Set errorlevel in Windows batch file

Question

I am writing a batch script that will loop through each line of a text file, (each line containing a filename) check if the file exists and then runs the file and moves it.

Answer 1

Use something like the following subroutine:

:return
   ECHO @exit /b %1 >ret.cmd
   CALL ret.cmd
   GOTO :eof

Then use it like this:

:Attempt
   SETLOCAL
   CALL somethingThatFails
   SET retcode=!errorlevel!
   CALL somethingThatPasses : don't care about the errorlevel here
   CALL :return !retcode!
   ENDLOCAL
   CALL :eof

So, the whole thing would looke something like:

test.cmd...

@ECHO OFF

SETLOCAL ENABLEDELAYEDEXPANSION

CALL :Attempt
IF !errorlevel! NEQ 0 (ECHO Attempt Failed) ELSE (ECHO Attempt succeeded!)
GOTO :eof

:Attempt
   SETLOCAL
   CALL somethingThatFails
   SET retcode=!errorlevel!
   CALL somethingThatPasses : don't care about the errorlevel here
   CALL :return %retcode%
   ENDLOCAL
   CALL :eof

:return
   ECHO @exit /b %1 >return.cmd
   CALL ret.bat
   GOTO :eof

somethingthatfails.cmd...

DIR some command that fails >nul 2>&1

somethingthatpasses.cmd...

DIR >nul 2>&1

The one side effect of this is a file laying around called ret.cmd. I usually use an :end subroutine that does cleanup and would delete it.