How to read file contents into a variable in a batch file

Question

This batch file releases a build from TEST to LIVE  I want to add a check constraint in this file that ensures there is an accomanying release document in a specific folder    C  Program Files Windows Resource Kits Tools robocopy exe     testserver testapp              liveserver liveapp        E  XA H  PURGE  XO  XD   svn   NDL  NC  NS  NP del    liveserver liveapp  web config  ren    liveserver liveapp  web live config  web config   So I have a couple of questions about how to achieve this      There is a version txt file in the   testserver testapp  folder  and the only contents of this file is the build number  for example  45 - for build 45  How do I read the contents of the version txt file into a variable in the batch file  How do I check if a file    fileserver myapp releasedocs   build  doc  exists using the variable from part 1 in place of  build

User · Accepted Answer

Read file contents into a variable   for  f  delims     x in  version txt  do set Build   x   or  set  p Build  lt version txt   Both will act the same with only a single line in the file  for more lines the for variant will put the last line into the variable  while set  p will use the first   Using the variable     just like any other environment variable     it is one  after all    Build    So to check for existence   if exist   fileserver myapp releasedocs  Build  doc       Although it may well be that no UNC paths are allowed there  Can t test this right now but keep this in mind

User · Answer

just do   type version txt   and it will be displayed as if you typed   set  p Build  lt version txt echo  Build

User · Answer

You can read multiple variables from file like this   for  f  delims   tokens 1 2    G in  param txt  do set   G   H   where param txt   PARAM1 value1 PARAM2 value2

User · Answer

To get all the lines of the file loaded into the variable  Delayed Expansion is needed  so do the following   SETLOCAL EnableDelayedExpansion  for  f  Tokens   Delims     x in  version txt  do set Build  Build   x   There is a problem with some special characters  though especially      and

[batch-file] How to read file contents into a variable in a batch file?

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