Question

case statement in DOS batch file

Asked by: ugeb

Hi,

I need to create a DOS batch file to run one of many possible programs, determined by the argument (a number) to the script.

What I'd like is if there is no argument given to the script, then it should give a list of the possible programs and their associated argument numbers.

Does DOS have a case statement (or switch) or do I have to use a billion if statements?  I haven't found any in the docs, but I feel like I've missed some stuff.

Thanks!

Gene

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Asked On
2007-07-06 at 12:37:51ID22680161
Tags

statement

,

batch

,

case

,

dos

,

file

Topics

Windows Batch Scripting

,

MS DOS

,

Microsoft Windows Operating Systems

Participating Experts
1
Points
500
Comments
5

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Answers

 

by: dragon-itPosted on 2007-07-06 at 12:55:46ID: 19434509

One possible solution is to use a text file arranged something like this

1,Program1.exe
2,Program2.exe
3,program3.exe

Then a batch file as

@echo off
set selection=%1
set menufile=menu.txt
if "%selection%"=="" call :choose
if "%selection%"=="" echo No program selected & goto end

set progname=
for /f "tokens=1,2 delims=," %%a in (%menufile%) do if "%%a"=="%selection%" set progname=%%b & goto next
:next
if "%progname"=="" echo Program not found in list & goto end
start %progname%
goto end

:choose
echo Please choose one of the following programs by pressing the number then Return
echo.
type %menufile%
set /p selection=Please enter program number and Return:
:end

This would check for the number matching a program in the text file and if it does then execute the program otherwise if no argument is given then show the text file and request entry of a number.

Steve

 

by: dragon-itPosted on 2007-07-06 at 12:57:58ID: 19434527

Slight typo there.  Missed a % off the progname variable:

@echo off
set selection=%1
set menufile=menu.txt
if "%selection%"=="" call :choose
if "%selection%"=="" echo No program selected & goto end

set progname=
for /f "tokens=1,2 delims=," %%a in (%menufile%) do if "%%a"=="%selection%" set progname=%%b & goto next
:next
if "%progname%"=="" echo Program number %selection% not found in list & goto end
start %progname%
goto end

:choose
echo Please choose one of the following programs by pressing the number then Return
echo.
type %menufile%
echo.
set /p selection=Please enter program number and Return:
:end

 

by: ugebPosted on 2007-07-06 at 13:24:31ID: 19434733

Hi and thanks,

This seems to work. The problem is that it executes the program in a new command shell it opens and then closes.  How can I execute it in the current buffer?

Thanks!
Gene

 

by: ugebPosted on 2007-07-06 at 13:25:36ID: 19434747

Never mind, figured it out:)
Thanks!

 

by: dragon-itPosted on 2007-07-06 at 14:49:09ID: 19435331

Yeah just remove the START command, which is I imagine what you have done.... thanks for the answer.

Steve

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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