$Id: cmt8.txt 212 2001-04-29 11:33:52Z skaus $
Batch file processing
	-- 2001/04/26 ska

This document discusses the features and functionality of the
batch file processing. It does not include help or explanation
for the batch language itself.

In the following "batch" files and the like are called "scripts"
or "shell scripts" most of the time; the author assumes that most
people running DOS/FreeCOM will associate the COMMAND batch language
with this term.

C> is an icon of the command line prompt an user is to enter commands at.
It shall only visualize the interactive prompt and _not_ the particular
drive C:.

A '===' at the first column represents a section header.
A '==' sourrounds file listings and, sometime, output of programs.

=== Invoking Shell Scripts

Variant 1:

Shell scripts are invoked like any command:

SCRIPT arg1 arg2 arg3 arg4 ... argN <in-file >out-file

The arguments and the I/O redirection directives are optional, of course.

Batch scripts are identified by the extension .BAT, it is currently
not possible to execute a batch script without this file extension.

In this variant, however, empties the execution context, what means that
any formerly nested script are "forgotten". In addition, FOR loops are
destroyed, too.

Variant 2:

In order to nest script they must be invoked via the CALL command:

CALL SCRIPT arg1 arg2 arg3 arg4 ... argN <in-file >out-file


The arguments and the I/O redirection directives are optional, again.
Also, the scripts must have the file extension .BAT.

Unlike to invoke scripts without CALL, the current position within
the current script is preserved and the execution returns to the next
command following the CALL command when the CALL'ed script finishes.
FOR loops are destroyed nonetheless.

EXAMPLE:

== BATCH1.BAT
echo In Batch1 - arg1 = %1
== BATCH2.BAT
@echo off
call batch1 first
echo second
call batch1 third
==

Invoking script BATCH2 from command line:

C> batch2

would output:

==
In Batch1 - arg1 = first
second
In Batch1 - arg1 = third
==

Because there is no old execution context on command line, the user may
invoke script BATCH2 with or without CALL; but if BATCH2.BAT would read:
== BATCH2a.BAT
@echo off
batch1 first
echo second
batch1 third
==

Invoking the modified script BATCH2 from command line:

C> batch2a

would output:

==
In Batch1 - arg1 = first
==

Because to invoke a batch script without CALL destroys any former
execution context, hence, the shell simply forgot where to return to
when BATCH1.BAT ends.

=== Accessing Arguments

The argument passed to a script are accessable through the automatic
variables: %1, %2 through %9 (there is no trailing second percent sign).
Variable %0 returns the name of script in the same way it has been
written on invokation, e.g.:
== BATCH.BAT
echo %0
==

C> batch
batch
C> BATCH
BATCH
C> batch.bat
batch.bat
C> .\batch.BAT
.\batch.BAT

Arguments may be separated on command line with: whitespaces, commas,
semicolons ';' and equal signs '='. There is no known quotation mechanism.
E.g.:
== BATCH.BAT
@echo :%1: :%2: :%3: :%4: :%5: :%6: :%7: :%8: :%9:
==

C> batch 1 2,3;4=5 6+7
:1: :2: :3: :4: :5: :6+7: :: :: ::

The tenth and later arguments are not accessable directly; to fetch them
the command SHIFT must be used. Each SHIFT increments a "shift level" by
one and when using "%n", it is replaced by the "n + shift_level"'th
argument, e.g.:

== BATCH.BAT
echo %0
SHIFT
echo %0
SHIFT
echo %0
==

C> batch 1 2 3
batch
1
2

Please note that %0 is effected by SHIFT, too.

There is no upper limit for SHIFT. If "n + shift_level" references to a
non-existant argument, it is replaced by an empty string, aka by nothing.

=== Noisiness / Echo State
