A way to run multiple programs in a bat file.
Objective
Distribute a software with GDAL as a dependency.
To do that I have downloaded gdal binaries from GIS Internals. The downloaded data has a .bat file to set environment variables. It uses set command to set the environment variables.
As per my limited knowledge in windows bash scripting, I understand that the environment variables set by set are limited to current command prompt itself and are reset when a new command prompt is launched.
Also, is it true that a calling a batch file from a batch file launches new command prompt which when closes doesn't affect the next command called in the parent script.
There is another issue here - will the environment variables affect the process created (such as calling gdal_translate) by a Java program? If it doesn't, then there is no point in setting local environment variable.
Final Requirement:
How to use the environment variables set in another batch file (called from a batch file) in the next line of the parent batch file, without using setx?
If you use the CALL command to run the batch file as specified in the accepted answer on the question you linked to, then the environment variables will pass up to the parent batch file.
There are three times where this is not true:
When using SETX neither the parent nor child batch file will get the environment variables.
When using SETLOCAL and ENDLOCAL inside the child batch file the parent batch file will not get the environment variables.
When running the child batch file using start or cmd.exe /c.
So long as you run your Java application in the same environment (i.e. the same batch file), it will pick up the same environment variables. You can verify this with an application like Process Explorer.
Running set _kjhgkjshdgkjhdfg=TEST before running a .jar file resulted in the screenshot below using any of:
javaw -jar jarfile.jar
cmd /c javaw -jar jarfile.jar
start cmd /c javaw -jar jarfile.jar
Related
I am trying to factor out a piece of a batch file that sets an environment variable to another batch file. This piece is somewhat involved and I would rather not repeat it in multiple batch files. I won't over-complicate this post with the actual code I'm trying to run in the nested batch file, but will provide a simple example that shows what I'm trying to do and reproduces the problem.
Batch1.cmd
cmd.exe /c setvar.cmd abc def
set abc
setvar.cmd
set var=%1
set val=%2
set %var%=%val%
The error returned for "set abc" in Batch1.cmd is this:
Environment variable abc not defined
I imagine cmd.exe starts up a new environment, because on return to Batch1.cmd, the variable does not exist.
Is there a way I can nest a batch file and keep the environment it creates?
The environment block is not shared between processes. As you are starting a new cmd instance a separate environment block is created, changed and destroyed before returning the control to the current batch file, that will not see any change as it was done in a different process.
Use call setvar.cmd abc def to start the nested batch file in the current process.
Use the setx <var> <val> command to set an environment variable more persistently. For example:
setx WEBCAM_ADDR 192.168.0.101
(Note: There is NO equals sign (=) as with the regular set command)
I just went through this issue, trying to run batch files from windows. This is better than having to write, say, a configuration file somewhere...
I'm running a batch (.bat) file via the Windows (Task) Scheduler, a third party cron (nncronLite) and via a "START" command. I'm trying to work out a way that I can detect the .bat file has been run via one of the above means compared to me running the batch file from a console (cmd.exe) window.
I can try checking an environment variable.. but which one (here I'm trying HOMEDRIVE)?
setlocal
set BATCH_MODE=1
if defined HOMEDRIVE set BATCH_MODE=
rem [...]
if defined BATCH_MODE echo IN BATCH MODE
Any other suggested mechanims (other than supplying a command line argument to the batch file = kludge, IMO)?
This is for use with Windows XP, Win7, Win8, Win10 (and beyond, I guess)
Thanks.
I am a streamer and I need a few programs to stream. It's annoying to open all of them so I tried putting them in a batch file. I looked up the process and followed it,but every time I run the batch file it comes back invalid.
This is what my batch file looks like:
#echo off
cd C:\Program Files "(x86)\obs-studio\bin\64bit"
start obs64.exe
#echo off
cd "C:\Program Files\HexChat"
start hexchat.exe
#echo off
cd "C:\Program Files (x86)\Nightbot"
start nightbot.exe
exit
Cmd gives me an error saying it cannot find the file. When I put this into cmd by itself it opens the program.
Also is there a way to add applications from chrome to the file?
Open a command prompt window and run from within this window start /? which outputs the help for this command and explaining all options.
Following batch file most likely works:
#echo off
start "" "%ProgramFiles(x86)%\obs-studio\bin\64bit\obs64.exe"
start "" "%ProgramFiles%\HexChat\hexchat.exe"
start "" "%ProgramFiles(x86)%\Nightbot\nightbot.exe"
This batch file starts the three applications with current directory on execution of the batch file being also the current directory for the 3 started applications.
But the following batch file should be used if it is really necessary that each application is started with the application's directory as current directory:
#echo off
start "" /D"%ProgramFiles(x86)%\obs-studio\bin\64bit" obs64.exe
start "" /D"%ProgramFiles%\HexChat" hexchat.exe
start "" /D"%ProgramFiles(x86)%\Nightbot" nightbot.exe
With parameter /D and path of application's folder the Start In directory is set first like when using command CD. So for example hexchat.exe is started with current directory being C:\Program Files\HexChat for this application.
The two double quotes after command START are necessary as this command interprets first double quoted string as title for the process. By using "" an empty title string is explicitly specified resulting in rest of command line being correct interpreted as expected. I suppose those three applications are all GUI applications and not console applications and therefore a real title string being useful on running a console application in an new command process for the console window is not really necessary.
%ProgramFiles% references the predefined environment variable ProgramFiles containing path to standard program files folder for 64-bit applications on 64-bit Windows when batch file is started with 64-bit cmd.exe as default on 64-bit Windows and is replaced by Windows command interpreter before execution of the command line on your Windows computer by C:\Program Files.
%ProgramFiles(x86)% references the predefined environment variable ProgramFiles(x86) containing always path to standard program files folder for 32-bit applications on 64-bit Windows and is replaced by Windows command interpreter before execution of the command line on your Windows computer by C:\Program Files (x86).
It is of course also possible to use the real paths in your computer instead of the environment variable references if this batch file is never shared with other people.
Extra hint:
Run in a command prompt window the command you want to use with /? as parameter to get displayed the help for this command. Other sources for help on commands and predefined environment variables displayed all on running in a command prompt window set are:
SS64.com - A-Z index of the Windows CMD command line
Microsoft's command-line reference
Windows Environment Variables and WOW64 Implementation Details
I have multiple versions of a program called Siemens NX. NX uses environmental variables for configuration. I need NX 10.0 to use a different set of environmental variables than my NX 7.5 which uses the system environmental variables. Therefore, I have written a batch file that setups the environmental variables that I need. However, There is a lot of different programs that go with NX 10.0. I don't want to have to create a batch file for each program. Instead, I just want to ammend the shortcuts (.lnk) to execute a batch file before starting. For instance, this is easily done by
C:\Siemens\NX10\UGII\setup_NX10_environment.bat && C:\Siemens\NX10\UGII\ugraf.exe -nx
However, the command window is left open. How can I call the batch script and it closes and then calls my program?
Supply program with parameters to your batch script as follows
C:\Siemens\NX10\UGII\setup_NX10_environment.bat "C:\Siemens\NX10\UGII\ugraf.exe" -nx
and improve that batch as follows:
rem all the original setup_NX10_environment.bat stuff here
%*
exit
or
rem all the original setup_NX10_environment.bat stuff here
call %*
exit
or
rem all the original setup_NX10_environment.bat stuff here
start "" %*
exit
The console window may remain open if you call the executable like this:
executable.exe
However, prepending start to the executable will detach it from the console.
Thus the console will not remain open if you call the executable like this:
start executable.exe
In conclusion, rewrite your command as follows:
C:\Siemens\NX10\UGII\setup_NX10_environment.bat && start C:\Siemens\NX10\UGII\ugraf.exe -nx
I have a very simple Windows .BAT file:
set PATH=c:\xxx;%PATH%
call foo.pl
set VAR=true
I thought "call" will start a new batch process, without affecting the current one. However, the batch file exited immediately after the foo.pl finished executing. The set VAR=true has never been called.
Is there a way to fix it?
foo.pl is not a batch file, it is a Perl script.
So you need to use
path c:\xxx;%PATH%
"Path to\Folder With\perl.exe" "foo.pl"
rem Additional batch code executed after Perl script execution finished.
In other words you have to run the console application perl.exe best with full path, or with just perl.exe if program files folder of Perl is not the same on all computers on which this batch file is used and hopefully PATH contains also the directory containing perl.exe.
If you specify on a command line or in a batch file just foo.pl, Windows looks in Windows registry which application is associated with .pl for action Open. If there is such a file association, Windows runs this application in a separate process like when using command start.
So using call foo.pl is like using start foo.pl.
PATH is not only an environment variable, but also an interal command written for changing the value of environment variable PATH at any time within a batch file. This is the reason why I removed set from first line. It is better to use internal command path for modifying environment variable PATH.