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I am having a problem with my life creator program. It simply chooses random numbers that stand for something and puts it together. (I have tried combining variables) here is the code:

@set num=1
@SET /A a=%RANDOM% * 10 / 32768 + 1
@if %a% == 10 set life%num%= ----
@if %a% == 9 set life%num%=O
@if %a% == 8 set life%num%=^
@if %a% == 7 set life%num%=%
@if %a% == 6 set life%num%=#
@if %a% == 5 set life%num%=@
@if %a% == 4 set life%num%=)
@if %a% == 3 set life%num%=()
@if %a% == 2 set life%num%=~
@if %a% == 1 set life%num%=OO
@echo %a% >"gencode".txt
@set num=2
@SET /A a=%RANDOM% * 10 / 32768 + 1
@if %a% == 10 set life%num%=----
@if %a% == 9 set life%num%=O
@if %a% == 8 set life%num%=^
@if %a% == 7 set life%num%=%
@if %a% == 6 set life%num%=#
@if %a% == 5 set life%num%=@
@if %a% == 4 set life%num%=)
@if %a% == 3 set life%num%=()
@if %a% == 2 set life%num%=~
@if %a% == 1 set life%num%=OO
@set life3= %life1%-%life2%
@echo %life3%>"lifeform".txt
@echo %a% >>"gencode".txt

and here is the variable putter together thing:

@set final= 500
@set /a pass= %pass% + 1
@set /a cnum= %cnum% + 1
@set counterold=%counter%
@set life%cnum%-%counter%= %a%-%b%
@if %pass% == 1 goto start
:repeat
@if %ficnum% == 500 goto final
@set life2%cnum%-%counter%= life%counterold%-life%counter%
@set life2%cnum%-%counterold%= life%counterold%-life%counter%
@set /a ficnum= %ficnum% + 1
@set life3%ficnum%-%counter%= life2%counterold%-life2%counter%
@goto repeat
:final
@set /a final= %final% + 1
@set /a counter= %counter% + 1
@set /a ficnum= %ficnum% + 1
@set counter1= %counter%
@set ficnum1= %ficnum%
:finalst
@set /a final= %final% - 1
@set /a counter1= %counter1% - 1
@set /a ficnum= %ficnum% - 1
@set /a ficnum1= %ficnum1% - 1
@set /a counter= %counter% - 1
@set final%final%=%life3%%ficnum%-%counter%-%life3%%ficnum1%-%counter1%
@if %final% == 0 goto finalend
@goto finalst
:finalend
@echo final0>"lifeform".txt

So I would like to know, (INSTEAD OF JUST COMBINING EACH VARIABLE TO ONE AND ECHOING THAT TO ONE LINE) how do I set a line to write to so I can just write each variable to one line, creating the life-form. I am asking this because every time I echo something it goes down 1 line in the text file.

And here is an experimental version of the life creator:

@set num1=1
:repeat
@if %counter% == 500 exit
@set  /a num1= %num1% + 1
@SET /A a=%RANDOM% * 10 / 32768 + 1
@if %a% == 10 set life%num%=----
@if %a% == 9 set life%num%=O
@if %a% == 8 set life%num%=^
@if %a% == 7 set life%num%=%
@if %a% == 6 set life%num%=#
@if %a% == 5 set life%num%=@
@if %a% == 4 set life%num%=)
@if %a% == 3 set life%num%=()
@if %a% == 2 set life%num%=~
@if %a% == 1 set life%num%=OO
@echo %a% >>"gencode".txt
@set /a num2= %num% + 1
@SET /A a=%RANDOM% * 10 / 32768 + 1
@if %a% == 10 set life%num%=----
@if %a% == 9 set life%num%=O
@if %a% == 8 set life%num%=^
@if %a% == 7 set life%num%=%
@if %a% == 6 set life%num%=#
@if %a% == 5 set life%num%=@
@if %a% == 4 set life%num%=)
@if %a% == 3 set life%num%=()
@if %a% == 2 set life%num%=~
@if %a% == 1 set life%num%=OO
@set final= 500
@set /a pass= %pass% + 1
@set /a cnum= %cnum% + 1
@set counterold=%counter%
@set life%cnum%-%counter%= %a%-%b%
@if %pass% == 1 goto start
:repeat
@if %ficnum% == 500 goto final
@set life2%cnum%-%counter%= life%counterold%-life%counter%
@set life2%cnum%-%counterold%= life%counterold%-life%counter%
@set /a ficnum= %ficnum% + 1
@set life3%ficnum%-%counter%= life2%counterold%-life2%counter%
@goto repeat
:final
@set /a final= %final% + 1
@set /a counter= %counter% + 1
@set /a ficnum= %ficnum% + 1
@set counter1= %counter%
@set ficnum1= %ficnum%
:finalst
@set /a final= %final% - 1
@set /a counter1= %counter1% - 1
@set /a ficnum= %ficnum% - 1
@set /a ficnum1= %ficnum1% - 1
@set /a counter= %counter% - 1
@set final%final%=%life3%%ficnum%-%counter%-%life3%%ficnum1%-%counter1%
@if %final% == 0 goto finalend
@goto finalst
:finalend
@echo final0>"lifeform".txt
Expto
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  • Do you know that a space after `=` in `set var=` goes into the variable? To debug what's happening remove all `@` and look at the output. – wOxxOm Oct 24 '15 at 17:59
  • @wOxxOm: Generally, yes, but that doesn't apply to `set /a` - any whitespace is trimmed from the result of a calculation; similarly, whitespace is ignored if you use the _numerical_ comparison operators such as `EQU`. – mklement0 Oct 24 '15 at 18:15
  • If you want none of your script lines echoed, just use `@echo off` as the 1st line, then you don't have to prefix each line with `@`. – mklement0 Oct 24 '15 at 18:16
  • @mklement0, I specifically wrote `set var=`, not `set /a var=`. – wOxxOm Oct 24 '15 at 18:17
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    It's unclear what you're asking - there's a lot of "noise" in your question. Can you boil this down to a [MCVE (Minimal, Complete, and Verifiable Example)](http://stackoverflow.com/help/mcve)? – mklement0 Oct 24 '15 at 18:17
  • @wOxxOm: Good. Now we have both cases covered. – mklement0 Oct 24 '15 at 18:19
  • What I am saying is: Instead of combining each variable into one and then putting that in a text file, I want to just set the line, so I can echo each that variable to one line. – Expto Oct 24 '15 at 18:30
  • @TheBeastprogrammer: I still don't get it, but perhaps others will. However, please add any clarifications _directly to the answer_ - not in comments. Also, if you're addressing someone specifically and you want them notified of your comment, @-mention them, as I've done here. – mklement0 Oct 24 '15 at 18:39
  • @mklement0: First off I have edited the question. Second off here is an explanation for you. Every time you use batch to write something to a text file it goes down one line, So I tried combining all of the variables I needed to write into 1 variable, So it can be on 1 line. I am asking this so I can find out how to echo each variable to 1 line. – Expto Oct 24 '15 at 18:53

1 Answers1

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Update: To output to a file, as now reflected in the question title, no special considerations apply (use the usual output redirections), which ultimately makes this question a duplicate of Windows batch: echo without new line.

If I understand you correctly, you're looking for a way to echo (print to stdout) a string without a trailing line break.

cmd.exe's echo does not allow you to do that, but there's a workaround:

 set "var=world"
 <NUL set /p ="Hello, %var%: "
 <NUL set /p ="Still on the same line. "
 echo Still on the same line, but ending it now.

This outputs the following, single line:

Hello, world: Still on the same line. Still on the same line, but ending it now.

Caveat re error level: The <NUL set /p ... trick sets %ERRORLEVEL% to 1; in order to explicitly reset it to 0, use a dummy command such as ver >NUL.

There are limitations:

  • The string mustn't contain " chars. - while you can double them to avoid a syntax error, they will then appear doubled in the output too.

  • The string's first non-whitespace character mustn't be a = - whether as a literal or as the result of variable expansion.

    • <nul set /p ="=foo" and <nul set /p ==foo inexplicably cause a syntax error(!).
    • (<nul set /p =^=foo also causes a syntax error and <nul set "/p==foo" would actually be interpreted as non-interactively setting variable /p to value =fooand thus produces no output at all.)
  • Leading tabs and spaces are stripped from the string.
  • Note that if you don't double-quote the string, the command will break if the string contains shell metacharacters such as & and |.

This answer may provide a robust solution to handle all these edge cases, although it does require an aux. batch file.

How it works:

set /p <varName>=<value> is designed to prompt the user for a variable value, by reading a line from stdin, using <value> as the prompt string to print inline; try it with set "/pFOO=Enter FOO: "

Something like <NUL set /p ="..." then uses this inline printing of the prompt string while suppressing the interactive prompt (by providing stdin input from the NUL device (<NUL, which causes set /p to return instantly, because there's nothing to read).

Note how /p ="..." contains no variable name before the =, given that we're not interested in assigning to a variable here - set is luckily fine with that (you may use a dummy variable name - e.g., /p UNUSED="...", but note that you may inadvertently overwrite an existing variable by that name; also, using a variable name does not help the syntax-error issue with a string with a leading =.

mklement0
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  • Thanks! Alot, Just could you explain how it works? Also, Will it work in a loop? – Expto Oct 24 '15 at 19:18
  • Sorry, I just did try it, and sorry, I meant to write to a file with it.... – Expto Oct 24 '15 at 19:50
  • @TheBeastprogrammer: That should be fine - just make sure you never use `echo` - use `>file` for all output. – mklement0 Oct 24 '15 at 19:54
  • One more question, would it work in a loop? – Expto Oct 24 '15 at 19:54
  • @TheBeastprogrammer: Yes, just be sure to use `>>` (and make sure that any pre-existing output file is deleted at the beginning). – mklement0 Oct 24 '15 at 19:55
  • I keep getting the error: The process cant access the file because it is being used in another process? - when I am using it in a loop. – Expto Oct 24 '15 at 20:12
  • @TheBeastprogrammer: What does the loop look like, _exactly_? – mklement0 Oct 24 '15 at 20:17
  • I don't know what you mean? – Expto Oct 24 '15 at 20:20
  • @TheBeastprogrammer: Based on what I saw before you removed the code from your comment (comment are at best suited for a _single_ line of code, enclosed in backticks for formatting): Your output line must look like this: `>"lifeform".txt` - note the `>`. – mklement0 Oct 24 '15 at 20:37
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    For instance `for /L %G in (1,1,3) do >foo.txt` loop works as expected (in batch script use `%%G` instead of `%G`) – JosefZ Oct 24 '15 at 20:43
  • @mklement0: Okay, the error stopped for some reason, but the output file has the stuff it should have then, has random pieces of code in it. – Expto Oct 24 '15 at 20:44
  • @TheBeastprogrammer: I don't think the remaining problem is connected to use of ` – mklement0 Oct 24 '15 at 20:50