MSDOS batch script to continue to next line of code when error encountered

Only fatal errors (command not found) will stop the batch file. If a program returns an error, the batch execution is continued nevertheless.

The %errorlevel% is a code issued after the last executed command finishes, and so setting it to Zero at the start of the batch file will have no effect.

Your 2nd alternative uses a pretty standard check of the return code and should work if you remember to add on the closing % on %ERRORLEVEL

One trick you can may find useful if CALLing other batch files is to place an     EXIT /b 0    command on the last line of the CALLed batch file.  The /b switch exits the batch file but does not exit cmd.exe, so by adding the Error Code Zero as the exit code, control is passed back to the calling batch file where it left off with an %errorlevel% of Zero.

You can use the   EXIT /b  <code>    command within the same batch file to allow a graceful exit from a looping bit of code while specifying an exit code.

Did you check to see if your programs have a "continue even if errors" command line switch?

What are the programs?
Perhaps there may be a better workaround than your 2nd usage example above.

>>"is it possible to force the errorlevel to be always 0 throughout the script"

Yes, by continually resetting errorlevel after running an executable (or comand) as in the following:


prog1.exe
set errorlevel=0

prog2.exe
set errorlevel=0

etc...

Qlemo

>>"Only fatal errors (command not found) will stop the batch file"

Not true. Try the following:


@echo off
c:\BadProgramName.exe 2>nul
if not %errorlevel%==0 (
   echo BadProgramName.exe does not exist
)

if you don't want your batch file to abort on errors then you need to run your commands etc using CMD as in the following:


@echo off
cmd /c "dir /b"
echo Back after dir: %errorlevel%

cmd /c "c:\badprog.exe" 2>err.txt
echo Back after badprog.exe: %errorlevel%

you may also use the command "start" instead of "call" to let the programs start in a new session But remember that immediately after the "start program.exe ..." command is issued the control is given back to your initial batch-file and the next command is issued "start program2.exe..."

Ove

... but not if you use start /wait

Re-posted due to missing '%' sign....

Have you considered this as an option?


@echo off
cmd /c NLS_Archive.exe 2>err
for %%a in (err) do (
   if %%~za gtr 0 (
      echo An error occured running: NLS_Archive.exe
   ) else (
      echo NLS_Archive.exe successfully completed
   )
)

cmd /c st_to_Msar_convert.exe 2>err
for %%a in (err) do (
   if %%~za gtr 0 (
      echo An error occured running: st_to_Msar_convert.exe
   ) else (
      echo st_to_Msar_convert.exe successfully completed
   )
)

Or how about something like this:


@echo off
call :execute NLS_Archive.exe /a /b /c /other_options /etc...
if not %errorlevel%==0 echo error or do something else

call :execute st_to_Msar_convert.exe /more_options /etc...
if not %errorlevel%==0 echo error or do something else

call :execute dir /b
if not %errorlevel%==0 echo error or do something else

::
exit /b


:execute
   %* 2>err
for %%a in (err) do exit /b %%~za

Qlemo...

In that case, don't use: start /wait, or do the following first:

if exist program.exe (
   start /wait program.exe /etc /etc /etc 2>nul blah blah blah...
)

Sorry, but if I do a
x & y
both "commands" are tried to be called. Two error messages. The batch file continues, I do not need to check for existence or something, as long as I do not care for the error messages.

About that "command not found" will stop the batch file, I stand corrected, as we can see, and t0t0 stated correctly. A fatal error is a batch syntax error only.

Hi sunhux

You may find the "Error_Log.txt" results of the attached batch file interesting.  It will show you two new %errorlevel% codes, just in case you ever come across these while testing batch files.  The last command is a fatal error that terminates the batch file abruptly.

Bill