Windows .bat/.cmd function library in own file?

Question

there is a nice way to build functions in DOS .bat/.cmd script. To modularize some installation scripts, it would be nice to include a file with a library of functions into an .

Answer 1

Another solution would be to temporary append the library functions to the running batch file.

The original file can be saved in a temporary file before the change and restored when finished. This has the downside that you need to call the :deimport function at the end to restore the file and remove the temporary file. You also need to be able to write to the batch file and the folder you are currently in.

demo.bat

@ECHO OFF
:: internal import call or external import call via wrapper function
CALL:IMPORT test.bat "C:\path with spaces\lib 2.bat"
:: external import call
::CALL importer.bat "%~f0%" test.bat "C:\path with spaces\lib 2.bat"

CALL:TEST
CALL:LIB2TEST

CALL:DEIMPORT
GOTO:EOF

:: Internal version of the importer
:IMPORT
SETLOCAL
IF NOT EXIST "%~f0.tmp" COPY /Y "%~f0" "%~f0.tmp">NUL
SET "PARAMS=%*"
SET "PARAMS=%PARAMS:.bat =.bat+%"
SET "PARAMS=%PARAMS:.bat" =.bat"+%"
COPY /Y "%~f0"+%PARAMS% "%~f0">NUL
ENDLOCAL
GOTO:EOF

:: wrapper function for external version call
:::IMPORT
::CALL import.bat "%~f0" %*
::GOTO:EOF

:: Internal version of the deimporter
:DEIMPORT
IF EXIST "%~f0.tmp" (
  COPY /Y "%~f0.tmp" "%~f0">NUL
  DEL "%~f0.tmp">NUL
)
GOTO:EOF

test.bat

:test
ECHO output from test.bat
GOTO:EOF

C:\path with spaces\lib 2.bat

:LIB2TEST
ECHO output from lib 2.bat
GOTO:EOF

Alternatively using the external version. Note this imports the deimport function so make sure you remove it in the demo.bat file.

import.bat

:: External version of the importer
SETLOCAL EnableDelayedExpansion
IF NOT EXIST "%~f1.tmp" COPY /Y "%~f1" "%~f1.tmp">NUL
SET "PARAMS=%*"
SET "PARAMS=!PARAMS:"%~f1" =!"
SET "PARAMS=%PARAMS:.bat =.bat+%"
SET "PARAMS=%PARAMS:.bat" =.bat"+%"
COPY /Y "%~f1"+%PARAMS% "%~f1">NUL

:: external version of the importer - remove the internal one before use!
ECHO :DEIMPORT>>"%~f1"
ECHO IF EXIST ^"%%~f0.tmp^" ^(>>"%~f1"
ECHO.  COPY /Y ^"%%~f0.tmp^" ^"%%~f0^"^>NUL>>"%~f1"
ECHO.  DEL ^"%%~f0.tmp^"^>NUL>>"%~f1"
ECHO ^)>>"%~f1"
ECHO GOTO:EOF>>"%~f1"
ENDLOCAL
GOTO:EOF