[batch-file] How to use if - else structure in a batch file?

I have a question about if - else structure in a batch file. Each command runs individually, but I couldn't use "if - else" blocks safely so these parts of my programme doesn't work. How can I do make these parts run? Thank you.

IF %F%==1 IF %C%==1 (
    ::copying the file c to d
    copy "%sourceFile%" "%destinationFile%"
    )
ELSE IF %F%==1 IF %C%==0 (
    ::moving the file c to d
    move "%sourceFile%" "%destinationFile%"
    )

ELSE IF %F%==0 IF %C%==1 (
    ::copying a directory c from d, /s:  bos olanlar hariç, /e:bos olanlar dahil
    xcopy "%sourceCopyDirectory%" "%destinationCopyDirectory%" /s/e
    )
ELSE IF %F%==0 IF %C%==0 (
    ::moving a directory
    xcopy /E "%sourceMoveDirectory%" "%destinationMoveDirectory%"
    rd /s /q "%sourceMoveDirectory%"
    )

This question is related to batch-file if-statement

The answer is


IF...ELSE IF constructs work very well in batch files, in particular when you use only one conditional expression on each IF line:

IF %F%==1 (
    ::copying the file c to d
    copy "%sourceFile%1" "%destinationFile1%"
) ELSE IF %F%==0 (
    ::moving the file e to f
    move "%sourceFile2%" "%destinationFile2%" )

In your example you use IF...AND...IF type construct, where 2 conditions must be met simultaneously. In this case you can still use IF...ELSE IF construct, but with extra parentheses to avoid uncertainty for the next ELSE condition:

IF %F%==1 (IF %C%==1 (
    ::copying the file c to d
    copy "%sourceFile1%" "%destinationFile1%" )
) ELSE IF %F%==1 (IF %C%==0 (
    ::moving the file e to f
    move "%sourceFile2%" "%destinationFile2%"))

The above construct is equivalent to:

IF %F%==1 (
    IF %C%==1 (
    ::copying the file c to d
    copy "%sourceFile1%" "%destinationFile1%"
    ) ELSE IF %C%==0 (
    ::moving the file e to f
    move "%sourceFile2%" "%destinationFile2%"))

Processing sequence of batch commands depends on CMD.exe parsing order. Just make sure your construct follows that logical order, and as a rule it will work. If your batch script is processed by Cmd.exe without errors, it means this is the correct (i.e. supported by your OS Cmd.exe version) construct, even if someone said otherwise.


I believe you can use something such as

if ___ (

do this

) else if ___ (

do this

)

AFAIK you can't do an if else in batch like you can in other languages, it has to be nested if's.

Using nested if's your batch would look like

IF %F%==1 IF %C%==1(
    ::copying the file c to d
    copy "%sourceFile%" "%destinationFile%"
    ) ELSE (
        IF %F%==1 IF %C%==0(
        ::moving the file c to d
        move "%sourceFile%" "%destinationFile%"
        ) ELSE (
            IF %F%==0 IF %C%==1(
            ::copying a directory c from d, /s:  bos olanlar hariç, /e:bos olanlar dahil
            xcopy "%sourceCopyDirectory%" "%destinationCopyDirectory%" /s/e
            ) ELSE (
                IF %F%==0 IF %C%==0(
                ::moving a directory
                xcopy /E "%sourceMoveDirectory%" "%destinationMoveDirectory%"
                rd /s /q "%sourceMoveDirectory%"
                )
            )
        )
    )

or as James suggested, chain your if's, however I think the proper syntax is

IF %F%==1 IF %C%==1(
    ::copying the file c to d
    copy "%sourceFile%" "%destinationFile%"
    )

A little bit late and perhaps still good for complex if-conditions, because I would like to add a "done" parameter to keep a if-then-else structure:

set done=0
if %F%==1 if %C%==0 (set done=1 & echo found F=1 and C=0: %F% + %C%)
if %F%==2 if %C%==0 (set done=1 & echo found F=2 and C=0: %F% + %C%)
if %F%==3 if %C%==0 (set done=1 & echo found F=3 and C=0: %F% + %C%)
if %done%==0 (echo do something)

Here's my code Example for if..else..if
which do the following

Prompt user for Process Name

If the process name is invalid
Then it's write to user

Error : The Processor above doesn't seem to be exist 

if the process name is services
Then it's write to user

Error : You can't kill the Processor above 

if the process name is valid and not services
Then it's write to user

the process has been killed via taskill

so i called it Process killer.bat
Here's my Code:

@echo off

:Start
Rem preparing the batch  
cls
Title Processor Killer
Color 0B
Echo Type Processor name to kill It (Without ".exe")
set /p ProcessorTokill=%=%  

:tasklist
tasklist|find /i "%ProcessorTokill%.exe">nul & if errorlevel 1 (
REM check if the process name is invalid 
Cls 
Title %ProcessorTokill% Not Found
Color 0A
echo %ProcessorTokill%
echo Error : The Processor above doesn't seem to be exist    

) else if %ProcessorTokill%==services (
REM check if the process name is services and doesn't kill it
Cls 
Color 0c
Title Permission denied 
echo "%ProcessorTokill%.exe"
echo Error : You can't kill the Processor above 

) else (
REM if the process name is valid and not services
Cls 
Title %ProcessorTokill% Found
Color 0e
echo %ProcessorTokill% Found
ping localhost -n 2 -w 1000>nul
echo Killing %ProcessorTokill% ...
taskkill /f /im %ProcessorTokill%.exe /t>nul
echo %ProcessorTokill% Killed...
)

pause>nul



REM If else if Template
REM if thing1 (
REM Command here 2 ! 
REM ) else if thing2 (
REM command here 2 !
REM ) else (
REM command here 3 !
REM )

I think in the question and in some of the answers there is a bit of confusion about the meaning of this pseudocode in DOS: IF A IF B X ELSE Y. It does not mean IF(A and B) THEN X ELSE Y, but in fact means IF A( IF B THEN X ELSE Y). If the test of A fails, then he whole of the inner if-else will be ignored.

As one of the answers mentioned, in this case only one of the tests can succeed so the 'else' is not needed, but of course that only works in this example, it isn't a general solution for doing if-else.

There are lots of ways around this. Here is a few ideas, all are quite ugly but hey, this is (or at least was) DOS!

@echo off

set one=1
set two=2

REM Example 1

IF %one%_%two%==1_1 (
   echo Example 1 fails
) ELSE IF %one%_%two%==1_2 (
   echo Example 1 works correctly
) ELSE (
    echo Example 1 fails
)

REM Example 2

set test1result=0
set test2result=0

if %one%==1 if %two%==1 set test1result=1
if %one%==1 if %two%==2 set test2result=1

IF %test1result%==1 (
   echo Example 2 fails
) ELSE IF %test2result%==1 (
   echo Example 2 works correctly
) ELSE (
    echo Example 2 fails
)

REM Example 3

if %one%==1 if %two%==1 (
   echo Example 3 fails
   goto :endoftests
)
if %one%==1 if %two%==2 (
   echo Example 3 works correctly
   goto :endoftests
)
echo Example 3 fails
)
:endoftests

here is how I handled if else if situation

if %env%==dev ( 
    echo "dev env selected selected"
) else (
    if %env%==prod (
        echo "prod env selected"
    )
)

Note it is not the same as if-elseif block as the other programming languages like C++ or Java but it will do what you need to do