Parenthesis in variables inside IF blocks

Question

In one of my scripts, I need to use variables that contain parenthesis inside IF statements, but either the string is missing a closing parenthesis or the script ex

Answer 1

As others already pointed out, the unescaped and unquoted closing parenthesis ) unintentionally ends the parenthesised if block.

Besides escaping, quotation, delayed expansion and "disappearing quotes", there are the following further options:

1. Use a for meta-variable on the quoted value and remove the quotes by the ~-modifier:

    @echo off
   
    set "PATH=%ProgramFiles(x86)%"
    echo Perfect output:  %PATH%
    if not "%PATH%" == "" (
        rem Variable is defined
        for %%P in ("%PATH%") do echo Unbroken output: %%~P
    )
   
    pause > nul
   

2. Use the call command to initiate another variable expansion phase, together with doubled (escaped) %-symbols:

    @echo off
   
    set "PATH=%ProgramFiles(x86)%"
    echo Perfect output:  %PATH%
    if not "%PATH%" == "" (
        rem Variable is defined
        call echo Unbroken output: %%PATH%%
    )
   
    pause > nul
   

3. Do escaping by sub-string substitution, which happens before ^-escaping is detected:

    @echo off
   
    set "PATH=%ProgramFiles(x86)%"
    echo Perfect output:  %PATH%
    if not "%PATH%" == "" (
        rem Variable is defined
        echo Unbroken output: %PATH:)=^)%
    )
   
    pause > nul