I'm trying to use the following validation logic in a batch file but the "usage" block never executes even when no parameter is supplied to the batch file.
if ("%1"=="") goto usage
@echo This should not execute
@echo Done.
goto :eof
:usage
@echo Usage: %0 <EnvironmentName>
exit 1
What am I doing wrong?
The check for whether a commandline argument has been set can be [%1]==[], but, as Dave Costa points out, "%1"=="" will also work.
I also fixed a syntax error in the usage echo to escape the greater-than and less-than signs. In addition, the exit needs a /B argument otherwise CMD.exe will quit.
@echo off
if [%1]==[] goto usage
@echo This should not execute
@echo Done.
goto :eof
:usage
@echo Usage: %0 ^<EnvironmentName^>
exit /B 1
Get rid of the parentheses.
Sample batch file:
echo "%1"
if ("%1"=="") echo match1
if "%1"=="" echo match2
Output from running above script:
C:\>echo ""
""
C:\>if ("" == "") echo match1
C:\>if "" == "" echo match2
match2
I think it is actually taking the parentheses to be part of the strings and they are being compared.
This is the same as the other answers, but uses only one label and puts the usage first, which additionally makes it serve as a kind of documentation commend of the script which is also usually placed at the top:
@echo off
:: add other test for the arguments here...
if not [%1]==[] goto main
:: --------------------------
echo This command does something.
echo.
echo %0 param%%1 param%%2
echo param%%1 the file to operate on
echo param%%1 another file
:: --------------------------
exit /B 1
:main
:: --------------------------
echo do something with all arguments (%%* == %*) here...
However, if you don't have to use cmd/batch, use bash on WSL or powershell, they have more sane syntax and less arcane features.