Windows command line if else example

Parenthesis can be used to split commands across multiple lines. When using parentheses the CMD shell will expand [read] all the variables at the beginning of the code block and use those values even if the variables value has just been changed. Turning on DelayedExpansion will force the shell to read variables at the start of every line. When piping commands, the expression is evaluated from left to right, so. You can use brackets and conditionals around the command with this syntax:.

Placing an IF command on the right hand side of a pipe is also possible but the CMD shell is buggy in this area and can swallow one of the delimiter characters causing unexpected results. Matthew Clarkinstion Matthew Clarkinstion 1. Sign up or log in Sign up using Google. Sign up using Facebook. Sign up using Email and Password.

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Stack Overflow works best with JavaScript enabled. Accept all cookies Customize settings. Privacy policy. If the condition specified in an if clause is true, the command that follows the condition is carried out. If the condition is false, the command in the if clause is ignored and the command executes any command that is specified in the else clause. When a program stops, it returns an exit code.

To use exit codes as conditions, use the errorlevel parameter. You must use the else clause on the same line as the command after the if. To display the message Cannot find data file if the file Product. To format a disk in drive A and display an error message if an error occurs during the formatting process, type the following lines in a batch file:.

To delete the file Product. Skip to main content.