Read ini file using batch

[Geej]

I'm trying to test a cmd script that read a simple ini file. The ini file stores a folder path. However if folder path has space, it can't work properly.

folderstore.ini contains 3 lines

[Directory]
Cabfolder1=C:\Documents and Settings\user name\My Documents
Cabfolder2=C:\Documents_and_Settings\user_name\My_Documents

my batch is

Set inifile=folderstore.ini
Set txt1=%~n011.txt
type %inifile% | find "Cabfolder1=">%txt1%
:: Note: Current script unable to work with space
FOR /F "tokens=2* eol=; delims== " %%i in (%txt1%) do (set value1=%%i)
if %value1%==0 color 1A && echo Folder path not defined.
If not %value1%==0 Echo %value1% ^<---is the preset folder.
echo.
del %txt1%
pause

[allen2]

Try this:

Set inifile=folderstore.ini
Set txt1=%~n011.txt
rem :: Note: Current script unable to work with space
FOR /F "delims== tokens=2* usebackq" %%i in (`type %inifile% ^| find "Cabfolder1="`) do (set value1="%%i")
if %value1%=="" (color 1A && echo Folder path not defined.) else (Echo %value1%)
echo.
pause

[gunsmokingman]

Try this vbs script to see if it does what you want.

Updated Code Fix Save as Read_Ini_2.vbs

'-> Object For Runtime
 Dim Fso :Set Fso = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
'-> File To Open, Place Full Path If Script Not Is Ame Folder as Ini
 Dim Ini :Ini = "folderstore.ini"
'-> Varibles For Run Time
 Dim Chk, Loc, Obj, Ts
'-> Check For File Exists
  If Fso.FileExists(Ini) Then
'-> Open And Read All Into One Varible
    Set Ts = Fso.OpenTextFile(Ini,1)
    Chk = Ts.ReadAll
    Ts.Close
'-> Split The Varible By Line And Loop Threw It
    For Each Obj In Split(Chk,vbCrLf)
'-> Filfter Out Cabfolder1
     If InStr(1,Obj,"Cabfolder1",1) Then
'-> Split The Line Into Separate Objects
      Loc = Split(Obj,"=")
     End If 
    Next 
  Else
'-> File Not Found
   MsgBox "Error 1 Missing : " & Ini 
   WScript.Quit(0)
  End If
'-> Checks For Results
  If Not Loc(1) = "" Then
   MsgBox "Confirm : " & Loc(1),4128,"Confirmed Folder"
  Else
   MsgBox "Error 2 :  Folder path not defined.",4128,"Error 2"
  End if

Updated Code Fix

[Schiiwa]

.....delims==HERE_NO_SPACE"

Set inifile=folderstore.ini
Set txt1=%~n011.txt
type %inifile% | find "Cabfolder1=">%txt1%
:: Note: Current script able to work with space
FOR /F "tokens=2 eol=; delims==" %%i in (%txt1%) do (set value1=%%i)
if not defined VALUE1 (color 1A && echo Folder path not defined.) else (Echo %value1% ^<---is the preset folder.)
echo.
del %txt1%
pause

Edited November 7, 2011 by Schiiwa

[jaclaz]

If I may , both the wheel and hot water have been invented.

OT, but not much :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AK-47

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AK-47#Design_concept

A lot of [soviet Army soldiers] ask me how one can become a constructor, and how new weaponry is designed. These are very difficult questions. Each designer seems to have his own paths, his own successes and failures. But one thing is clear: before attempting to create something new, it is vital to have a good appreciation of everything that already exists in this field. I myself have had many experiences confirming this to be so.

http://www.robvanderwoude.com/vbstech_files_ini.php

http://www.robvanderwoude.com/battech.php#Files

http://www.robvanderwoude.com/files/readini_nt.txt

jaclaz

[Yzöwl]

Something like this should do what you need:

@ECHO OFF
SETLOCAL ENABLEEXTENSIONS DISABLEDELAYEDEXPANSION
(SET VAL1=)
FOR /F "TOKENS=1* DELIMS==" %%# IN (
	'FIND "Cabfolder1"^<FOLDERSTORE.INI 2^>NUL') DO SET "VAL1=%%$"
IF NOT DEFINED VAL1 (COLOR 1A
	ECHO= Folder path not defined
	COLOR
	PAUSE
	GOTO :EOF)
ECHO= %VAL1% ^<---is the preset folder.
PAUSE

[CoffeeFiend]

http://www.robvanderwoude.com/vbstech_files_ini.php

While I'm not a fan of the particular coding style used, it's surprisingly well thought out/designed. That really could have came in handy back then. But yet again, it's even shorter/more concise in PowerShell using regex pattern matching and hash tables. Yes, the syntax is different (it's really one switch statement, with 3 short regular expressions for matches) but on the other hand the program flow is much simpler.

[Geej]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I tested them using 3 scenarios

(1. Folder with space, 2. Folder no space, 3. Empty folder (ie. empty string))

I changed folderstore.ini to below so that I can easily modify the seach key to test all 3 situations.

[Directory]
Cabfolder1=C:\Documents and Settings\user name\My Documents
Cabfolder2=C:\Documents_and_Settings\user_name\My_Documents
Cabfolder3=

@allen2

Appreciate your input. Notice the output string is always quoted.

(I hope not to have it quoted.). If I change

(set value1="%%i")

to

(set value1=%%i) and rerun, the script terminate abnormally.

I wonder why terminate abnormally? Perhaps this line is causing problem:- if %value1%==""

Also if cabfolder3= (contains empty entry), the script terminate abruptly.

(I presume you did not check this part for empty folder)

You have remove the need for temp file : %txt1%. (I couldn't figure out how to do it w/o temp file.)

@gunsmokingman

Thanks for the alternative. Although your script looks for "Cabfolder1", it returns the value of Cabfolder2.

Suppose I add an extra line to folderstore.ini to test for empty string/path,

and I specify "Cabfolder2" within the script, it return Cabfolder3 value. Or do I miss out something?

Normally the expected output is the string on the right only. The script rtn the whole line, including strings on the left.

@Schiiwa

Achieve what I set out to do in all 3 scenarios (Folder with space, folder no space, empty string).

Thanks. I didn't know how to use If not defined syntax. I guess the scenario illustrate how to use this syntax.

Combining allen2's & Schiiwa's input, (because %txt1% is not required and Schiiwa fixed the problem by using If not defined rather than if %value1%=="",

so the final script I adopt is

@echo off
Set inifile=folderstore.ini
FOR /F "delims== tokens=2* usebackq" %%i in (`type %inifile% ^| find "Cabfolder3="`) do (set value1=%%i) 
If not defined VALUE1 (color 1A && echo Folder path not defined.) else (Echo %value1%)
echo.
pause

@jaclaz

Thanks for the link. Will read up on For /F [option] parameters.

If you have other useful links, do pass on.

Also it's not that I'm re-inventing the wheel but the script out there are fairly advanced for my humble knowledge to

easily adapt for my use.

I believe if I code it first I will appreciate and learn better the batch language.

@Yzowl

Thanks, yes, fits what I need. Perfect.

I could have easily script using Autoit but I just wish to experience using pure batch to see how difficult or easy to do such simple task.

Apparently, looking at the solution .... doesn't look easy after all.

But it's all for the sake of knowledge, esp For loop command.

They are the bread and butter of cmd syntax to be really useful.

Thank you all.

Best regards

[jaclaz]

@jaclaz

Thanks for the link. Will read up on For /F [option] parameters.

If you have other useful links, do pass on.

Also it's not that I'm re-inventing the wheel but the script out there are fairly advanced for my humble knowledge to

easily adapt for my use.

I believe if I code it first I will appreciate and learn better the batch language.

Yep , the idea was not to somehow discourage you from writing it yourself from scratch, only to let you know what has already been done and allow you to (hopefully) manage to EITHER:

• save time by using something pre-made (with any customization you may need)
  
• invent a rounder wheel (or hotter water)
  

If the target is just like the example:

[Directory]
Cabfolder1=C:\Documents and Settings\user name\My Documents
Cabfolder2=C:\Documents_and_Settings\user_name\My_Documents
Cabfolder3=

You can also use directly Environment variables, example oneliner:

Like:

@echo off&FOR /F "delims=" %%A IN ('TYPE folderstore.ini ^|FIND /V "["') DO SET %%A

Will make environment variables Cabfolder1 and Cabfolder2 with the correspondent values, but not Cabfolder3 (and it will actually reset the variable).

But I miss the actual "final goal that you are looking for.

I mean, do you need to "choose" among the various Cabfoldern or you want to selct last "defined" one or you just want to list the values (i.e. SET Cabfolder ) or what?

jaclaz

[Geej]

But I miss the actual "final goal that you are looking for.

I mean, do you need to "choose" among the various Cabfoldern or you want to selct last "defined" one or you just want to list the values (i.e. SET Cabfolder ) or what?

jaclaz

No need to choose among the various Cabfolder. Script should be able to read in just one cabfolder value

Actually all I need in folderstore.ini is just 1 entry cabfolder1=Some path with space

Of couse, I will manually change to cabfolder1=SomePathWithoutSpace if need to.

It also caters to cabfolder1= where there is no folder path at all. Hence Empty folder scenario may comes in.

But to make testing easier, instead of modifying folderstore.ini value, I inserted cabfolder2= & cabfolder3= to test all 3 possible situations.

If cabfolder1= actually has no path (which I will set it manually), then the script must be able to tell me "no folder defined".

[jaclaz]

No need to choose among the various Cabfolder. Script should be able to read in just one cabfolder value

Actually all I need in folderstore.ini is just 1 entry cabfolder1=Some path with space

Of couse, I will manually change to cabfolder1=SomePathWithoutSpace if need to.

It also caters to cabfolder1= where there is no folder path at all. Hence Empty folder scenario may comes in.

But to make testing easier, instead of modifying folderstore.ini value, I inserted cabfolder2= & cabfolder3= to test all 3 possible situations.

If cabfolder1= actually has no path (which I will set it manually), then the script must be able to tell me "no folder defined".

Then two/three lines might do:

Given this

[Directory]

Cabfolder1=C:\a long path including a few spaces

@echo off
FOR /F "delims=" %%A IN ('TYPE folderstore.ini ^|FIND /V "["') DO SET %%A
IF NOT DEFINED Cabfolder1 SET /P Cabfolder1=Path to your cabfolder: 

jaclaz

[allen2]

I wouldn't use Jaclaz method as it might be dangerous if the ini file contains entries that are already environment variables and might cause some strange behavior is the script doesn't end:

[Directory]
Path=
USERNAME=

@Geej

I did add the double quote on purpose to be able to use properly the variable after.

[Schiiwa]

Have a look here:

http://ss64.com/

I guess it could be useful

[gunsmokingman]

@gunsmokingman

Thanks for the alternative. Although your script looks for "Cabfolder1", it returns the value of Cabfolder2.

Suppose I add an extra line to folderstore.ini to test for empty string/path,

and I specify "Cabfolder2" within the script, it return Cabfolder3 value. Or do I miss out something?

Normally the expected output is the string on the right only. The script rtn the whole line, including strings on the left.

My bad here is a Script that will do what you want.

Contents of the folderstore.ini I used

[Directory]
Cabfolder1=C:\Documents and Settings\user name\My Documents
Cabfolder2=C:\Documents_and_Settings\user_name\My_Documents

Save As Read_Ini_2.vbs

'-> Object For Runtime
 Dim Fso :Set Fso = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
'-> File To Open, Place Full Path If Script Not Is Ame Folder as Ini
 Dim Ini :Ini = "folderstore.ini"
'-> Varibles For Run Time
 Dim Chk, Loc, Obj, Ts
'-> Check For File Exists
  If Fso.FileExists(Ini) Then
'-> Open And Read All Into One Varible
    Set Ts = Fso.OpenTextFile(Ini,1)
    Chk = Ts.ReadAll
    Ts.Close
'-> Split The Varible By Line And Loop Threw It
    For Each Obj In Split(Chk,vbCrLf)
'-> Filfter Out Cabfolder1
     If InStr(1,Obj,"Cabfolder1",1) Then
'-> Split The Line Into Separate Objects
      Loc = Split(Obj,"=")
     End If 
    Next 
  Else
'-> File Not Found
   MsgBox "Error 1 Missing : " & Ini 
   WScript.Quit(0)
  End If
'-> Checks For Results
  If Not Loc(1) = "" Then
   MsgBox "Confirm : " & Loc(1),4128,"Confirmed Folder"
  Else
   MsgBox "Error 2 :  Folder path not defined.",4128,"Error 2"
  End if

Rename Read_Ini_2.vbs.txt to Read_Ini_2.vbs to make active

Read_Ini_2.vbs.txt

[Geej]

@jaclaz

Instead of finding the actual string of cabfolder1, you inverted it via Find /V. Hence result returns the cabfolder1.

Nice trick.

@gunsmokingman

Works fine now. Thanks for the fix.