set /p is not taking input from keyboard

[zainka]

Hi I have been struggling to have "set /p" to work correctly in a batchfile. Its purpose is to print a text and ask for user input from keyboard and store this is in a variable.
Here is my code

1  if not exist %MY_FILE% (
2    :CopyFile
3    echo copying
4    copy /y %MY_FILE% %NEW_DIRECTORY% >NUL ) else (
5      echo %MY_FILE% already exist 
6      set UsersChoice=
7      set /P UsersChoice=Overwrite before continue, Continue with old, Abort? o/c/a:
8      echo input was %UsersChoice%
9      if "%UsersChoice%"=="o" (
10        echo overwrite
11        goto :CopyFile ) else if "%UsersChoice%"=="c" (
12          echo continue
13          goto :Continue ) else (
14            echo exit))
15
16  :Continue

Code is showing the text and is waiting for input but whatever i type before hit ENTER adds no value to UsersChoice. echo input was %UserChoice% only shows "input was " and nothing more. Then the if/else will be evaluated to else in line 13 printing exit (when working it will simply just exit)

Why are there no input stored in UsersChoice ???

This is the shell output where I have entered "o" as my choice (seen after : ).

Overwrite before continue, Continue with old, Abort? o/c/a:o
input was
exit

Best regards
Vidar (Z)

 

[TrigZ]

set /P UsersChoice=Overwrite before continue, Continue with old, Abort? o/c/a:

I believe it should be

set /P UsersChoice=Overwrite before continue, Continue with old, Abort? o/c/a:=

 

[zainka]

I have tried both with = and %=% as I have seen it used some time, but behavior does not change. Also notice that the documentations does not mention the use of any extra =.

Also, removing the prompt string, which is optional, does not give any solutions.

This is snipped from WinXP product documentation, but I guess the set command remains unchanged in win7. At least help shows no difference.

[B]Syntax[/B]
[B]set[/B] [[B]/p[/B] [[I]variable[/I][B]=[/B]]] [I]string[/I]]

where:
[B]/p[/B][B]: [/B]Sets the value of [I]variable[/I] to a line of input. 
[B][I]variable[/I][/B][B]: [/B]Specifies the variable you want to set or modify. 
[B][I]string[/I][/B][B]: [/B]Specifies the string you want to associate with the specified variable.

Thanks anyway.

Breg
Vidar (Z)

 

[SIW2]

I usually have a space there


set /P UsersChoice= Overwrite before continue etc........whatever:

 

[zainka]

I usually have a space there

Tried it, no change. However, its not an requirement. In ..<cough>... Linux one can run a script in debug mode and cinda follow its step. I believe one also have te ability to request more debug prints from system while running a script. Are there any such possibilities in win7 ???

 

[logicearth]

Have you thought of moving to the more powerful environment that is PowerShell?

Windows 7 even comes with a developer program for creating PowerShell scripts.
With debugging and all that jazz. Along with tab completion for commands and params.

 

[FliGi7]

What are you using to edit the batch file and how are you running it?

The script above works fine for me in just creating the .bat file and running it from command prompt. Of course, I added "@echo off" at the beginning to clean up the output.

 

[zainka]

What are you using to edit the batch file and how are you running it?

The script above works fine for me in just creating the .bat file and running it from command prompt. Of course, I added "@echo off" at the beginning to clean up the output.

I am using textpad. from helios (www.textpad.com).

The script is a part of a bigger script so I have @echo off as well. I also tried to isolate the problem to have only the shown part in a single script as you did above, just to make sure nothing else is cluttering the script, but same behaviour. And... if MY_FILE does not exist the script just copy it and continues as it should. It is only when trying to read input from keyboard when MY_FILE do exist I have encountered a problem.

Have you thought of moving to the more powerful environment that is PowerShell?

Even when running PS, script wont take input from "set /p"

However. I thought I had mentioned that I was using w7 in Oracle Virtual box, I noticed I had not. Could the keyboard input to VB be altered somehow? I find it very unlikely as there is no other signs of problems running w7 in VB. That works pretty nice and we use VB environment to test out new tools.

 

[logicearth]

Even when running PS, script wont take input from "set /p"

That is not PowerShell. "set /p" is not a PowerShell command.

PS > $var = Read-Host "What is your name?"
What is your name?: Logic
PS > $var
Logic

That is PowerShell.

Or even: http://blogs.technet.com/b/jamesone...get-user-input-more-nicely-in-powershell.aspx

PS > $enabled=[boolean](select-item -Caption "Configuring RemoteDesktop" -Message "Do you want to: " -choice "&Disable Remote Desktop", "&Enable Remote Desktop" -default 1 ) 

Configuring RemoteDesktop 
Do you want to: 
[D] Disable Remote Desktop  [E] Enable Remote Desktop  [?] Help (default is "E"): d 


PS > $enabled 
False

The above avoids human error.

 

[Dwarf]

Try the following:

:Main
@echo off
set UsersChoice=
set /P UsersChoice=Overwrite before continue, Continue with old, Abort? o/c/a:
echo Response was %UsersChoice%
REM note that the following statement is all on the same line
REM the /I switch allows the use of upper and lower case characters
REM the routine goes back to the beginning if an invalid character is entered
if /I "%UsersChoice%"=="o" ( goto :CopyFile ) else if /I "%UsersChoice%"=="c" ( goto :Continue ) else if /I "%UsersChoice%"=="a" ( goto :Abort ) else goto :Main
pause
:CopyFile
echo Overwite
REM overwrite routine goes here
goto :exit
:Continue
echo Continue
REM continue routine goes here
goto :exit
:Abort
echo Abort
:exit
pause

You can omit the REM lines if you wish.

Hope this helps.

 

[zainka]

That is not PowerShell. "set /p" is not a PowerShell command.

Good, then I don’t have to worry about power shell.

@Dwarf.
Thanks for your input, but the problem is related to "set /p" and in your script it remains the same. I will use the /I switch though.

I start to believe problem IS related to WM box and Ill have to wait until some real machines is deployed.

Thanks to all who have participated.

 

[Dwarf]

I tested my code thoroughly, and couldn't find any bugs in it. In what way isn't it working for you?

 

[FliGi7]

I tested my code thoroughly, and couldn't find any bugs in it. In what way isn't it working for you?

It's not a matter of whether the code is right or not. His original code works fine on my machine and should work on everyone else's as well. I believe the problem stems from him being in a virtual environment but I'm not sure why that changes anything.

zainka, did you install the Guest Additions in Virtual Box after you got the VM up and running? If not, or even if you did, I would try doing so again, just in case that somehow got screwed up.