How to hide batch output

Question

I am putting the finishing touches to a batch script that transfers the contents of a locally edited web site to the internet.

The script opens in a console window, and outputs quite a lot of stuff the administrator needs to see in case something goes wrong. In that case, though, the output is being sent as E-Mail, so there is no need to display the output and confuse the user who runs the update unnecessarily. I need to display only a few lines (say, "starting synchronisation..." and "syncrhonisation complete").

Can anybody think of a way to stop output in a batch script? Kind of a total "echo off"?

A simple

my_batch_file > nul

won't cut it, because as I said, a few things I need to show.

davr · Accepted Answer · 2010-01-11 21:08:25Z

41

Windows actually does have the notion of stdout and stderr. Here's an example:

test.bat:

@echo off
echo verbose stuff 1
echo verbose stuff 2
echo verbose stuff 3
echo important stuff! >&2
echo verbose stuff 4

If you run it as 'test.bat' you'll get the full output. If you run it as 'test.bat >nul' then you'll only get the 'important' output (anything redirected to stderr, with the >&2)

answered Jan 11, 2010 at 21:08

davr

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jspcal · Accepted Answer · 2010-01-11 21:17:50Z

12

your batch script could run itself

@echo off
if "%1" == "1" goto else
echo start
call %0 1 > nul
echo done
goto done
:else:
echo do stuff
:done:

stdout of the second invocation goes to nul

edited Jan 11, 2010 at 21:17

answered Jan 11, 2010 at 21:01

jspcal

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Basj · Accepted Answer · 2022-07-18 10:45:58Z

2

Sometimes >nul is not enough. In my case I had to do 2>nul. Example:

taskkill /im test.exe 2>nul

answered Jul 18, 2022 at 10:45

Basj

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Anon. · Accepted Answer · 2010-01-11 20:59:39Z

0

You could write the few things that need showing to stderr instead of stdout.

Or alternatively, redirect the outputs of the individual parts that you want hidden.

answered Jan 11, 2010 at 20:59

Anon.

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2 Comments

Pekka Over a year ago

Sorry, I mixed up my example, I am on a Windows system here. Doesn't work there does it?

Anon. Over a year ago

Oh you're talking about a literal Batch file. In that case, you could separate the parts that you don't want showing into a separate Batch script, and call it from your primary one, redirecting the output. Also, keep in mind the @ prefix, which stops the command itself from being printed.

Jeffrey · Accepted Answer · 2021-12-09 18:58:33Z

0

Combining @ and > NUL worked for me, e.g.

@FC [file1] [file2] > NUL

hides both the command and it's output when executing a batch file.

This script did not stop the display of any error messages.

edited Dec 9, 2021 at 18:58

answered Dec 6, 2021 at 23:53

Jeffrey

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