Windows batch file run batch file

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• Overview
• Part 1 – Getting Started
• Part 2 – Variables
• Part 3 – Return Codes
• Part 4 – stdin, stdout, stderr
• Part 5 – If/Then Conditionals
• Part 6 – Loops
• Part 7 – Functions
• Part 8 – Parsing Input
• Part 9 – Logging
• Part 10 – Advanced Tricks

Getting Started with Windows Batch Scripting

Windows batch scripting is incredibly accessible – it works on just about any modern Windows machine. You can create and modify batch scripts on just about any modern Windows machine. The tools come out of the box: the Windows command prompt and a text editor like Notepad.exe. It’s definitely far from
the best shell scripting langauge, but, it gets the job done. It’s my “duct tape” for Windows.

Launching the Command Prompt

Windows gurus launch the command prompt using the keyboard shortcut Windows Logo Key+R (i.e., “Run”) > Type cmd.exe then Enter. This is way faster than navigating the Windows Start Menu to find the Command Prompt.

Editing Batch Files

The universal text editor for batch files is Notepad (Windows Logo Key + R > Type notepad then Enter). Since batch files are just ASCII text, you can probably use just about any text editor or word processor. Very few editors do anything special for Batch files like syntax highlighting or keyword support, so notepad is good enough fine and will likely be installed on just about every Windows system you encounter.

Viewing Batch Files

I would stick with Notepad for viewing the contents of a batch file. In Windows Explorer (aka, “My Computer”), you should be able to view a batch file in Notepad by right clicking the file and seleting Edit from the context menu. If you need to view the contents within a command prompt window itself, you can use a DOS command like TYPE myscript.cmd or MORE myscript.cmd or EDIT myscript.cmd

Batch File Names and File Extensions

Assuming you are using Windows XP or newer, I recommend saving your batch files with the file extension .cmd. Some seriously outdated Windows versions used .bat, though I recommend sticking with the more modern .cmd to avoid some rare side effects with .bat files.

With the .cmd file extension, you can use just about filename you like. I recommend avoiding spaces in filenames, as spaces only create headaches in shell scripting. Pascal casing your filenames is an easy way to avoid spaces (e.g., HelloWorld.cmd instead of Hello World.cmd). You can also use punctuation characters like . or - or _ (e.g. Hello.World.cmd, Hello-World.cmd, Hello_World.cmd).

Another thing with names to consider is avoiding names that use the same name of any built-in commands, system binaries, or popular programs. For example, I would avoid naming a script ping.cmd since there is a widely used system binary named ping.exe. Things might get very confusing if you try to run ping and inadvertently call ping.cmd when you really wanted ping.cmd. (Stay tuned for how this could happen.) I might called the script RemoteHeartbeat.cmd or something similar to add some context to the script’s name and also avoid any naming collisions with any other executable files. Of course, there could be a very unique circumstance in which you want to modify the default behavior of ping in which this naming suggestion would not apply.

Saving Batch Files in Windows

Notepad by default tries to save all files as plain jane text files. To get Notepad to save a file with a .cmd extension, you will need to change the “Save as type” to “All Files (.)”. See the screenshot below for an example of saving a script named “HelloWorld.cmd” in Notepad.

Картинка с сайта: steve-jansen.github.io

SIDEBAR: I’ve used a shortcut in this screenshot that you will learn more about later. I’ve saved the file to my “user profile folder” by naming
the file %USERPROFILE%\HelloWorld.cmd. The %USERPROFILE% keyword is the Windows environmental variable for the full path
to your user profile folder. On newer Windows systems, your user profile folder will typically be C:\Users\<your username>. This shortcut
saves a little bit of time because a new command prompt will generally default the “working directory” to your user profile folder. This lets you run
HelloWorld.cmd in a new command prompt without changing directories beforehand or needing to specify the path to the script.

Running your Batch File

The easy way to run your batch file in Windows is to just double click the batch file in Windows Explorer (aka “My Computer”). Unfortunately, the command prompt will not give you much of a chance to see the output and any errors. The command prompt window for the script will disappear as soon as the script exits. (We will learn how to handle this problem in Part 10 – Advanced Tricks ).

When editing a new script, you will likely need to run the batch file in an existing command window. For newbies, I think the easiest foolproof way to
run your script is to drag and drop the script into a command prompt window. The command prompt will enter the full path to your script on the
command line, and will quote any paths containing spaces.

Some other tips to running batch files:

• You can recall previous commands using the up arrow and down arrow keys to navigate the command line history.
• I usually run the script as
  %COMPSPEC% /C /D "C:\Users\User\SomeScriptPath.cmd" Arg1 Arg2 Arg3
  This runs your script in a new command prompt child process. The /C option instructs the child process to quit when your script quits.
  The /D disables any auto-run scripts (this is optional, but, I use auto-run scripts). The reason I do this is to keep the command prompt
  window from automatically closing should my script, or a called script, call the EXIT command. The EXIT command automatically closes
  the command prompt window unless the EXIT is called from a child command prompt process. This is annoying because you lose any messages
  printed by your script.

Comments

The official way to add a comment to a batch file is with the REM (Remark) keyword:

 REM This is a comment!

The power user method is to use ::, which is a hack to uses the the label operator : twice, which is almost always ignored.

Most power authors find the :: to be less distracting than REM. Be warned though there are a few places where :: will cause errors.

  :: This is a comment too!! (usually!)

For example, a FOR loop will error out with :: style comments. Simply fall back to using REM if you think you have a situation like this.

Silencing Display of Commands in Batch Files

The first non-comment line of a batch file is usually a command to turn off printing (ECHO’ing) of each batch file line.

 @ECHO OFF

The @ is a special operator to suppress printing of the command line. Once we set ECHO’ing to off, we won’t need the @ operator again
in our script commands.

You restore printing of commands in your script with:

ECHO ON

Upon exit of your script, the command prompt will automatically restore ECHO to it’s previous state.

Debugging Your Scripts

Batch files invole a lot of trial and error coding. Sadly, I don’t know of any true debugger for Windows batch scripts. Worse yet, I don’t
know of a way to put the command processor into a verbose state to help troubleshoot the script (this is the common technique for Unix/Linux
scripts.) Printing custom ad-hoc debugging messages is about your only option using the ECHO command. Advanced script writers can do
some trickery to selectively print debugging messages, though, I prefer to remove the debugging/instrumentation code once my script is
functioning as desired.

<< Overview


Part 2 – Variables >>

1. Method 1: Running Batch Files Directly in CMD

2. Method 2: Running Batch Files Using Python

3. Method 3: Running Batch Files with Command Line Arguments

4. Conclusion

5. FAQ

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Running a Batch (.bat) file in Command Prompt (CMD) is a fundamental skill for Windows users, especially for those who want to automate tasks or execute scripts efficiently. Whether you’re a beginner or have some experience with command-line operations, this tutorial will guide you through the process of running Batch files seamlessly. We’ll cover different methods, including how to do this using Python, making it easier for you to integrate Batch file execution into your workflows. By the end of this article, you will have a clear understanding of how to run Batch files in CMD, along with practical code examples to enhance your skills.

Method 1: Running Batch Files Directly in CMD

The simplest way to run a Batch file is to execute it directly from the Command Prompt. To do this, you need to know the path of your Batch file. Here’s how to do it:

1. Open Command Prompt by typing “cmd” in the Windows search bar and hitting Enter.
2. Navigate to the directory containing your Batch file using the cd command. For example, if your Batch file is located in the “Scripts” folder on your desktop, you would type:

cd C:\Users\YourUsername\Desktop\Scripts

1. Once you’re in the correct directory, type the name of your Batch file, including the .bat extension, and press Enter:

Output:

Batch file is executed successfully.

This method is straightforward and doesn’t require any additional software. It’s perfect for quick executions or testing scripts. Just ensure that you have the correct path and file name. If your Batch file contains commands that require administrative privileges, make sure to run CMD as an administrator by right-clicking on the Command Prompt icon and selecting “Run as administrator.”

Method 2: Running Batch Files Using Python

If you’re looking to integrate Batch file execution into a Python script, you can easily do this using the subprocess module. This method is particularly useful for developers who want to automate tasks or incorporate Batch files into larger applications. Here’s a simple example:

import subprocess

subprocess.run(["C:\\Path\\To\\YourBatchFile.bat"])

In this code, we import the subprocess module, which is a powerful tool for spawning new processes and connecting to their input/output/error pipes. The run() function is then used to execute the specified Batch file. Make sure to replace C:\\Path\\To\\YourBatchFile.bat with the actual path of your Batch file.

Output:

Batch file executed from Python.

This method allows you to run Batch files as part of a larger Python program, which can be very handy when you want to perform multiple tasks in sequence or manage file operations programmatically. The subprocess module provides additional functionalities, such as capturing output and handling errors, making it a versatile choice for script automation.

Method 3: Running Batch Files with Command Line Arguments

Sometimes, you may want to pass arguments to your Batch file when executing it. This can be done easily from CMD or within a Python script. Here’s how you can do it in both scenarios.

Using CMD

You can pass arguments directly in CMD by adding them after the Batch file name. For example:

YourBatchFile.bat arg1 arg2

Output:

Arguments received: arg1, arg2

Using Python

To run a Batch file with arguments in Python, you can modify the subprocess.run() function like this:

import subprocess

subprocess.run(["C:\\Path\\To\\YourBatchFile.bat", "arg1", "arg2"])

In this example, arg1 and arg2 are passed to the Batch file as command-line arguments. Inside your Batch file, you can access these arguments using %1, %2, etc.

Output:

Arguments received: arg1, arg2

This method is particularly useful when you need to customize the execution of your Batch file based on user input or other dynamic data. It opens up a range of possibilities for making your scripts more interactive and functional.

Conclusion

Running Batch files in CMD is a valuable skill that can enhance your productivity and streamline various tasks on your Windows system. Whether you choose to execute them directly in Command Prompt or integrate them into a Python script, the methods we’ve discussed provide flexibility and efficiency. By understanding how to run Batch files and pass arguments, you can automate repetitive tasks and manage system operations effectively. With practice, you’ll become proficient in using Batch files, making your workflow smoother and more organized.

FAQ

1. how do I create a Batch file?
   You can create a Batch file by opening Notepad, writing your commands, and saving the file with a .bat extension.

2. can I run a Batch file from a USB drive?
   Yes, you can run a Batch file from a USB drive by navigating to the drive in CMD and executing the file.

3. what if my Batch file doesn’t execute?
   Ensure that the file path is correct and that you have the necessary permissions to run the file.

4. can I schedule a Batch file to run automatically?
   Yes, you can use Windows Task Scheduler to schedule Batch files to run at specific times or events.

5. how can I debug a Batch file?
   You can debug a Batch file by adding echo statements to print variable values or using pause to stop execution at certain points.