Print - How do I pass parameters to a batch file?

A. When you call a batch file, you can enter data after the command that the batch file refers to as %1, %2, etc. For example, in the batch file hello.bat, the following command

@echo hello %1 boy

would output

hello john boy

if you called it as

hello john

The following table outlines how you can modify the passed parameter.

Parameter	Description
%1	The normal parameter.
%~f1	Expands %1 to a fully qualified pathname. If you passed only a filename from the current directory, this parameter would also expand to the drive or directory.
%~d1	Extracts the drive letter from %1.
%~p1	Extracts the path from %1.
%~n1	Extracts the filename from %1, without the extension.
%~x1	Extracts the file extension from %1.
%~s1	Changes the n and x options’ meanings to reference the short name. You would therefore use %~sn1 for the short filename and %~sx1 for the short extension.

The following table shows how you can combine some of the parameters.

Parameter	Description
%~dp1	Expands %1 to a drive letter and path only.
%~sp1	For short path.
%~nx1	Expands %1 to a filename and extension only.

To see all the parameters in action, put them into the batch file testing.bat, as follows.

@echo off

echo fully qualified name %~f1

echo drive %~d1

echo path %~p1

echo filename %~n1

echo file extension %~x1

echo short filename %~sn1

echo short file extension %~sx1

echo drive and directory %~dp1

echo filename and extension %~nx1

Then, run the file with a long filename. For example, the batch file run on the file c:\temp\longfilename.long would produce the following output.

fully qualified name c:\TEMP\longfilename.long

drive c:

path \TEMP\

filename longfilename

file extension .long

short filename LONGFI~1

short file extension .LON

drive and directory c:\TEMP\

filename and extension longfilename.long

This method also works on the second and subsequent parameters. You simply substitute the parameter for 1 (e.g., %~f2 for the second parameter’s fully qualified path name).

The %0 parameter in a batch file holds information about the file when it runs and indicates which command extensions you can use with the file (e.g., %~dp0 gives the batch file’s drive and path).

Here's a supplementary question: how can you pass parameters to a batch file when it is invoked by dragging an icon onto its shortcut in the GUI? In Win9x, the % variables will contain information about the dragged file, which can be used by the batch file to process it. Very handy. Unfortunately, in Win2K, the % variables are empty, and my batch files fail. Is there a workaround?

I have successfully used this in many environments, however, when using WinNT 4.0, I have been unable to pass a parameter when using a batch file (followed by a parameter in the user account) to map drives in the logon script file. Please advise if you have any information regarding a method to pass a parameter with the script file to allow mapping to be more easily managed.

How do I grab more than 9 parameters passed to a batch file? %10 and onwards does not work.

In response to Farid's query you can use the shift command as descibed below... https://www.microsoft.com/technet/treeview/default.asp?url=/technet/prodtechnol/windowsserver2003/proddocs/datacenter/shift.asp

I am using win98 and in an echo the %1 means files with .sam extension, but %~n1 does not work as file without the extension. what else should I try? Can you help me? Thanks

Hi, the article is good, but i want to know another question: I already know how pass parameters to another bat file, but can i pass a result (calculated on the second bat file) to the first .bat?

How do I pass a replaceable parameter to a batch file via a text input box in WIN XP? In WIN98 I could simply add a ? after .bat in the shortcut box. In WIN NT I had to put: shell=c:\winnt\system32\command.com/p/e:2048 into a WINNT file called param1.nt then put this file in c:\winnt\system32, pointing the batch file shortcut to param1.nt Can anyone please tell me how I can make this work in XP? I would be most grateful.

Regarding InstantDoc #13443 This only applies to Windows 2000/XP or later. Is there an alternative for Windows 98 SE? Thanks,

How to pass more than 10 parameters in dos batch file. for example %1 %2.....%9.????next after %9

Parameters #10 and up that are passed to a .BAT file can't be accessed directly with %10%, etc., but they are still there. You just have to shift them into view like this: :long.bat -how to get extra parms @echo off SET ONE______=%1 SET TWO______=%2 SET THREE____=%3 SET FOUR_____=%4 SET FIVE_____=%5 SET SIX______=%6 SET SEVEN____=%7 SET EIGHT____=%8 SET NINE_____=%9 SHIFT SHIFT SHIFT SHIFT SHIFT SHIFT SHIFT SHIFT SHIFT SET TEN______=%1 SET ELEVEN___=%2 SET TWELVE___=%3 SET THIRTEEN_=%4 SET FOURTEEN_=%5 SET FIFTEEN__=%6 SET SIXTEEN__=%7 SET SEVENTEEN=%8 SET EIGHTEEN_=%9 SHIFT SHIFT SHIFT SHIFT SHIFT SHIFT SHIFT SHIFT SHIFT SET NINETEEN_=%1 ECHO ONE______=%ONE______% ECHO TWO______=%TWO______% ECHO THREE____=%THREE____% ECHO FOUR_____=%FOUR_____% ECHO FIVE_____=%FIVE_____% ECHO SIX______=%SIX______% ECHO SEVEN____=%SEVEN____% ECHO EIGHT____=%EIGHT____% ECHO NINE_____=%NINE_____% ECHO TEN______=%TEN______% ECHO ELEVEN___=%ELEVEN___% ECHO TWELVE___=%TWELVE___% ECHO THIRTEEN_=%THIRTEEN_% ECHO FOURTEEN_=%FOURTEEN_% ECHO FIFTEEN__=%FIFTEEN__% ECHO SIXTEEN__=%SIXTEEN__% ECHO SEVENTEEN=%SEVENTEEN% ECHO EIGHTEEN_=%EIGHTEEN_% ECHO NINETEEN_=%NINETEEN_% SET ONE______= SET TWO______= SET THREE____= SET FOUR_____= SET FIVE_____= SET SIX______= SET SEVEN____= SET EIGHT____= SET NINE_____= SET TEN______= SET ELEVEN___= SET TWELVE___= SET THIRTEEN_= SET FOURTEEN_= SET FIFTEEN__= SET SIXTEEN__= SET SEVENTEEN= SET EIGHTEEN_= SET NINETEEN_=

how to p*** this expression %22 to another batch file with a call statement in w2k? it tries to expand it :(

I hev tried using %~f1 and %~f2 .Please let me know as they ar for fullly qualified path names but if i pass parameters for eg. ".\Logs\Logtrial.log" to them then does it create problem. Since i am trying to exectue the batch file with %~f1 and passing this path as parametr from command prompt then everything is execute fine but only after execution it displays on the command pronpt "unexpected at this thime" Please comment on this. Thanks

i am trying to delete a log file from a batch file using the command del %~f1 which i am accpeting through the command prompt. But when excuted it does not delete the log file mentioned by %~f1.it says "system cannot find the specified path" Please comment on this.