Parsing Windows Batch File Parameters

Question

I have this for recognising a help parameter at the top of each of a set of batch files. Is there a briefer way, or is this as good as it gets?

@Echo Off
if "%1" == "" Goto Usage
if "%1" == "-?" Goto Usage
if "%1" == "/?" Goto Usage
if "%1" == "/help" Goto Usage
if "%1" == "-help" Goto Usage
if "%1" == "/Help" Goto Usage

Endoro · Accepted Answer · 2013-07-09 08:21:10Z

2

You can't make it shorter:

if "%~1" == "" Goto Usage
if "%~1" == "-?" Goto Usage
if "%~1" == "/?" Goto Usage
if /i "%~1" == "/help" Goto Usage
if "%~1" == "-help" Goto Usage

if /i means ignore case. "%~1" to avoid double-double quotes.

You can ask for all useful answers and goto usage at the end:

if /i "%~1" == "a" Goto :doit_a
if /i "%~1" == "b" Goto :doit_b
if /i "%~1" == "c" Goto :doit_c
goto :Usage

answered Jul 9, 2013 at 8:21

Endoro

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1 Comment

Chris F Carroll Over a year ago

at least the /i is a step forward on what I had, thanks. And your ~%1 is more accurate

dbenham · Accepted Answer · 2013-07-09 11:15:27Z

2

setlocal enableDelayedExpansion
set "help= -? /? -help /help "
if "%~1" equ "" goto Usage
if "!help: %~1 =!" neq "%help%" goto Usage

answered Jul 9, 2013 at 11:15

dbenham

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5 Comments

Endoro Over a year ago

@JubjubBandersnatch I call this after its inventor "method Aacini" [please do not take too seriously:)] and you need delayed expansion.

dbenham Over a year ago

@Endoro - I had seen this basic technique to check for a list of values posted on DosTips long before Aacini burst on the scene. I wouldn't be surprised if many people have come up with the idea independently. But it is an old concept.

Endoro Over a year ago

Yes, of course. That's why I asked please to not take it seriously.

Chris F Carroll Over a year ago

Please, explain the magic?! The colon on line 4 is new to me and I don't get the trailing = inside the !! quotes.

Chris F Carroll Over a year ago

Ah, got it: I should read line 4 as : expand the help variable, substituting %~1 with blank, and compare the result to the original. If the substitution caused difference, then %~1 was a substring of %help%.

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