.Bat code only creates file for one set of data entered

Question

I want to create a bat file asking for a user input which will ask for some choices:

@echo off
MKDIR D:\BatFiles\File
SET /P Output="D:\BatFiles\File"

ECHO Select Task
ECHO ==========
@echo off
title Task List Creator
:homescreen
ECHO
Echo 1.) Create Notepad Task File
Echo 2.) Exit
Echo.
set /p input=Type Choice : 
if "%input%"=="1" goto getInfo
if "%input%"=="2" exit
Pause

:getInfo
set /p VarOne=Enter Type:
set /p VarTwo=Enter Number:
set /p VarThree=Enter Name:
echo Task Type=%VarOne% >> %Output%\test.txt
echo Task Number=%VarTwo% >> %Output%\test.txt
echo Task Name=%VarThree% >> %Output%\test.txt
echo Entry successfully written
Pause
goto finished

:finished
echo Do you want to create a new set of entry?
set /p response= Y or N?
if "%response%"=="Y" goto getInfo
if "%response%"=="N" goto homescreen

--The problem with this code is that I want to create more than 2 entries. This code only creates an output file if user has only one set of entries. If user creates 2 or more, the output file is not created and data entered appears only when user runs the bat file again and only enters one set of data. Sorry about the lame question, I'm just a batch file beginner here.

Answer 1

Look on this code:

@echo off
title Task List Creator
setlocal EnableExtensions EnableDelayedExpansion
set "OutputFolder=D:\BatFiles\File"
set FileNumber=0

:HomeScreen
cls
echo Select Task
echo ===========
echo.
echo 1 ... Create Notepad Task File
echo 2 ... Exit
echo.
set "Input=2"
set /P "Input=Your choice: "
if "!Input!"=="1" goto PrepareTaskFile
if "!Input!"=="2" endlocal & goto :EOF
goto HomeScreen

:PrepareTaskFile
set /A FileNumber+=1
set "OutputFile=%OutputFolder%\test%FileNumber%.txt"
if exist "%OutputFile%" del "%OutputFile%"

:GetInfo
echo.
set "VarOne="
set "VarTwo="
set "VarThree="
:EnterType
set /P "VarOne=Enter type:   "
if not defined VarOne goto EnterType
:EnterNumber
set /P "VarTwo=Enter number: "
if not defined VarTwo goto EnterNumber
:EnterName
set /P "VarThree=Enter name:   "
if not defined VarThree goto EnterName
if not exist "%OutputFolder%" mkdir "%OutputFolder%"
echo Task Type=!VarOne!>>"%OutputFile%"
echo Task Number=!VarTwo!>>"%OutputFile%"
echo Task Name=!VarThree!>>"%OutputFile%"
echo.
echo Entry successfully written.
echo.
pause

echo.
echo Do you want to create a new set of entry?
echo.
set "Response=N"
set /P "Response=Y or N? "
if /I "!Response!"=="Y" goto GetInfo
goto HomeScreen

The environment variable on prompt keeps its current value if the user just hits RETURN or ENTER. Therefore it is advisable to define a default value or undefine a variable before prompting the user.

The entered strings assigned to the variables are referenced with usage of delayed expansion in case of user enters something not expected which could result in a syntax error and therefore exit of batch processing on referencing the entered strings with immediate expansion. For example a string comparison would fail with a syntax error if the user enters a string with a double quote.

See How to set environment variables with spaces? why using double quotes as it can be seen here on set "variable=string value" and set /P "variable=prompt text".

The space character left of redirection operator >> in code of question would be also written into the file. This should be avoided by removing it and reference the variables with delayed expansion in case of the variable value is a number with value 1, 2, 3, ... to avoid a wrong handle redirection, see the Microsoft article about Using command redirection operators.

On usage of set /P for a menu instead of command choice it must be always taken into account that the user enters something not suggested. So if the user enters on first prompt whether 1 nor 2, there must be code which defines the behavior on the invalid input.

For understanding the used commands and how they work, open a command prompt window, execute there the following commands, and read entirely all help pages displayed for each command very carefully.

• cls /?
• del /?
• echo /?
• endlocal /?
• goto /?
• if /?
• mkdir /?
• pause /?
• set /?
• setlocal /?
• title /?

See also answer on Single line with multiple commands using Windows batch file for an explanation of & between endlocal and goto :EOF.