Best Batch File IDE for Validator

Question

I have a batch file which generate so many erros. I have tried some batch IDE, but no clue which code is wrong. I need something like netbeans for java, Visual Studio for VB and C#, etc. What should I use for batch file? I can't see what is wrong, but the error ie.

'else' is not recognized as an internal or external command,

appears. It really painful to code without IDE since I need to prepare files and setting so many things to testing. What I need is something like error suggestion like this picture below but for batch file:

So, if my "if else" block is wrong, tell me please that my if else is not proper before I test the batch file directly.

Need suggestion please, maybe online tools is ok. Like HTML validator, JSON validator is ok. I need validator for batch file. Offline tool or IDE is better.

Answer 1

I suppose you have to remove line breaks between 45 and 46, 40 and 41, 35 and 36, 30 and 31, 19 and 20.

This my sample code works well:

if exist 123 (
  echo 1
) else (
  echo 2
)

And that code with line break before else generates error "'else' is not internal or external command":

if exist 123 (
  echo 1
)
else (
  echo 2
)

Here is a way to still keep line breaks - add ^ character at the end of line before 'else' - that also works for me:

if exist 123 (
  echo 1
) ^
else (
  echo 2
)

Answer 2

I don't know of any IDE (Integrated Development Environment) or text editor which validates batch files and therefore read the comments here very interested.

But even an IDE like VisualStudio or Eclipse does not find all errors in C/C++ code on typing found later by the C/C++ compiler on compilation.

And because of %variable% being expanded before being interpreted by command processor resulting in modifying batch code during execution (more or less), no batch validator can ever find all possible errors which can occur on batch execution.

Well, the usage of a good text editor like UltraEdit highly customized for batch file editing as I have done

• with syntax highlighting (not perfect, but perfect is impossible for batch files),
• with automatic usage of OEM code page (instead of ANSI as for other text files even in same instance),
• with automatic indent and unindent of blocks,
• with the possibility to reindent a batch code block or an entire batch file by usage of a single command,
• with auto-completion for often needed commands,
• with using smart templates for often needed structures like for IF and FOR commands,
• with a function list listing all well defined labels and subroutines,
• with the possibility to run edited batch file from within UltraEdit with or without parameters via a user tool and
• with the possibility to write a script for checking syntax of a batch file or running a third-party tool to check the batch file syntax (not used by me)

is definitely a big help on efficiently writing batch code. But testing the batch files in a command prompt window with various input data and sometimes with echo being enabled to see what is going on during batch execution is very often nevertheless necessary.

Answer 3

I'm not sure whether this is what you are looking for. Appreciate your reply if this helped.

Take Command/ Batch Debugger

Or if you need only a text editor, I'd suggest Notepad++ Very simple and straight forward application.

Answer 4

Take a look at Batch Compiler it is a complete IDE with a built in compiler and debugger. You can compiler your batch scripts to stand alone executables with version info, admin manifest, silent console mode and so many features. The best thing about Batch Compiler is it's free.

Screenshot of the IDE: