[windows] How to read input from console in a batch file?

How do I read input from the console in a batch file? What I am trying to achieve is the functionality of scanf in C. How can I do the same in a batch file?

This question is related to windows batch-file cmd

The answer is


If you're just quickly looking to keep a cmd instance open instead of exiting immediately, simply doing the following is enough

set /p asd="Hit enter to continue"

at the end of your script and it'll keep the window open.

Note that this'll set asd as an environment variable, and can be replaced with anything else.


In addition to the existing answer it is possible to set a default option as follows:

echo off
ECHO A current build of Test Harness exists.
set delBuild=n
set /p delBuild=Delete preexisting build [y/n] (default - %delBuild%)?:

This allows users to simply hit "Enter" if they want to enter the default.


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