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From: sab@engr.uark.edu (Steven A. Breuer)
Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.misc
Subject: Re: Getting rid of "syntax error" from .bat files - how to?
Summary: Test for no parameters
Message-ID: <5649@uafhp.uark.edu>
Date: 5 Dec 90 19:43:39 GMT
References: <9467@pasteur.Berkeley.EDU>
Sender: netnews@uafhp.uark.edu
Lines: 25

In article <9467@pasteur.Berkeley.EDU>, brand@cad.Berkeley.EDU (Graham Brand) writes:
> I have written a batch file which accepts parameters from the command
> line using the:
> 	if %1==param1
> syntax. It works fine except that if I don't pass any parameters, I
> get the above syntax error message. Is there any way to suppress this?
> 
> In addition, is there any way of passing a string, the first character
> of which is a dash (-), as in -f? It doesn't seem to work with the
> above test.
> 

     Batch files have trouble with blank parameters (none).  try the
     following "if" statements.  It is a good idea to surround the parameters
     with some character - this should take of errors happening because
     of no parameters.  This should also allow you to use the dash (-) as
     part of a parameter.

     if "%1"=="" goto NOPARMS

     if "%1"=="param1" goto PARAM1


     Steve Breuer
     sab@engr.uark.edu