using for loop and windows tasklist cmd i am trying to open several programs from a batch file which are not already running - windows

Question

My code below doesn't work
echo will now go ahead and load the essential programs needed for
project: %project%
set "programlistopen=sublime_text.exe xampp-control.exe"
for /f "delims=" %%j in (%programlistopen%) do (
if %%j=="sublime_text"(set pathtopen=%defaultpath%\Sublime_Text&&set
dirpath="%workdirectory%\%project%") else
if %%j=="xampp-control.exe"(set pathtopen=%xampp%\&&set dirpath=)
tasklist /FI "IMAGENAME eq %%j" 2>NUL | find /I /N "%%j">NUL
if "%ERRORLEVEL%"=="1" goto notstartedsublimetext
if "%ERRORLEVEL%"=="0" goto startedsublimetext
:notstartedsublimetext
Echo started %%j at %time%
pause
start /d "%pathtopen%" %%j %dirpath%
:startedsublimetext
echo %%j is already running......
)

Answer 1

I would suggest possibly changing the structure to this:
#Echo Off
For %%A In ("C:\Program Files\SomeName\madeup.exe"
"C:\Users\Vibrations\Portables\Some Name\dummy.exe"
"C:\Windows\built-in.exe"
) Do TaskList|FindStr/BRIC:"%%~nxA\>">Nul&&(Echo %%~nxA already running
)||(Start "" "%%~A"&Echo Started %%~nxA at %TIME%)
Pause
Just list the full paths to the executables you want to check/start similarly to the three I've used as an example
Edit
As a result of the latest comment, here is an example of what I assume you're trying to do by way of your modification, (replace from line 6):
)||(If "%%~nxA"=="sublime_text.exe" (Start "" "%%~A" "%workdirectory%\%project%"
) Else Start "" "%%~A"
Echo Started %%~nxA at %TIME%)
Pause

Answer 2

#echo off
setlocal
#rem Variables to be set.
#rem changedir is an optional pushd on each call of :notstarted.
#rem startdir is passed to the /d argument in the start command.
#rem programpath is the path to the program executable.
#rem args are any arguments to pass to the program executable.
#rem Variables are undefined at start of loop.
echo will now go ahead and load the essential programs needed for project: %project%
set "programlistopen=wordpad.exe notepad.exe"
for %%j in (%programlistopen%) do (
for %%B in (changedir startdir programpath args) do set "%%~B="
if "%%~j" == "wordpad.exe" (
set "changedir=%userprofile%"
set "startdir=%cd%"
set "programpath=C:\Program Files\Windows NT\Accessories"
) else if "%%~j" == "notepad.exe" (
rem Nothing to set. Just start notepad.exe.
)
tasklist /FI "IMAGENAME eq %%~j" 2>NUL | find /I /N "%%~j" >NUL
if errorlevel 1 (
call :notstarted "%%~j"
) else call :started "%%~j"
)
exit /b
:notstarted
setlocal
echo started "%~1" at %time%
set "cli=start """
if defined startdir set "cli=%cli% /d "%startdir%""
if defined programpath (
set "cli=%cli% "%programpath%\%~1""
) else set "cli=%cli% "%~1""
if defined args set "cli=%cli% %args%"
if defined changedir pushd "%changedir%"
echo %cli%
%cli%
if defined changedir popd
exit /b
:started
echo "%%~1" is already running......
exit /b
Your code has many unknowns so I have done an example which you
can adapt to your needs.
I chose some simple programs like notepad and wordpad to test with.
Variables for use are commented at the top of the script. These
variables are undefined at start of each loop so you do not need
to undefined them and just use the variables that you want to set
with each program.
The errorlevel of tasklist is checked and will call the name of
the label required. This allows the call to return back to the
position of the caller so the loop can continue.
The :notstarted label will bulid the command line (cli) with
each of the defined variables that are relevent to the cli. The
optional pushd and popd was added just for an unusual use.