How do I measure execution time of a command on the Windows command line?

Question

Is there a built-in way to measure execution time of a command on the Windows command line?

Answer 1

"Lean and Mean" TIMER with Regional format, 24h and mixed input support
Adapting Aacini's substitution method body, no IF's, just one FOR (my regional fix)

1: File timer.bat placed somewhere in %PATH% or the current dir

@echo off & rem :AveYo: compact timer function with Regional format, 24-hours and mixed input support
if not defined timer_set (if not "%~1"=="" (call set "timer_set=%~1") else set "timer_set=%TIME: =0%") & goto :eof
(if not "%~1"=="" (call set "timer_end=%~1") else set "timer_end=%TIME: =0%") & setlocal EnableDelayedExpansion
for /f "tokens=1-6 delims=0123456789" %%i in ("%timer_end%%timer_set%") do (set CE=%%i&set DE=%%k&set CS=%%l&set DS=%%n)
set "TE=!timer_end:%DE%=%%100)*100+1!"     & set "TS=!timer_set:%DS%=%%100)*100+1!"
set/A "T=((((10!TE:%CE%=%%100)*60+1!%%100)-((((10!TS:%CS%=%%100)*60+1!%%100)" & set/A "T=!T:-=8640000-!"
set/A "cc=T%%100+100,T/=100,ss=T%%60+100,T/=60,mm=T%%60+100,hh=T/60+100"
set "value=!hh:~1!%CE%!mm:~1!%CE%!ss:~1!%DE%!cc:~1!" & if "%~2"=="" echo/!value!
endlocal & set "timer_end=%value%" & set "timer_set=" & goto :eof

Usage:
timer & echo start_cmds & timeout /t 3 & echo end_cmds & timer
timer & timer "23:23:23,00"
timer "23:23:23,00" & timer
timer "13.23.23,00" & timer "03:03:03.00"
timer & timer "0:00:00.00" no & cmd /v:on /c echo until midnight=!timer_end!
Input can now be mixed, for those unlikely, but possible time format changes during execution

2: Function :timer bundled with the batch script (sample usage below):

@echo off
set "TIMER=call :timer" & rem short macro
echo.
echo EXAMPLE:
call :timer
timeout /t 3 >nul & rem Any process here..
call :timer
echo.
echo SHORT MACRO:
%TIMER% & timeout /t 1 & %TIMER% 
echo.
echo TEST INPUT:
set "start=22:04:04.58"
set "end=04.22.44,22"
echo %start% ~ start & echo %end% ~ end
call :timer "%start%"
call :timer "%end%"
echo.
%TIMER% & %TIMER% "00:00:00.00" no 
echo UNTIL MIDNIGHT: %timer_end%
echo.
pause 
exit /b

:: to test it, copy-paste both above and below code sections

rem :AveYo: compact timer function with Regional format, 24-hours and mixed input support 
:timer Usage " call :timer [input - optional] [no - optional]" :i Result printed on second call, saved to timer_end 
if not defined timer_set (if not "%~1"=="" (call set "timer_set=%~1") else set "timer_set=%TIME: =0%") & goto :eof
(if not "%~1"=="" (call set "timer_end=%~1") else set "timer_end=%TIME: =0%") & setlocal EnableDelayedExpansion
for /f "tokens=1-6 delims=0123456789" %%i in ("%timer_end%%timer_set%") do (set CE=%%i&set DE=%%k&set CS=%%l&set DS=%%n)
set "TE=!timer_end:%DE%=%%100)*100+1!"     & set "TS=!timer_set:%DS%=%%100)*100+1!"
set/A "T=((((10!TE:%CE%=%%100)*60+1!%%100)-((((10!TS:%CS%=%%100)*60+1!%%100)" & set/A "T=!T:-=8640000-!"
set/A "cc=T%%100+100,T/=100,ss=T%%60+100,T/=60,mm=T%%60+100,hh=T/60+100"
set "value=!hh:~1!%CE%!mm:~1!%CE%!ss:~1!%DE%!cc:~1!" & if "%~2"=="" echo/!value!
endlocal & set "timer_end=%value%" & set "timer_set=" & goto :eof

CE,DE and CS,DS stand for colon end, dot end and colon set, dot set - used for mixed format support