How can I pass arguments to a batch file?

Question

I need to pass an ID and a password to a batch file at the time of running rather than hardcoding them into the file.

Here\'s what the command line looks like:

Answer 1

FOR %%A IN (%*) DO (
    REM Now your batch file handles %%A instead of %1
    REM No need to use SHIFT anymore.
    ECHO %%A
)

This loops over the batch parameters (%*) either they are quoted or not, then echos each parameter.

Answer 2

Inspired by an answer elsewhere by @Jon, I have crafted a more general algorithm for extracting named parameters, optional values, and switches.

Let us say that we want to implement a utility foobar. It requires an initial command. It has an optional parameter --foo which takes an optional value (which cannot be another parameter, of course); if the value is missing it defaults to default. It also has an optional parameter --bar which takes a required value. Lastly it can take a flag --baz with no value allowed. Oh, and these parameters can come in any order.

In other words, it looks like this:

foobar <command> [--foo [<fooval>]] [--bar <barval>] [--baz]

Here is a solution:

@ECHO OFF
SETLOCAL
REM FooBar parameter demo
REM By Garret Wilson

SET CMD=%~1

IF "%CMD%" == "" (
  GOTO usage
)
SET FOO=
SET DEFAULT_FOO=default
SET BAR=
SET BAZ=

SHIFT
:args
SET PARAM=%~1
SET ARG=%~2
IF "%PARAM%" == "--foo" (
  SHIFT
  IF NOT "%ARG%" == "" (
    IF NOT "%ARG:~0,2%" == "--" (
      SET FOO=%ARG%
      SHIFT
    ) ELSE (
      SET FOO=%DEFAULT_FOO%
    )
  ) ELSE (
    SET FOO=%DEFAULT_FOO%
  )
) ELSE IF "%PARAM%" == "--bar" (
  SHIFT
  IF NOT "%ARG%" == "" (
    SET BAR=%ARG%
    SHIFT
  ) ELSE (
    ECHO Missing bar value. 1>&2
    ECHO:
    GOTO usage
  )
) ELSE IF "%PARAM%" == "--baz" (
  SHIFT
  SET BAZ=true
) ELSE IF "%PARAM%" == "" (
  GOTO endargs
) ELSE (
  ECHO Unrecognized option %1. 1>&2
  ECHO:
  GOTO usage
)
GOTO args
:endargs

ECHO Command: %CMD%
IF NOT "%FOO%" == "" (
  ECHO Foo: %FOO%
)
IF NOT "%BAR%" == "" (
  ECHO Bar: %BAR%
)
IF "%BAZ%" == "true" (
  ECHO Baz
)

REM TODO do something with FOO, BAR, and/or BAZ
GOTO :eof

:usage
ECHO FooBar
ECHO Usage: foobar ^<command^> [--foo [^<fooval^>]] [--bar ^<barval^>] [--baz]
EXIT /B 1

• Use SETLOCAL so that the variables don't escape into the calling environment.
• Don't forget to initialize the variables SET FOO=, etc. in case someone defined them in the calling environment.
• Use %~1 to remove quotes.
• Use IF "%ARG%" == "" and not IF [%ARG%] == [] because [ and ] don't play will at all with values ending in a space.
• Even if you SHIFT inside an IF block, the current args such as %~1 don't get updated because they are determined when the IF is parsed. You could use %~1 and %~2 inside the IF block, but it would be confusing because you had a SHIFT. You could put the SHIFT at the end of the block for clarity, but that might get lost and/or confuse people as well. So "capturing" %~1 and %~1 outside the block seems best.
• You don't want to use a parameter in place of another parameter's optional value, so you have to check IF NOT "%ARG:~0,2%" == "--".
• Be careful only to SHIFT when you use one of the parameters.
• The duplicate code SET FOO=%DEFAULT_FOO% is regrettable, but the alternative would be to add an IF "%FOO%" == "" SET FOO=%DEFAULT_FOO% outside the IF NOT "%ARG%" == "" block. However because this is still inside the IF "%PARAM%" == "--foo" block, the %FOO% value would have been evaluated and set before you ever entered the block, so you would never detect that both the --foo parameter was present and also that the %FOO% value was missing.
• Note that ECHO Missing bar value. 1>&2 sends the error message to stderr.
• Want a blank line in a Windows batch file? You gotta use ECHO: or one of the variations.

Answer 3

For to use looping get all arguments and in pure batch:

Obs: For using without: ?*&<>

---

@echo off && setlocal EnableDelayedExpansion

 for %%Z in (%*)do set "_arg_=%%Z" && set/a "_cnt+=1+0" && (
     call set "_arg_[!_cnt!]=!_arg_!" && for /l %%l in (!_cnt! 1 !_cnt!
     )do echo/ The argument n:%%l is: !_arg_[%%l]!
 )

goto :eof 

Your code is ready to do something with the argument number where it needs, like...

 @echo off && setlocal EnableDelayedExpansion

 for %%Z in (%*)do set "_arg_=%%Z" && set/a "_cnt+=1+0" && call set "_arg_[!_cnt!]=!_arg_!"
 
 fake-command /u !_arg_[1]! /p !_arg_[2]! > test-log.txt
 

Answer 4

I wrote a simple read_params script that can be called as a function (or external .bat) and will put all variables into the current environment. It won't modify the original parameters because the function is being called with a copy of the original parameters.

For example, given the following command:

myscript.bat some -random=43 extra -greeting="hello world" fluff

myscript.bat would be able to use the variables after calling the function:

call :read_params %*

echo %random%
echo %greeting%

Here's the function:

:read_params
if not %1/==/ (
    if not "%__var%"=="" (
        if not "%__var:~0,1%"=="-" (
            endlocal
            goto read_params
        )
        endlocal & set %__var:~1%=%~1
    ) else (
        setlocal & set __var=%~1
    )
    shift
    goto read_params
)
exit /B

---

Limitations

• Cannot load arguments with no value such as -force. You could use -force=true but I can't think of a way to allow blank values without knowing a list of parameters ahead of time that won't have a value.

---

Changelog

• 2/18/2016
  • No longer requires delayed expansion
  • Now works with other command line arguments by looking for - before parameters.

Answer 5

Paired arguments

If you prefer passing the arguments in a key-value pair you can use something like this:

@echo off

setlocal enableDelayedExpansion

:::::  asigning arguments as a key-value pairs:::::::::::::
set counter=0
for %%# in (%*) do (    
    set /a counter=counter+1
    set /a even=counter%%2
    
    if !even! == 0 (
        echo setting !prev! to %%#
        set "!prev!=%%~#"
    )
    set "prev=%%~#"
)
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

:: showing the assignments
echo %one% %two% %three% %four% %five%

endlocal

And an example :

c:>argumentsDemo.bat one 1 "two" 2 three 3 four 4 "five" 5
1 2 3 4 5

Predefined variables

You can also set some environment variables in advance. It can be done by setting them in the console or setting them from my computer:

@echo off

if defined variable1 (
    echo %variable1%
)

if defined variable2 (
    echo %variable2%
)

and calling it like:

c:\>set variable1=1

c:\>set variable2=2

c:\>argumentsTest.bat
1
2

File with listed values

You can also point to a file where the needed values are preset. If this is the script:

@echo off

setlocal
::::::::::
set "VALUES_FILE=E:\scripts\values.txt"
:::::::::::


for /f "usebackq eol=: tokens=* delims=" %%# in ("%VALUES_FILE%") do set "%%#"

echo %key1% %key2% %some_other_key%

endlocal

and values file is this:

:::: use EOL=: in the FOR loop to use it as a comment

key1=value1

key2=value2

:::: do not left spaces arround the =
:::: or at the begining of the line

some_other_key=something else

and_one_more=more

the output of calling it will be:

value1 value2 something else

Of course you can combine all approaches. Check also arguments syntax , shift

Answer 6

A friend was asking me about this subject recently, so I thought I'd post how I handle command-line arguments in batch files.

This technique has a bit of overhead as you'll see, but it makes my batch files very easy to understand and quick to implement. As well as supporting the following structures:

>template.bat [-f] [--flag] [/f] [--namedvalue value] arg1 [arg2][arg3][...]

The jist of it is having the :init, :parse, and :main functions.

Example usage

>template.bat /?
test v1.23
This is a sample batch file template,
providing command-line arguments and flags.

USAGE:
test.bat [flags] "required argument" "optional argument"

/?, --help           shows this help
/v, --version        shows the version
/e, --verbose        shows detailed output
-f, --flag value     specifies a named parameter value

>template.bat          <- throws missing argument error
(same as /?, plus..)
****                                   ****
****    MISSING "REQUIRED ARGUMENT"    ****
****                                   ****

>template.bat -v
1.23

>template.bat --version
test v1.23
This is a sample batch file template,
providing command-line arguments and flags.

>template.bat -e arg1
**** DEBUG IS ON
UnNamedArgument:    "arg1"
UnNamedOptionalArg: not provided
NamedFlag:          not provided

>template.bat --flag "my flag" arg1 arg2
UnNamedArgument:    "arg1"
UnNamedOptionalArg: "arg2"
NamedFlag:          "my flag"

>template.bat --verbose "argument #1" --flag "my flag" second
**** DEBUG IS ON
UnNamedArgument:    "argument #1"
UnNamedOptionalArg: "second"
NamedFlag:          "my flag"

template.bat

@::!/dos/rocks
@echo off
goto :init

:header
    echo %__NAME% v%__VERSION%
    echo This is a sample batch file template,
    echo providing command-line arguments and flags.
    echo.
    goto :eof

:usage
    echo USAGE:
    echo   %__BAT_NAME% [flags] "required argument" "optional argument" 
    echo.
    echo.  /?, --help           shows this help
    echo.  /v, --version        shows the version
    echo.  /e, --verbose        shows detailed output
    echo.  -f, --flag value     specifies a named parameter value
    goto :eof

:version
    if "%~1"=="full" call :header & goto :eof
    echo %__VERSION%
    goto :eof

:missing_argument
    call :header
    call :usage
    echo.
    echo ****                                   ****
    echo ****    MISSING "REQUIRED ARGUMENT"    ****
    echo ****                                   ****
    echo.
    goto :eof

:init
    set "__NAME=%~n0"
    set "__VERSION=1.23"
    set "__YEAR=2017"

    set "__BAT_FILE=%~0"
    set "__BAT_PATH=%~dp0"
    set "__BAT_NAME=%~nx0"

    set "OptHelp="
    set "OptVersion="
    set "OptVerbose="

    set "UnNamedArgument="
    set "UnNamedOptionalArg="
    set "NamedFlag="

:parse
    if "%~1"=="" goto :validate

    if /i "%~1"=="/?"         call :header & call :usage "%~2" & goto :end
    if /i "%~1"=="-?"         call :header & call :usage "%~2" & goto :end
    if /i "%~1"=="--help"     call :header & call :usage "%~2" & goto :end

    if /i "%~1"=="/v"         call :version      & goto :end
    if /i "%~1"=="-v"         call :version      & goto :end
    if /i "%~1"=="--version"  call :version full & goto :end

    if /i "%~1"=="/e"         set "OptVerbose=yes"  & shift & goto :parse
    if /i "%~1"=="-e"         set "OptVerbose=yes"  & shift & goto :parse
    if /i "%~1"=="--verbose"  set "OptVerbose=yes"  & shift & goto :parse

    if /i "%~1"=="--flag"     set "NamedFlag=%~2"   & shift & shift & goto :parse

    if not defined UnNamedArgument     set "UnNamedArgument=%~1"     & shift & goto :parse
    if not defined UnNamedOptionalArg  set "UnNamedOptionalArg=%~1"  & shift & goto :parse

    shift
    goto :parse

:validate
    if not defined UnNamedArgument call :missing_argument & goto :end

:main
    if defined OptVerbose (
        echo **** DEBUG IS ON
    )

    echo UnNamedArgument:    "%UnNamedArgument%"

    if defined UnNamedOptionalArg      echo UnNamedOptionalArg: "%UnNamedOptionalArg%"
    if not defined UnNamedOptionalArg  echo UnNamedOptionalArg: not provided

    if defined NamedFlag               echo NamedFlag:          "%NamedFlag%"
    if not defined NamedFlag           echo NamedFlag:          not provided

:end
    call :cleanup
    exit /B

:cleanup
    REM The cleanup function is only really necessary if you
    REM are _not_ using SETLOCAL.
    set "__NAME="
    set "__VERSION="
    set "__YEAR="

    set "__BAT_FILE="
    set "__BAT_PATH="
    set "__BAT_NAME="

    set "OptHelp="
    set "OptVersion="
    set "OptVerbose="

    set "UnNamedArgument="
    set "UnNamedArgument2="
    set "NamedFlag="

    goto :eof