Windows Command on multiple lines

wolfman

Hey, does anyone know how, in a .bat file, to separate a command over multiple lines.

So instead of having:

copy/b %folder%\jquery.base\jquery.js + %folder%\jquery.ui\jquery.dimensions.js + %folder%\jquery.ui\ui.mouse.js %folder%/merged.js

And that's only part of it. On one line it looks horrible and not very manageable.
I want (for easy of looking at)

copy/b
%folder%\jquery.base\jquery.js +
%folder%\jquery.ui\jquery.dimensions.js +
%folder%\jquery.ui\ui.mouse.js %folder%/merged.js

And ideally without using copy/b per line for each file.

iyiarz

No I don't think you can as it wouldn't be a whole command any more. Turn WordWrapping on in notepad and resize the window

mdbarber

use cut and paste to replicate the copy command easily then you can split it over lines
copy the command (copy/b), count the number of + signs then paste the command for that amount of lines +1 pressing enter each time,,
clarity is an important factor in batch files as we tend to write them and not change them till sometimes years later

wolfman

Yeah was thinking about replicating the copy command.

Hmmm, think I might knock up a quick Java app to do it for me. Can list all the files to be merged in xml, and the app uses that.

It's for our continuous integration process and we have a copy command that I think exceeded the allowed length. Plus it's very unreadable and hard to check if you missed a file from the command. Hence why I asked.

isofa

I think you can achieve this, if my memory serves me correctly...

You need to use the caret character ^ this functions as a continuation delimiter in DOS/Command under Windows (but not original DOS)

You can also do something like this, but no doubt I've got too many % signs in, but the principle is:

set command_name=copy/b
set optiona= %folder%\jquery.base\jquery.js
set optionb=%folder%\jquery.ui\jquery.dimensions.js
set optionc=%folder%\jquery.ui\ui.mouse.js
set parameter=%folder%/merged.js

%command_name% %optiona% %optionb% %optionc% %parameter%

Yes I've definitely got far too many % signs!

wolfman

That's not too bad an idea. Might implement that in the short term.

As it's critical though I'm gonna knock up a quick C# app to do it for me. Have it unit tested, and configurable via an xml file. Should reduce errors/typos etc... occurring.