How to run multiple .BAT files within a .BAT file

Question

I\'m trying to get my commit-build.bat to execute other .BAT files as part of our build process.

Content of commit-build.bat:

Answer 1

Running multiple scripts in one I had the same issue. I kept having it die on the first one not realizing that it was exiting on the first script.

:: OneScriptToRunThemAll.bat
CALL ScriptA.bat
CALL ScriptB.bat
EXIT

:: ScriptA.bat
Do Foo
EXIT
::ScriptB.bat
Do bar
EXIT

I removed all 11 of my scripts EXIT lines and tried again and all 11 ran in order one at a time in the same command window.

:: OneScriptToRunThemAll.bat
CALL ScriptA.bat
CALL ScriptB.bat
EXIT

::ScriptA.bat
Do Foo

::ScriptB.bat
Do bar

Answer 2

All the other answers are correct: use call. For example:

 call "msbuild.bat"

History

In ancient DOS versions it was not possible to recursively execute batch files. Then the call command was introduced that called another cmd shell to execute the batch file and returned execution back to the calling cmd shell when finished.

Obviously in later versions no other cmd shell was necessary anymore.

In the early days many batch files depended on the fact that calling a batch file would not return to the calling batch file. Changing that behaviour without additional syntax would have broken many systems like batch menu systems (using batch files for menu structures).

As in many cases with Microsoft, backward compatibility therefore is the reason for this behaviour.

Tips

If your batch files have spaces in their names, use quotes around the name:

call "unit tests.bat"

By the way: if you do not have all the names of the batch files, you could also use for to do this (it does not guarantee the correct order of batch file calls; it follows the order of the file system):

FOR %x IN (*.bat) DO call "%x"

You can also react on errorlevels after a call. Use:

exit /B 1   # Or any other integer value in 0..255

to give back an errorlevel. 0 denotes correct execution. In the calling batch file you can react using

if errorlevel neq 0 <batch command>

Use if errorlevel 1 if you have an older Windows than NT4/2000/XP to catch all errorlevels 1 and greater.

To control the flow of a batch file, there is goto :-(

if errorlevel 2 goto label2
if errorlevel 1 goto label1
...
:label1
...
:label2
...

As others pointed out: have a look at build systems to replace batch files.

Answer 3

Start msbuild.bat
Start unit-tests.bat
Start deploy.bat

If that doesn't work, replace start with call or try this:

Start msbuild.bat
Goto :1
:1
Start unit-tests.bat
Goto :2
:2
Start deploy.bat

Answer 4

I know I am a bit late to the party, but here is another way. That is, this method should wait until the first one is done, the second, and so on.

start "" /wait cmd.exe /c msbuild.bat
start "" /wait cmd.exe /c unit-tests.bat
start "" /wait cmd.exe /c deploy.bat

The only issue that may come out of using this method, is that with new instances of cmd.exe being spawned, is that Errorlevel checking is kept within in each instance of cmd.exe.

Or..

start "" /wait call msbuild.bat
start "" /wait call unit-tests.bat
start "" /wait call deploy.bat

Hope this helps.

Answer 5

Looking at your filenames, have you considered using a build tool like NAnt or Ant (the Java version). You'll get a lot more control than with bat files.