2

In a batch file, is there any way to get the raw arguments or command? For example, given the following batch file:

echo "%1"

And then running:

my-file.bat ^1.1

I would like it to output ^1.1, but ^ is a special character—escape character—so it is evaluated and %1 contains 1.1.

It is possible to fix this by escaping the caret when inputting the command (ex. my-file.bat ^^1.1), but this is not desired in my situation as I'm building a cross platform tool that also has a shell implementation (where providing ^1.1 works).

So I am wondering either:

  1. Is there a way to get the raw unevaluated argument text of "^1.1"?
  2. Or is there a way to get the raw command string or perhaps the last executed command text? I could then take this and do my own parsing.

Thanks!

Improve this question
12
  • How are you passing, and what exactly is, the content you're sending to the batch file, to be evaluated as %1? Also I doubt very much that you intention is to really echo it, so what are you doing with that input argument? Commented Oct 5, 2020 at 17:20
  • @Compo the echo "%1" is in the batch file as an example. It's calling it in cmd like my-file.bat ^1.1. I want to get ^1.1 with the caret in the batch file somehow, but %1 contains 1.1 instead of ^1.1. I realize that's because ^ is an escape character. Commented Oct 5, 2020 at 17:23
  • When you say you're calling it in cmd, does that mean you have a cmd.exe window open, with the directory of my-file.bat as your current directory, and you're physically typing my-file.bat ^1.1 and pressing the [ENTER] key? Also I asked what you're intending to do with the input argument. I ask because you've just typed it, so should already know what you typed. You must be performing some other task with it! Commented Oct 5, 2020 at 17:30
  • @Compo my-file.bat is a file in the current directory of a cmd.exe window that contains the text echo "%1". I am typing my-file.bat ^1.1 and pressing enter. The output is 1.1, but my desired output is ^1.1. Yes, I've just reduced the problem to a very simple example for the sake of this question. I'd like the input of ^1.1 stored in a variable in batch somehow then I will do other stuff with it. Commented Oct 5, 2020 at 17:35
  • I don't want the simplified example, because nobody would do what you're doing there, in a real world batch script. You're clearly intending to use the argument for something other than echo, the best way to attack this would be as part of that, not by just sticking a non required echo in there and hoping to get an answer which fulfills the true aim of your script. Commented Oct 5, 2020 at 17:44

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
2

Short: You can't

Long: You can't fetch any combination, but many.

The caret is the most problematic character, because it escapes the next character and is removed BEFORE the arguments are build.
Therefore it's not possible to get the raw, original input.

But there exist some more or less bullet proof techniques.
Best solution in most cases: SO:How to receive even the strangest command line parameters?
Has some minor drawbacks Same but can also fetch CR and LF

But if you call the batch file by an external process, you could be able to use the cmdcmdline variable, this is the best solution, as the arguments can be accessed really easy.

Btw. Later in your ode, you probably get another problem.
When you try to call another batch or executable file with exactly the same arguments, you have to escape them before.
Even that part is not easy

Improve this answer
Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

4 Comments

Thanks! I was just doing some tests outside batch files using kerne32.dll's GetCommandLine and it did not seem possible with that either.
Can you now understand @DavidSherret, why I was insistent in knowing what the intent of the script was, instead of just assuming the answer to echo %1 would suffice.
@DavidSherret In this case Compo is right. It's a big difference how you call your batch, from the command line, per drag&drop or by another process. Each variant has different rules and partial solutions. cmd.exe is a really nasty beast
As I've said, it's someone entering the command manually on the command line in a cmd.exe process. Thanks Jeb for answering my question of whether it was possible to get the raw command line text as entered by the user in a batch file. @Compo I can, but it wasn't relevant to my question.

Start asking to get answers

Find the answer to your question by asking.

Ask question

Explore related questions

See similar questions with these tags.