capturing CMD batch file parameter list; write to file for later processing

I have written a batch file that is launched as a post processing utility by a program. The batch file reads ~24 parameters supplied by the calling program, stores them into variables, and then writes them to various text files.

Since the max input variable in CMD is %9, it's necessary to use the 'shift' command to repeatedly read and store these individually to named variables. Because the program outputs several similar batch files, the result is opening several CMD windows sequentially, assigning variables and writing data files. This ties up the calling program for too long.

It occurs to me that I could free up the calling program much faster if maybe there's a way to write a very simple batch file that can write all the command parameters to a text file, where I can process them later. Basically, just grab the parameter list, write it and done.

Q: Is there some way to treat an entire series of parameter data as one big text string and write it to one big variable... and then echo the whole big thing to one text file? Then later read the string into %n variables when there's no program waiting to resume?

Parameter list is something like 25 - 30 words, less than 200 characters.

Sample parameter list:

"First Name" "Lastname" "123 Steet Name Way" "Cityname" ST 12345 1004968 06/01/2010 "Firstname+Lastname" 101738 "On Account" 20.67 xy-1z 1 8.95 3.00 1.39 0 0 239 8.95

Items in quotes are processed as string variables. List is space delimited.

Any suggestions?

echo %* 1>args.txt

%* references all arguments: %1 %2 %3...

It also works with subroutines.

call :test 1 2 3
goto :eof

:test
echo 1: %1
echo 2: %2
echo 3: %3
echo *: %*
exit /b

output:

1: 1
2: 2
3: 3
*: 1 2 3

See the following website for more information: http://ss64.com/nt/syntax-args.html

Interesting Post. It sparked my interest.

I too am needing something that could accept parameters and although this probably isn't useful to you now I thought it might be useful at some later date.

My solution is less simple - because there just isn't an elegant way to do it.

Basically, in this example the "-" can be used to identify a parameter, and the next space is assumed to be set to a value.

Legal Stuff:

So this is all my code and I don't really care how or where you choose to use it. No need to cite me it's just an example anyway.

Like this:

Microsoft Batch:Begin Copy below and save as filename.bat

 


@ECHO OFF
REM USAGE: this-batch-name.bat -BUILD "1.2.3 build 405" -JOB "Running This Job" -run RUN_FUNCTION
SET __CURRENT_WORKING_DIRECTORY__=%~dp1
ECHO.__CURRENT_WORKING_DIRECTORY__=%__CURRENT_WORKING_DIRECTORY__%

REM # Clear Previous Variables
SET PACKAGING_BUILD_NUMBER=
SET PACKAGING_JOB_NAME=
SET GO_DEEPER=
SET RUN_COMMAND=

REM ## In order to read variables set while in a "FOR" loop
REM ##  you have to set the 'ENABLEDELAYEDEXPANSION' with 'SETLOCAL'.

SETLOCAL ENABLEEXTENSIONS
SETLOCAL ENABLEDELAYEDEXPANSION

REM ## Capture Command line parameters here with a %*
FOR %%A IN (%*) DO (
    REM ## If we found something with a '-' in previous pass run GO_DEEPER will be defined and thus set to the command line argument.
    IF DEFINED GO_DEEPER (
        REM ## When ENABLEDELAYEDEXPANSION is Set with setlocal command you have to use exclamation: i.e. '^!'
        IF /I "-BUILD"=="!GO_DEEPER!" SET PACKAGING_BUILD_NUMBER=%%A
        IF /I "-JOB"=="!GO_DEEPER!" SET PACKAGING_JOB_NAME=%%A
        IF /I "-RUN"=="!GO_DEEPER!" SET RUN_COMMAND=%%A
        SET SET GO_DEEPER=
    )
    IF /I "%%A" GEQ "-" (
        REM ## Wow we found your command line argument that started with a '-' so set the GO_DEEPER Var
        SET GO_DEEPER=%%A
    ) ELSE (
        SET SET GO_DEEPER=
    )
)
REM ## Time to grab the variables set while in delayed expansion mode
ENDLOCAL && SET PACKAGING_BUILD_NUMBER=%PACKAGING_BUILD_NUMBER% && SET PACKAGING_JOB_NAME=%PACKAGING_JOB_NAME% && SET RUN_COMMAND=%RUN_COMMAND%

REM ## Sucks, but you have to clear the '"' and "'" if it exists. 
IF DEFINED RUN_COMMAND (
    SET RUN_COMMAND=%RUN_COMMAND:"=%
    SET RUN_COMMAND=%RUN_COMMAND:'=%
)
IF DEFINED PACKAGING_JOB_NAME (
    SET PACKAGING_JOB_NAME=%PACKAGING_JOB_NAME:"=%
    SET PACKAGING_JOB_NAME=%PACKAGING_JOB_NAME:'=%
)
IF DEFINED PACKAGING_BUILD_NUMBER (
    SET PACKAGING_BUILD_NUMBER=%PACKAGING_BUILD_NUMBER:"=%
    SET PACKAGING_BUILD_NUMBER=%PACKAGING_BUILD_NUMBER:'=%
)
REM ## Now we can try to run the command  function if the -run was used...
IF DEFINED RUN_COMMAND (
    CALL:--%RUN_COMMAND% "'%PACKAGING_JOB_NAME%'","'%PACKAGING_BUILD_NUMBER%'"
) ELSE (
    ECHO Try running:
    ECHO %0 -BUILD "1.2.3 build 405" -JOB "Running This Job" -run RUN_FUNCTION
)

GOTO DONE

:--RUN_FUNCTION
ECHO running... %~0
SET VARPASSED1=%~1
SET VARPASSED2=%~2
IF DEFINED VARPASSED1 ECHO VARPASSED1 was %VARPASSED1%
IF DEFINED VARPASSED2 ECHO VARPASSED2 was %VARPASSED2%
ECHO Add your code to process here...

GOTO:EOF

:DONE
ECHO We got the following results...
IF DEFINED PACKAGING_JOB_NAME ECHO PACKAGING_JOB_NAME=%PACKAGING_JOB_NAME%
IF DEFINED PACKAGING_BUILD_NUMBER ECHO PACKAGING_BUILD_NUMBER=%PACKAGING_BUILD_NUMBER%
IF DEFINED RUN_COMMAND ECHO RUN_COMMAND=%RUN_COMMAND%
</pre> </code>


Microsoft Batch END Copy

RESULTS:

__CURRENT_WORKING_DIRECTORY__=C:\dev\a\win\sysprep\
running... :--RUN_FUNCTION
VARPASSED1 was "'Running...'"
VARPASSED2 was "'This...'"

We got the following results...
PACKAGING_JOB_NAME="Running This Job"
PACKAGING_BUILD_NUMBER="1.2.3 build 405"
RUN_COMMAND=RUN_FUNCTION