[command-line] How do I run a batch script from within a batch script?

How do I call another batch script from within a batch script?

I want it to execute in an if statement.

You should use CALL

CALL batch.bat

Here is example:

You have a.bat:

@echo off
if exist b.bat goto RUNB
goto END
:RUNB
b.bat
:END

and b.bat called conditionally from a.bat:

@echo off 
echo "This is b.bat"

If you wish to open the batch file in another window, use start. This way, you can basically run two scripts at the same time. In other words, you don't have to wait for the script you just called to finish. All examples below work:

start batch.bat
start call batch.bat
start cmd /c batch.bat

If you want to wait for the script to finish, try start /w call batch.bat, but the batch.bat has to end with exit.

You can just invoke the batch script by name, as if you're running on the command line.

So, suppose you have a file bar.bat that says echo This is bar.bat! and you want to call it from a file foo.bat, you can write this in foo.bat:

if "%1"=="blah" bar

Run foo blah from the command line, and you'll see:

C:\>foo blah

C:\>if "blah" == "blah" bar

C:\>echo This is bar.bat!
This is bar.bat!

But beware: When you invoke a batch script from another batch script, the original batch script will stop running. If you want to run the secondary batch script and then return to the previous batch script, you'll have to use the call command. For example:

if "%1"=="blah" call bar
echo That's all for foo.bat!

If you run foo blah on that, you'd see:

C:\>foo blah

C:\>if "blah" == "blah" call bar

C:\>echo This is bar.bat!
This is bar.bat!

C:\>echo That's all for foo.bat!
That's all for foo.bat!

Run parallelly on separate command windows in minimized state

dayStart.bat

start "startOfficialSoftwares" /min cmd /k call startOfficialSoftwares.bat
start "initCodingEnvironment" /min cmd /k call initCodingEnvironment.bat
start "updateProjectSource" /min cmd /k call updateProjectSource.bat
start "runCoffeeMachine" /min cmd /k call runCoffeeMachine.bat

Run sequentially on same window

release.bat

call updateDevelVersion.bat
call mergeDevelIntoMaster.bat
call publishProject.bat

huh, I don't know why, but call didn't do the trick
call script.bat didn't return to the original console.
cmd /k script.bat did return to the original console.

You can use

call script.bat

or just

script.bat