Split long commands in multiple lines through Windows batch file

Question

How can I split long commands over multiple lines in a batch file

User · Answer

Multiple commands can be put in parenthesis and spread over numerous lines; so something like echo hi && echo hello can be put like this:

( echo hi
  echo hello )

Also variables can help:

set AFILEPATH="C:\SOME\LONG\PATH\TO\A\FILE"
if exist %AFILEPATH% (
  start "" /b %AFILEPATH% -option C:\PATH\TO\SETTING...
) else (
...

Also I noticed with carets (^) that the if conditionals liked them to follow only if a space was present:

if exist ^

User · Answer

It seems however that splitting in the middle of the values of a for loop doesn t need a caret and actually trying to use one will be considered a syntax error   For example   for  n in  hello bye  do echo  n   Note that no space is even needed after hello or before bye

User · Answer

Though the carret will be preferable way to do this here s one more approach using macro that constructs a command by the passed arguments   echo off                                                                                                            set  quot    setlocal enableDelayedExpansion amp for   a in   quot   amp  set  quot     quot   end   quot    do if  quot    a quot  neq  quot   end   quot   set command  command    a  else  call  command   amp  endlocal  quot                                                                                                                        echo      quot command quot      written     on a     few lines       command is easier to read without the carets but using special symbols e g  brackets redirection and so on will break it  So you can this for more simpler cases  Though you can still enclose parameters in double quotes

User · Answer

Though the carret will be preferable way to do this here s one more approach using macro that constructs a command by the passed arguments   echo off                                                                                                            set  quot    setlocal enableDelayedExpansion amp for   a in   quot   amp  set  quot     quot   end   quot    do if  quot    a quot  neq  quot   end   quot   set command  command    a  else  call  command   amp  endlocal  quot                                                                                                                        echo      quot command quot      written     on a     few lines       command is easier to read without the carets but using special symbols e g  brackets redirection and so on will break it  So you can this for more simpler cases  Though you can still enclose parameters in double quotes

User · Answer

This is basically a rewrite of Wayne s answer but with the confusion around the caret cleared up  So I ve posted it as a CW  I m not shy about editing answers  but completely rewriting them seems inappropriate    You can break up long lines with the caret      just remember that the caret and the newline that follows it are removed entirely from the command  so if you put it where a space would be required  such as between parameters   be sure to include the space as well  either before the    or at the beginning of the next line nbsp  mdash  that latter choice may help make it clearer it s a continuation    Examples   all tested on Windows XP and Windows 7   xcopy file1 txt file2 txt   can be written as   xcopy   file1 txt   file2 txt   or  xcopy   file1 txt   file2 txt   or even  xc  opy   file1 txt   file2 txt    That last works because there are no spaces betwen the xc and the    and no spaces at the beginning of the next line  So when you remove the   and the newline  you get   xcopy    For readability and sanity  it s probably best breaking only between parameters  be sure to include the space    Be sure that the   is not the last thing in a batch file  as there appears to be a major issue with that

User · Answer

You can break up long lines with the caret   as long as you remember that the caret and the newline following it are completely removed  So  if there should be a space where you re breaking the line  include a space   More on that below    Example   copy file1 txt file2 txt   would be written as   copy file1 txt   file2 txt

User · Answer

The rule for the caret is   A caret at the line end  appends the next line  the first character of the appended line will be escaped   You can use the caret multiple times  but the complete line must not exceed the maximum line length of  8192 characters  Windows nbsp XP  Windows nbsp Vista  and Windows nbsp 7    echo Test1 echo one   two   three   four    --- Output --- Test1 one two three four   echo Test2 echo one  amp  echo two --- Output --- Test2 one two  echo Test3 echo one  amp    echo two --- Output --- Test3 one two  echo Test4 echo one    amp  echo two --- Output --- Test4 one  amp  echo two   To suppress the escaping of the next character you can use a redirection   The redirection has to be just before the caret  But there exist one curiosity with redirection before the caret   If you place a token at the caret the token is removed   echo Test5 echo one  lt nul    amp  echo two --- Output --- Test5 one two   echo Test6 echo one  lt nul ThisTokenIsLost   amp  echo two --- Output --- Test6 one two   And it is also possible to embed line feeds into the string   setlocal EnableDelayedExpansion set text This creates    a line feed echo Test7   text  echo Test8   text  --- Output --- Test7  This creates Test8  This creates a line feed   The empty line is important for the success  This works only with delayed expansion  else the rest of the line is ignored after the line feed   It works  because the caret at the line end ignores the next line feed and escapes the next character  even if the next character is also a line feed  carriage returns are always ignored in this phase

User · Answer

You can break up long lines with the caret   as long as you remember that the caret and the newline following it are completely removed  So  if there should be a space where you re breaking the line  include a space   More on that below    Example   copy file1 txt file2 txt   would be written as   copy file1 txt   file2 txt

User · Answer

This is basically a rewrite of Wayne s answer but with the confusion around the caret cleared up  So I ve posted it as a CW  I m not shy about editing answers  but completely rewriting them seems inappropriate    You can break up long lines with the caret      just remember that the caret and the newline that follows it are removed entirely from the command  so if you put it where a space would be required  such as between parameters   be sure to include the space as well  either before the    or at the beginning of the next line nbsp  mdash  that latter choice may help make it clearer it s a continuation    Examples   all tested on Windows XP and Windows 7   xcopy file1 txt file2 txt   can be written as   xcopy   file1 txt   file2 txt   or  xcopy   file1 txt   file2 txt   or even  xc  opy   file1 txt   file2 txt    That last works because there are no spaces betwen the xc and the    and no spaces at the beginning of the next line  So when you remove the   and the newline  you get   xcopy    For readability and sanity  it s probably best breaking only between parameters  be sure to include the space    Be sure that the   is not the last thing in a batch file  as there appears to be a major issue with that

User · Answer

The rule for the caret is   A caret at the line end  appends the next line  the first character of the appended line will be escaped   You can use the caret multiple times  but the complete line must not exceed the maximum line length of  8192 characters  Windows nbsp XP  Windows nbsp Vista  and Windows nbsp 7    echo Test1 echo one   two   three   four    --- Output --- Test1 one two three four   echo Test2 echo one  amp  echo two --- Output --- Test2 one two  echo Test3 echo one  amp    echo two --- Output --- Test3 one two  echo Test4 echo one    amp  echo two --- Output --- Test4 one  amp  echo two   To suppress the escaping of the next character you can use a redirection   The redirection has to be just before the caret  But there exist one curiosity with redirection before the caret   If you place a token at the caret the token is removed   echo Test5 echo one  lt nul    amp  echo two --- Output --- Test5 one two   echo Test6 echo one  lt nul ThisTokenIsLost   amp  echo two --- Output --- Test6 one two   And it is also possible to embed line feeds into the string   setlocal EnableDelayedExpansion set text This creates    a line feed echo Test7   text  echo Test8   text  --- Output --- Test7  This creates Test8  This creates a line feed   The empty line is important for the success  This works only with delayed expansion  else the rest of the line is ignored after the line feed   It works  because the caret at the line end ignores the next line feed and escapes the next character  even if the next character is also a line feed  carriage returns are always ignored in this phase

User · Answer

Multiple commands can be put in parenthesis and spread over numerous lines; so something like echo hi && echo hello can be put like this:

( echo hi
  echo hello )

Also variables can help:

set AFILEPATH="C:\SOME\LONG\PATH\TO\A\FILE"
if exist %AFILEPATH% (
  start "" /b %AFILEPATH% -option C:\PATH\TO\SETTING...
) else (
...

Also I noticed with carets (^) that the if conditionals liked them to follow only if a space was present:

if exist ^

User · Answer

It seems however that splitting in the middle of the values of a for loop doesn t need a caret and actually trying to use one will be considered a syntax error   For example   for  n in  hello bye  do echo  n   Note that no space is even needed after hello or before bye

User · Answer

You can break up long lines with the caret   as long as you remember that the caret and the newline following it are completely removed  So  if there should be a space where you re breaking the line  include a space   More on that below    Example   copy file1 txt file2 txt   would be written as   copy file1 txt   file2 txt

User · Answer

You can break up long lines with the caret   as long as you remember that the caret and the newline following it are completely removed  So  if there should be a space where you re breaking the line  include a space   More on that below    Example   copy file1 txt file2 txt   would be written as   copy file1 txt   file2 txt

[batch-file] Split long commands in multiple lines through Windows batch file

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