, you can put the entire block in parentheses like this:
setlocal enabledelayedexpansion
FOR %%b IN (c:\test\*.txt) DO (
IF "%ERRORLEVEL%"=="0" (
ECHO Document will open now...
start Acrobat.exe %%b.pdf
ECHO 1. Sample 1
ECHO 2. Sample 2
set /p choice= Please enter number:
call :OPTION
ECHO !choice! >> %%b
PAUSE
taskkill /IM Acrobat.exe >> c:\test\log\temp.txt
) else (
goto :EOF REM Just an example of else
)
)
PAUSE
GOTO MENU
:OPTION
IF !choice!==1 SET /A !choice!==MNV666
IF !choice!==2 SET /A !choice!==MNV777
GOTO:EOF
Were you having some problem using goto in the FOR loop?

Related

Using For loop in CMD to get user input and use that to create .txt files

I am trying to use for loop in CMD to 1) obtain user input as a number 2) use that number to create "n" number of .txt files starting from 1.txt and ending at n.txt.
I have this so far:
#echo off
set /p n="Enter a number:"
for %%n%% in (1, 1, %%n%%) echo %%n%% > %%n%%.txt
I played around with the "%" since it is in a batch file.
If I just use this:
#echo off
set /p n="Enter a number:"
echo %n% was created
It will says "input" was created , if I add the "> %n%.txt" then it will create a file called n.txt with whatever the echo line says inside the .txt file and does not echo the result on the cmd screen.
Keep in mind that I am new to this, been playing with this particular challenge question for a few days and to no avail.
Any input is appreciated!
set /p n="Enter a number:"
echo %n% was created
for /l %%z in (1, 1, %n%) do echo %%z > %%z.txt
I guess typing randomly doesn't work so well.
**Alternative use for for loop. Try this code. Simple use of batch command which will work for you.
set /p in="Enter a number:"
set /a n = 1
set /a count = %in% + 1
:loop
echo %n%
echo %n% > %n%.txt
set /a n = %n% + 1
IF %n% LSS %count% ( goto loop)
goto rest
:rest

How to exit a user input loop in batch?

Well I have a simple for loop to take user input and creat a file with this input, then ask for the next input and create "file2" etc., but I can't seem to figure out how my user can quit the loop with a certain input (maybe "exit" or "end").
setlocal enabledelayedexpansion
set x=1
:runName
set /p names="Enter header for file !x!:"
for %%a in (%names%) do (>>file!x!.txt (echo %%~a) set /a x+=1)
if !names!=end goto:eof else goto:runName
:eof
echo press any key to close
pause>nul
Ps. Sorry for the poor formatting, I cant figure how to enter my code in the grey field from my phone and dont have a computer at the moment.
I'm not quite shure why the input prompt says header.
Here is my best guess what you may have meant:
#Echo off
setlocal enabledelayedexpansion
set x=1
:runName
Set "names="
set /p names="Enter header for file%x%:"
if not defined names goto :end
if /I "%names%" Equ "end" goto :end
(
for %%a in (%names%) do (echo:%%~a)
) >file!x!.txt
set /a x+=1
goto :runName
:end
echo press any key to close
pause>nul
Running
Enter header for file1:anton bertha caesar
Enter header for file2:anchorage berlin
Enter header for file3:END
press any key to close
File content
> type file*.txt
file1.txt
anton
bertha
caesar
file2.txt
anchorage
berlin
I can't seem to figure out how my user can quit the loop
If you'll allow a suggestion, mine would be don't do that.
Almost any batch script is best written to accept command-line options and files as input. Once you trap the user into providing input interactively -- anything more than Y or N, and even that's a nuisance -- you're putting him in a bad spot. He can't re-run your script without going through the tedium again. He can't use tab completion, or pick from a list. He's trapped in a user-interface element that hasn't been improved in 30 years, and wasn't very good then.
I don't know what to suggest specifically. The example you provide is so trivial it would be easier to provide the file directly using Notepad than to create it with a script. Then you might want a verification script to make sure the provided input file is valid.
SETLOCAL ENABLEEXTENSIONS ENABLEDELAYEDEXPANSION
for /f "SKIP=0 EOL=; TOKENS=* DELIMS=" %%i in ('dir /b c:\windows\*.* ^|FIND /i *.exe') do (
CHOICE /D N /T 5 /C YN /M "Please pre Y to exit"
IF !ERRORLEVEL!==1 GOTO :END
IF !ERRORLEVEL!==2 ECHO CONTINUE
timeout 5
#echo %%i
)
:END
ENDLOCAL

How to find keywords of the users input in the command line?

What I'm looking for is a batch file line of code that will scan what the user inputs to find key words and direct them in the right place. That way when a trainee has a question he/she could just ask the batch file and it will direct them to the proper menu. Is this possible? if so, How would one go about doing this?
:menu
set /p c=Please type you question:
findstr /m "How to ringout a product on our system?" "%c%"
if %c%=="ringout" (
goto :Ringingout
) Else (
goto :Sorry
)
:Ringingout
cls
echo In order to right something out maksure you do the following:
echo - Log in
echo - click on scan in the bottom left had corner on the tender page
echo - scan items
echo - click continue
Pause
goto :Menu
:Sorry
cls
echo Sorry I don't recognize your question, please re-word it.
pause
goto :Menu
#ECHO OFF
SETLOCAL
SET "keywords=word anotherword someword"
FOR %%k IN (%keywords%) DO set "#%%k="
SET /p query="Please enter your query ? "
FOR %%k IN (%keywords%) DO CALL :analyse %%k
SET #
GOTO :EOF
:analyse
CALL SET "found=%%query:%1=%%"
IF "%found%"=="%query%" GOTO :EOF
SET #%1=FOUND!
GOTO :eof
Here's a general way to do it.
If one of the keywords is entered, the variable #keyword will be set to FOUND! so you can use if defined #keyword to process from there.
It's not protected against destructive user-inputs - that's not what this question is about...
You'd be better off collecting all the questions in a document (like .html) and letting the user search that document for what they need. But if this is just an exercise, you can re-write your logic like so to make your program work:
:menu
set "c="
set /p "c=Please type your question: "
echo %c% | findstr /i /b "ringout" >nul
if errorlevel 1 goto Sorry else goto Ringingout
:Ringingout
and so on.

Batch files: ask for user input with "suggestions"

How can I prompt users for an answer, suggesting something they can edit?
I know how to make a q&a like:
1. The sky is:
The user put the answer and:
echo For you the sky is %var%
But i want something like:
1. The sky is: Blue
echo For you the sky is Blue
But the user can change it
1. The sky is: Green
echo For you the sky is Green
I don't know if i was clear, tell me if not.
Thanks
Initialize the variable before with a color:
#echo off&setlocal
set "color=Blue"
set/p "color=For you the sky is %color% (hit enter for o.k. or type in other color): "
echo For you the sky is %color%
You can use WScript.Shell's SendKeys method through JScript or VBScript to simulate keypresses. Give this a shot. I think it does what you're looking for. It will send uneditable 1. The sky is: then simulate the user keystrokes of Blue. The user is then free either just to hit Enter, or he can Backspace to erase "Blue" and replace it whatever he wishes.
Save this with a .bat extension and run it.
#if (#a==#b) #end /*
:: batch portion
#echo off
setlocal
set /p "=1. The sky is: "<NUL
call :sendkeys Blue
set /p "sky="
echo For you the sky is %sky%. Press any key to exit.
pause >NUL
exit /b
:sendkeys <string>
cscript /nologo /e:jscript "%~f0" "%~1"
goto :EOF
:: JScript portion */
var sh = new ActiveXObject("WScript.Shell");
sh.SendKeys(WSH.Arguments(0));
set x=blue
set y=
set /p "y=The sky is [%x%] "
if not defined y set y=%x%
echo For your the sky is %y%
If user input is empty, the predefined %x% is copied to the outputvariable %y%
As other answers said, you must need a third party utility to solve this problem. For example, I used my GetKey.exe and Show.exe auxiliary programs to write ReadLine.bat, a subroutine that simulate SET /P command, that is, it read characters until Enter key is pressed and delete the last character with BackSpace key. We may modify such routine in order to provide an initial value for the input variable:
#echo off
rem Read a variable with an initialized value
rem Antonio Perez Ayala
set Bell=7
set BackSpace=8
set Enter=13
set Space=32
:ReadInitVar var="prompt" ["initial value"]
rem %1 %2 %3
setlocal EnableDelayedExpansion
Show %2
set len=0
if "%~3" equ "" (
set %1=
) else (
Show %3
set "%1=%~3"
for /L %%i in (0,1,80) do if "!%1:~%%i,1!" neq "" set /A len+=1
)
:nextKey
GetKey
set key=%errorlevel%
if %key% geq %Space% (
rem Ascii character: insert it
Show %key%
for /F "delims=" %%a in ('Show %key%') do set "%1=!%1!%%a"
set /A len+=1
) else if %key% equ %BackSpace% (
rem Backspace: delete last character
if defined %1 (
Show %BackSpace% %Space% %BackSpace%
set "%1=!%1:~0,-1!"
set /A len-=1
) else (
rem Empty value
Show %Bell%
)
)
if %key% neq %Enter% goto nextKey
echo/
for /F "delims=" %%a in ("!%1!") do endlocal & set %1=%%a
exit /B
This way, you may use this line to solve your problem:
call :ReadInitVar color="For you the sky is " "Blue"
You may download Getkey.exe and Show.exe auxiliary programs, and review the original ReadLine.bat subroutine, from this site: Advanced Batch features via auxiliary .exe programs.
There is also another subroutine similar to ReadInitVar.bat above, but that display the user input in a different color field by using ColorShow.exe auxiliary program instead of Show.exe. You may review it here: http://www.dostips.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=4198&p=23426#p23426

Multiple choices menu on batch file?

Hi I want to make a batch file menu, that asks 'Select app you want to install?' for example
App1
App2
App3
App4
App5
ALL Apps
Select what app:_
What I want is, for example I want to install App2, App3, and App5, so I can type on by App ID's 'Select what app:2,3,5' . And when user Select option 6, it will install all Applications!
I know this is possible on bash scripting, but Im not sure on batch scripting?
An example of batch menu is http://mintywhite.com/software-reviews/productivity-software/create-multiple-choice-menu-batchfile/
Answer
This will do what you want. Let me know if you have any questions. All you have to do is follow the two steps listed in the script.
Script
:: Hide Command and Set Scope
#echo off
setlocal EnableExtensions
:: Customize Window
title My Menu
:: Menu Options
:: Specify as many as you want, but they must be sequential from 1 with no gaps
:: Step 1. List the Application Names
set "App[1]=One"
set "App[2]=Two"
set "App[3]=Three"
set "App[4]=Four"
set "App[5]=Five"
set "App[6]=All Apps"
:: Display the Menu
set "Message="
:Menu
cls
echo.%Message%
echo.
echo. Menu Title
echo.
set "x=0"
:MenuLoop
set /a "x+=1"
if defined App[%x%] (
call echo %x%. %%App[%x%]%%
goto MenuLoop
)
echo.
:: Prompt User for Choice
:Prompt
set "Input="
set /p "Input=Select what app:"
:: Validate Input [Remove Special Characters]
if not defined Input goto Prompt
set "Input=%Input:"=%"
set "Input=%Input:^=%"
set "Input=%Input:<=%"
set "Input=%Input:>=%"
set "Input=%Input:&=%"
set "Input=%Input:|=%"
set "Input=%Input:(=%"
set "Input=%Input:)=%"
:: Equals are not allowed in variable names
set "Input=%Input:^==%"
call :Validate %Input%
:: Process Input
call :Process %Input%
goto End
:Validate
set "Next=%2"
if not defined App[%1] (
set "Message=Invalid Input: %1"
goto Menu
)
if defined Next shift & goto Validate
goto :eof
:Process
set "Next=%2"
call set "App=%%App[%1]%%"
:: Run Installations
:: Specify all of the installations for each app.
:: Step 2. Match on the application names and perform the installation for each
if "%App%" EQU "One" echo Run Install for App One here
if "%App%" EQU "Two" echo Run Install for App Two here
if "%App%" EQU "Three" echo Run Install for App Three here
if "%App%" EQU "Four" echo Run Install for App Four here
if "%App%" EQU "Five" echo Run Install for App Five here
if "%App%" EQU "All Apps" (
echo Run Install for All Apps here
)
:: Prevent the command from being processed twice if listed twice.
set "App[%1]="
if defined Next shift & goto Process
goto :eof
:End
endlocal
pause >nul
you may use choice.exe see here : http://ss64.com/nt/choice.html
You want to use set /p Example below:
echo What would you like to install?
echo 1 - App1
echo 2 - App2
set /p whatapp=
if %whatapp%==1 (
codetoinstallapp1
) else if %whatapp%==2 (
codetoinstallapp2
) else (
echo invalid choice
)
Here's a trick I learned:
echo.1) first choice
echo.2) second choice
echo.3) third choice
echo.4) fourth choice
:: the choice command
set pass=
choice /c 1234 /n /m "Choose a task"
set pass=%errorlevel%
::the choices
if errorlevel 1 set goto=1
if errorlevel 2 set goto=2
if errorlevel 3 set goto=3
if errorlevel 4 set goto=4
goto %goto%
While I use only 1-4 it would be very easy to add more possible choices.
#echo off
:menu
cls
echo.
echo Select the case color you want to create:
echo ==========================================
echo.
echo App 1
echo App 2
echo App 3
echo App 4
echo.
echo ==========================================
echo Please answer Y/N to the following:
set /p App1= Install App 1?
set /p App2= Install App 2?
set /p App3= Install App 3?
set /p App4= Install App 4?
if /I "%App1%" EQU "Y" goto :Option-1
if /I "%App1%" EQU "N" goto :1
:1
if /I "%App2%" EQU "Y" goto :Option-2
if /I "%App2%" EQU "N" goto :2
:2
if /I "%App3%" EQU "Y" goto :Option-3
if /I "%App3%" EQU "N" goto :3
:3
if /I "%App4%" EQU "Y" goto :Option-4
if /I "%App4%" EQU "N" goto :End
:Option-1
App 1 Loc.
goto 1
:Option-2
App 2 Loc.
goto 2
:Option-3
App 3 Loc.
goto 2
:Option-4
App 4 Loc.
:End
Exit
Menu with analog of checkbox.
#echo off
set size=3
::preset
set chbox2=x
:prepare
for /L %%i in (0,1,%size%) do (
if defined chbox%%i (
set st%%i=Y
) else (
set chbox%%i=
)
)
:menu
cls
echo.
echo 1. [%chbox1%] name_1:
echo.
echo 2. [%chbox2%] name_2:
echo.
echo 3. [%chbox3%] name_3:
echo.
echo.
echo.
choice /C 1234567890qa /N /M "Select [1-9] >> [a]pply or [q]uit:"
echo.
set inp=%errorlevel%
if %inp%==11 (
exit
)
if %inp%==12 (
call :apply
)
::switch
if defined st%inp% (
set st%inp%=
set chbox%inp%=
) else (
set st%inp%=Y
set chbox%inp%=X
)
goto :menu
:apply
for /L %%i in (0,1,%size%) do (
if defined st%%i (
call :st%%i
echo.
)
)
echo.
pause
goto :menu
:st1
echo First Command
goto :eof
:st2
echo Second Command
goto :eof
:st3
echo Third Command
goto :eof
You can set lines checked as defaults under :preset label.
A batch file is a list of command prompt commands. The following code prints to the terminal:
echo whateveryouwant
print your menu using these echo statements in a batch file.
Getting user input can be found here: How to read input from console in a batch file?
The installing of applications is a little more complex - you need to know the requirements of your apps and where files should be moved - that should be simple, as well; use move on the appropriate files in the appropriate place.
Here's an example of a batch script menu I'm using:
#echo off
setlocal
:begin
cls
echo [LOCAL ACCOUNTS REMOTE ADMIN] --------------------------------------
echo 1 -- List local accounts on a remote machine
echo 2 -- Create a local account on a remote machine
echo 3 -- Change a local account password on a remote machine
echo 4 -- Delete a local account on a remote machine
echo;
echo 5 -- exit
echo;
set /P rmFunc="Enter a choice: "
echo --------------------------------------------------------------------
for %%I in (1 2 3 4 5 x) do if #%rmFunc%==#%%I goto run%%I
goto begin
:run1
rem list local accounts code
goto begin
:run2
rem create local account code
goto begin
rem and so on, until...
:run5
:run9
:run99
:runx
endlocal
goto :EOF
The most relevant bits are the set /p line and the for...in lines. The for...in line basically compares the choice entered with every menu item number, and if match, goto run#; otherwise start over from the beginning.
I saw that none of the above answers completely answered his/her question. One feature that they have left out is selecting all the software it installs in one go (so to speak).
So I made this off the top of my head (extremely sorry if there is something wrong with it, I'll edit it if there is).
#echo off & setlocal enabledelayedexpansion
echo What would you like to install?
::Put your options here, preferably numbered.
set /p op=Type the numbers of the software you want to install (separated by commas with no spaces. E.g: 1,3,2):
for /f "delims=, tokens=1-5" %%i in ("op") do (
set i=%%i
set j=%%j
set k=%%k
set l=%%l
set m=%%m
)
if %i%X neq X set last=1b & goto %i%
:1b
if %j%X neq X set last=2b & goto %j%
:2b
if %k%X neq X set last=3b & goto %k%
:3b
if %l%X neq X set last=4b & goto %l%
:4b
if %m%X neq X set last=%m% & goto %m%
goto next
:1
::Put the code for doing the first option here
goto %last%
:2
::Put the code for doing the second option here
goto %last%
:3
::Put the code for doing the third option here
goto %last%
:4
::Put the code for doing the fourth option here
goto %last%
:5
::Put the code for doing the fifth option here
goto %last%
:next
::Put some more stuff here...
So that was a bit excessive. Feel free to change some things around and such.
What the code is doing is getting the user input (such as if you put in "1,3,4"), putting each number into its own variable, checking if that variable is empty, and if it isn't, sending you to code that does whatever the option was. It does this a few times until all the variables have been assessed.
This is a proposed analysis for improvement on David Ruhmann's code relating to the "Validate Input" section above:
Testing the menu for special characters works a charm except for the following characters "^&<". When each are submitted for input the program closes.
set "Input=%Input:"=%"
set "Input=%Input:^^=%"
set "Input=%Input:>=%"
set "Input=%Input:<=%"
set "Input=%Input:^&=%"
set "Input=%Input:|=%"
set "Input=%Input:(=%"
set "Input=%Input:)=%"
:: Equals are not allowed in variable names
set "Input=%Input:^==%"
Escaping the ^ and & works, but something very peculiar going on with the parsing of "<" and ">" (escaping these doesn't appear to work). If we reverse the order of the two statements as in the above amendment we find "<" works, but now ">" doesn't.
However, shifting the second statement with "<" down thus, both redirection characters work but now ")" doesn't!!
set "Input=%Input:"=%"
set "Input=%Input:^^=%"
set "Input=%Input:>=%"
set "Input=%Input:^&=%"
set "Input=%Input:|=%"
set "Input=%Input:(=%"
set "Input=%Input:)=%"
set "Input=%Input:<=%"
:: Equals are not allowed in variable names
set "Input=%Input:^==%"
Another great tutorial for batch menus is found here.
I'm using this
#echo off
:a
echo Welcome to a casual log-in (you are a idiot)
echo.
pause
echo ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
set /p c=Email:
echo ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
set /p u=Password:
echo ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
msg * Welcome %c%.
goto a
There is actually an extremely easy way to do this.
#echo off
echo Which app do you want to install?
echo [APP 1]
echo [APP 2]
echo [APP 3]
echo.
echo Type 1, 2, or 3.
set /p "AppInstaller=>"
if %AppInstaller%==1 goto 1
if %AppInstaller%==2 goto 2
if %AppInstaller%==3 goto 3
:1
[INSTALL CODE]
:2
[INSTALL CODE]
:3
[INSTALL CODE]
The menu, when coded like this, will look like this:
Which app do you want to install?
[APP 1]
[APP 2]
[APP 3]
Type 1, 2, or 3.
>_
The code sets the variable AppInstaller to 1, 2, or 3. The file determines this and redirects you to an installer for each one.
This is fairly easy code that I use a lot in multiple choice games:
#echo off
color 0a
cls
:download
echo App 1
echo App 2
echo App 3
echo App 4
echo App 5
echo All Apps
echo
echo Select What App (1, 2, 3, ect.):
set /p apps=
if %apps%==1 goto 1
if %apps%==1 goto 2
if %apps%==1 goto 3
if %apps%==1 goto 4
if %apps%==1 goto 5
if %apps%==1 goto all
:1
(Your Code Here)
:2
(Your Code Here)
:3
(Your Code Here)
:4
(Your Code Here)
:5
(Your Code Here)
:all
(Your Code Here)

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