Looking for user input y n in batch script, with a timeout. To execute a batch file, type its name at a command prompt, or execute a windows shortcut that does the same thing. Batch file programming is the native programming offered by the microsoft windows operating. In windows cmd, how do i prompt for user input and use the result in another command. Jun 27, 2012 find answers to password input in batch file from. If a command is expected to wait for 100ms, and it actually waits 100ms, the difference is 0. Rem batch file user input, log destination, 2 programs as parameters. Windows cmd start and wait for the default application in. Im trying to create a batch file that will take keyboard input and then either launch a program based on that input or display. The set p command will print the string you specify and prompt the user for information. Theres a pause command that does just that, though its not specifically the enter key. Batch files from the expert community at experts exchange. This batch command takes the input from a source file and sorts its contents alphabetically, from a to z or z to a. Before posting on our computer help forum, you must register.
We would like to have a single icon that runs an identical command line, that asks the user to input their user name, the equivalent of the %1 or mary. I always forget, so here it is forever just put this simple line at the end of the batch file and the command prompt will remain until a key is pressed. Set p reads a users response into an environment variable, where it can be tested or used as a command argument. It consists of a series of commands to be executed by the commandline interpreter, stored in a plain text file. I dont want my script to continue its execution until the vi has completed its job. It is a very simple way to get the user input at the dos prompt. Your main mistake is assigning the string entered by the user of the batch file to environment variable input but referencing on command copy the environment variable data which is not defined at all and therefore %data% is replaced twice before execution of the command line by nothing. Windows batch scripting is incredibly accessible it works on just about any modern windows machine. Only after that, the next line of the batch script will be processed. A batch file is a script file in dos, os2 and microsoft windows. Batch file that accepts two input parameter to copy a file. The parameters can be accessed by the batch file like environment variables, and have the values %1 to %9.
How do i get a batch file to run a program without waiting. In addition, you can send the output of one program to be used as input to another. Batch file which will take a text file as an input closed. Batch script is incorporated to automate command sequences which are repetitive in nature. The end result of this line is that you are asked to provide an input, and whatever input this is, it gets stored into an environment variable which can be used later in the code. If you prefer to us a dialog for user input, see the msgbox and querybox commands. If you are writing a batch file and you dont want to continue until somebody presses a key, you can do it really easy with the timeout command. For instance, using the following on the command prompt will pause the terminal for 10 seconds unless you press a key. This batch command shuts down a computer, or logs off the current user. Shutdown allows proper local or remote shutdown of machine. In this batch you can now access the user input from the kix script using %cmduser% and. Echo got %1 more info ms kb71247 note there also exists the input parameter %0, which is actually the batch filename it self. You can create and modify batch scripts on just about any modern windows machine. Many pc users and batch file authors including myself, find this approach less intuitive, to say the least.
Batch file with command line input solutions experts. Batch file using if statement and keyboard input stack overflow. Since executing these at the command prompt can be time consuming process, a better. The p switch tells the command interpreter to prompt the user for an input which is saved into the variable. Dos batch save to your folders i always forget, so here it is forever just put this simple line at the end of the batch file and the command prompt will remain until a key is pressed.
Batch file is created using any text editors like notepad, wordpad, winword or so on, which comprises of a sequence of builtin commands used to perform some often done tasks like deleting a. Solved how to save user input from a batch runtime to a file. A slightly late happy new year to everyone, hope you had a good one. Second, you probably need quotes around the var when testing. Batch file programming introduction batch file programming is the native programming offered by the microsoft windows operating system. Because of that im looking for a command line tool or any other method that will allow masqueraded user input. If prompt text is included in an input command, it is displayed while input waits for input.
I want the batch file to save the input to a text file on a computer even if it isnt mine and then have it sent to my email. I found the below article on another site link provided at the bottom of my post essentially it talks about creating a wait command however when i follow the directions it says that choice is not a recognized internal or external command, operable program or batch file. I am trying to start the default application for a file, wait for it to complete, and then continue with my batch file. The problem is that start, when used below simply creates another command prompt window with the example. Figure out how you would type the commands at a dos prompt, then type them, one per line, in. There are certainly ways to prompt for user input from a batch file. How to automate user inputkeystroke input when using pause command suvrojp wrote. Hi i have created a batch file which copies new and changed files from a networked storage device to a computer i am using the xcopy command and have used the following syntax. There are several alternatives people use to simulate a delay in the windows command prompt cmd. I want to create a batch file that takes this command line input and does an operation copy and paste a file and then execute an exe passing the same command line variables.
Batch file which will take a text file as an input closed ask question. I need to know how to get and save user input in a simple batch file. The command or a batch file is attached to an icon on the users desktop. Batch script cls this batch command clears the screen. What command will make a batch file receive input from a text. Dos batch file with user input variable solutions experts. If you want subsequent statements to accept input from the keyboard rather than the redirected stdin, use a new con redirection. This batch command formats a disk to use windowssupported file system such as fat, fat32 or ntfs, thereby overwriting the previous content of the disk. I wish to launch my vi from the command line, via a script. Jan 01, 2001 when starting a batch file, then one can also specify input parameters. It is possible to prompt for the user input for the batch file.
In the above scenario, i am using pause so as to stop the cmd window from auto closing, at the same time using pause makes it wait for user input press any key to continue, i want that i do not have to provide this input manually, but it happens. Input is normally used in batch files and aliases to get multicharacter input for single keystroke input, see inkey input works within the command line window. The promptstring is the text that is displayed to the user. Is there a simple way to do this, or am i going to have to make my vi write a file when it is complete and get my script to check for the existance of the file before continuing. Windows batch files can be created with any basic text editor, but the most common one is notepad.
There are a few different commands you can use to delay your batch file depending on your needs. Windows cmd start and wait for the default application in a. The above command will display a list of all commands and their description. The original question is how do you ask for user input and then turnaround and use it in another command. Prompting for input windows batch files for fun and. This batch command shows the list of windowssupplied commands. To make it more clear ill give you an example of what i want to do. Command line wait until complete ni community national. If you want to ask a user whether to proceed after a mishap, or if you want the batch file to prompt for input filenames or other data, you can use the new extended set p command.
Also note the reversed questioning of the inputvaraibles to implement a wait command. A large number are launched by automatic services before the user ever gets to log on, another large number are those present when you, the user, has run a program. Using the setl command i can assign the content of the kix variables to the user defined variables in this example cmduser and cmdpwd. Is there a quicker way to program the rest of the characters to repeat your question.
I want a batch file that will ask you yes or no questions and the only buttons that will wield you a result would be y and n, while the rest of the characters would just repeat the question. Maybe someone here more savy in vbscripting can give you a example of how to ask for input and output that to a file to compose the html file out of the vbscript. Scripting is a way by which one can alleviate this necessity by automating these command sequences in order to make ones life at the shell easier and more productive. Jan 23, 2009 to make it more clear ill give you an example of what i want to do. Batch file which will take a text file as an input stack. Password input in batch file solutions experts exchange. Start starts a separate window to run a specified program or command.
Batch is poor when it comes to user input unless predetermined list of choices for choice command if this do that. Looking for user input yn in batch script, with a timeout. How do i get a batch file to run a program without waiting for it to finish. The term batch is from batch processing, meaning noninteractive execution, though a batch file may not process a batch of multiple data.
Your main mistake is assigning the string entered by the user of the batch file to environment variable input but referencing on command copy the environment variable data which is not defined at all and therefore %data% is replaced twice before execution of the command line by. Practice script language reference guide lauterbach. A batch file may contain any command the interpreter accepts interactively and use constructs that enable conditional branching and looping within the batch file, such as if, for, and goto labels. It is still used and is quite useful, especially if you want to run a lot of external programs one after the other. Im having trouble with the for command syntax to read lines of an input file into separate variables and i was hoping you can help. If you really want to wait for only the enter key, you can use the set command to ask for user input with a dummy variable, something like. Waiting or sleeping in a batch file adams code blog. Wait for user input pause for batch file command line.
Batch script cmd this batch command invokes another instance of command prompt. Figure out how you would type the commands at a dos prompt, then type them, one per line, in a text file and youve written your batch file. Msdos batch file pause with enter key stack overflow. Batch scripts are based on the executable script system in windows that goes back to the old dos days. I have an application that passes command line parameters to an exe or a batch file.
Batch script copy this batch command is used for copying files from one location to the other. Standard command line editing keys may be used to edit the input string as it is entered. Dec 07, 2004 looking for user input y n in batch script, with a timeout. Nov, 2010 a lot of times, when we write batch files. Find answers to dos batch file with user input variable from the expert community at experts exchange. As discussed in the previous tutorial, a batch file is an unformatted text file or script file which contains multiple batch file commands or instructions to achieve a certain task. Aug 18, 2011 the command or a batch file is attached to an icon on the user s desktop. A much smaller number are manual services which are possibly triggered by system events, or by your running a program that chooses to use a system service. This wikihow teaches you how to prevent a batch file from running immediately after being opened.
Wait for user input pause for batch file command line, cmd, dos prompt. What can i write before taskkill so that the batch file waits with that command until i turn xyz. This batch command searches for a string in files or input, outputting matching lines. Wait for command to complete before contining batch file.