Set variable in "if" block

Question

The following program always echoes "machine-abc" in the end:

@echo Off
set dropLoc=machine-abc
IF %computername% == "xyz" (
 %dropLoc% = machine-xyz
) 
echo %dropLoc%

Is this a scope issue? Does the dropLoc variable in the if statement have a different scope? I have tried the following to address the issue:

@echo Off
set dropLoc=machine-abc
IF %computername% == "xyz" (
 !dropLoc! = machine-xyz
) 
echo %dropLoc%

and

@echo Off
set dropLoc=machine-abc
IF %computername% == "xyz" (
 set dropLoc = machine-xyz
) 
echo %dropLoc%

How do I make this work?

possible duplicate of Windows Batch Variables Won't Set

eadmaster
– eadmaster

2013-11-10 00:37:26 +00:00
Commented Nov 10, 2013 at 0:37 — eadmaster
– eadmaster, Commented Nov 10, 2013 at 0:37

Kerrek SB · Accepted Answer · 2011-10-18 10:18:07Z

22

You got the SET syntax right the first time, how come you decided to write something else the second time round? Also, you have to add the quotation marks on both sides of the comparison. Unlike in other script interpreters, quotation marks aren't special for the batch interpreter.

@echo off

rem Change this for testing, remove for production
set computername=xyz

set dropLoc=machine-abc

if "%computername%" == "xyz" (
  set dropLoc=machine-xyz
)

echo %dropLoc%

edited Oct 18, 2011 at 10:18

answered Oct 18, 2011 at 10:07

Kerrek SB

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4 Comments

coder_bro Over a year ago

Kerrek, This prints "machine-xyz" irrespective of whether the If condition evaluates as true or not?

Kerrek SB Over a year ago

Sorry, forgot to fix the string comparison. And never mind about then, that was misremembered. Note that the batch processor has no notion of quotation marks delimiting strings, so the quotation marks are just literal characters. You need them, though, to allow for empty variables.

coder_bro Over a year ago

if i drop "THEN" it prints machine-abc; even "IF" the statement evaluates to true. I think we need "THEN"?

Kerrek SB Over a year ago

I tested this and it works as desired for me now (mind the space after "xyz", I mistyped that earlier). Are you sure that computername is populated correctly?

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