Problem with bat file (if/else)

Hi.

when i try to use the if else statement in a batch file the else statment gets executed even when it shouldn't.
I've echoed %1 & it displays the value typed on the command line like if i type
lib.bat hell it echoes hell
so when I supply %1 on the commandline the else shouldn't execute, but it still does : /
would appreciate any feedback & help.

Thanks

Code:

@echo off

echo %1

if defined %1 (
set libname=%1
) else (
echo Enter Library Name without an extension
set /p libname=
)

echo libname - %libname%.lib
pause
exit

 

i am confused !! let me see again

 

I think you are assuming that the command line IF is cleverer than it really is. IF will let you do one thing or another, but it won't letter you choose between blocks. You have to be more basic. You have to use GOTOs in batch commands to work with different blocks of code.

Also, I think part of the problem is that %1 is always defined. It is a variable called %1. You are testing the existence of the variable - not whether it contains anything.

If you test :

Code:

if not test == test%1

you get the behaviour you want. By the way, if you test " " == %1 the system tests the " " against the command immediately after %1 if %1 is empty. Adding "test" to the comparison ensures there is always text to be matched.

Try this:

Code:

@echo off

echo %1

if not test == test%1 GOTO SUCCESS
echo Enter Library Name without an extension
set /p libname=
GOTO END
:SUCCESS
set libname=%1
:END
echo libname - %libname%.lib

If you'd rather use a more sophisticated if statement, you'd be better off writing your code in vbscript, or something else.

 

Reggie, thanks for shedding some Light on the problem

there's a prob with this too

think i'll just look for something else to script with like you said

 

Of course if you really want a pleasurable coding experience, you code try Ruby! THE most splendid coding language in god's great universe!