Batch Files

Name: Batch Files
Author: github

github/awesome-copilot

1 installs
37.5k repo stars
Updated August 5, 2026
github/awesome-copilot

batch-files skill documents Expert-level Windows batch file (.

About

batch-files skill documents Expert-level Windows batch file (.bat/.cmd) skill for writing, debugging, and maintaining CMD scripts. Use when asked to "create a batch file", "write a .bat script", "automate a Windows task", "CMD scripting", "batch automation", "scheduled task script", "Windows shell script", or when working with. name: batch-files description: 'Expert-level Windows batch file (.bat/.cmd) skill for writing, debugging, and maintaining CMD scripts. Use when asked to "create a batch file", "write a .bat script", "automate a Windows task", "CMD scripting", "batch automation", "scheduled task script", "Windows shell script", or when working with .bat/.cmd files in the workspace. Covers cmd.exe syntax, environmen

Expert-level Windows batch file (.
Use `SETLOCAL` - Prevents variable values from leaking to parent processes.
Platform-specific setup patterns for batch-files.
Evidence-backed steps from upstream SKILL.md.
When-to-use criteria for batch-files versus alternatives.

Batch Files by the numbers

1 all-time installs (skills.sh)
Ranked #1,980 of 2,715 Automation & Workflows skills by installs in the Skillselion catalog
Data as of Aug 5, 2026 (Skillselion catalog sync)

At a glance

batch-files capabilities & compatibility

Capabilities: batch files quick start · batch files when to use guidance · batch files integration patterns

From the docs

What batch-files says it does

Creating or editing `.bat` or `.cmd` files

SKILL.md

Automating Windows tasks (file operations, deployments, backups)

SKILL.md

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Last updated	August 5, 2026
Repository	github/awesome-copilot ↗

How do I use batch-files correctly?

Expert-level Windows batch file (.bat/.cmd) skill for writing, debugging, and maintaining CMD scripts. Use when asked to "create a batch file", "write a .bat script", "automate a Windows task", "CMD s

Who is it for?

Teams implementing batch-files workflows from the catalog.

Skip if: Skip when requirements clearly match a different specialized stack.

When should I use this skill?

User asks about batch-files, expert-level windows batch file (.bat/.cmd) skill for writing, debugging, and maintaining .

What you get

Working batch-files setup with validated configuration and next steps.

Files

SKILL.mdMarkdownGitHub ↗

Batch Files

A comprehensive skill for creating, editing, debugging, and maintaining Windows batch files (.bat/.cmd) using cmd.exe. Applies to CLI tool development, system administration automation, scheduled tasks, file operations scripting, and PATH-based executable scripts.

When to Use This Skill

Creating or editing .bat or .cmd files
Automating Windows tasks (file operations, deployments, backups)
Building CLI tools intended for a bin/ folder on PATH
Writing scheduled task scripts (SCHTASKS, Task Scheduler)
Debugging batch script issues (variable expansion, error levels, quoting)
Integrating batch scripts with external tools (curl, git, Node.js, Python)
Scaffolding new batch-based projects with structured templates

Prerequisites

Windows NT-based OS (Windows 7 or later)
cmd.exe (built-in)
Optional: a bin/ directory on PATH for distributing scripts as commands
Optional: PATHEXT configured to include .BAT;.CMD (default on Windows)

Command Interpretation

cmd.exe processes each line through four stages in order:

1. Variable substitution — %VAR% tokens are replaced with environment variable values. %0–%9 reference batch arguments. %* expands to all arguments. 2. Quoting and escaping — Caret ^ escapes special characters (& | < > ^). Quotation marks prevent interpretation of enclosed special characters. In batch files, %% yields a literal %. 3. Syntax parsing — Lines are split into pipelines (|), compound commands (&, &&, ||), and parenthesized groups ( ). 4. Redirection — > overwrites, >> appends, < reads input, 2> redirects stderr, 2>&1 merges stderr into stdout, >NUL discards output.

Variables

Environment Variables

set _MY_VAR=Hello World
echo %_MY_VAR%
set _MY_VAR=

set with no arguments lists all variables
set _PREFIX lists variables starting with _PREFIX
No spaces around = — set name = val sets variable "name " to " val"

Special Variables

Variable	Value
`%CD%`	Current directory
`%DATE%`	System date (locale-dependent)
`%TIME%`	System time HH:MM:SS.mm
`%RANDOM%`	Pseudorandom number 0–32767
`%ERRORLEVEL%`	Exit code of last command
`%USERNAME%`	Current user name
`%USERPROFILE%`	Current user profile path
`%TEMP%` / `%TMP%`	Temporary file directory
`%PATHEXT%`	Executable extensions list
`%COMSPEC%`	Path to cmd.exe

Scoping with SETLOCAL / ENDLOCAL

setlocal
set _LOCAL_VAR=scoped value
endlocal
REM _LOCAL_VAR is no longer defined here

To return a value from a scoped block:

endlocal & set _RESULT=%_LOCAL_VAR%

Delayed Expansion

Variables inside parenthesized blocks are expanded at parse time. Use delayed expansion for runtime evaluation:

setlocal EnableDelayedExpansion
set _COUNT=0
for /l %%i in (1,1,5) do (
    set /a _COUNT+=1
    echo !_COUNT!
)
endlocal

!VAR! expands at execution time (delayed)
%VAR% expands at parse time (immediate)

Control Flow

Conditional Execution

if exist "output.txt" echo File found
if not defined _MY_VAR echo Variable not set
if "%_STATUS%"=="ready" (echo Go) else (echo Wait)
if %ERRORLEVEL% neq 0 echo Command failed

Comparison operators: equ, neq, lss, leq, gtr, geq. Use /i for case-insensitive string comparison.

Compound Commands

command1 & command2        & REM Always run both
command1 && command2       & REM Run command2 only if command1 succeeds
command1 || command2       & REM Run command2 only if command1 fails

FOR Loops

REM Iterate over a set of values
for %%i in (alpha beta gamma) do echo %%i

REM Numeric range: start, step, end
for /l %%i in (1,1,10) do echo %%i

REM Files in a directory
for %%f in (*.txt) do echo %%f

REM Recursive file search
for /r %%f in (*.log) do echo %%f

REM Directories only
for /d %%d in (*) do echo %%d

REM Parse command output
for /f "tokens=1,2 delims=:" %%a in ('ipconfig ^| findstr "IPv4"') do echo %%b

REM Parse file lines
for /f "usebackq tokens=*" %%a in ("data.txt") do echo %%a

GOTO and Labels

goto :main_logic
:usage
echo Usage: %~nx0 [options]
exit /b 1

:main_logic
echo Running main logic...
goto :eof

goto :eof exits the current batch or subroutine. Labels start with :.

Command-Line Arguments

Syntax	Value
`%0`	Script name as invoked
`%1`–`%9`	Positional arguments
`%*`	All arguments (unaffected by SHIFT)
`%~1`	Argument 1 with enclosing quotes removed
`%~f1`	Full path of argument 1
`%~d1`	Drive letter of argument 1
`%~p1`	Path (without drive) of argument 1
`%~n1`	File name (no extension) of argument 1
`%~x1`	Extension of argument 1
`%~dp0`	Drive and path of the batch file itself
`%~nx0`	File name with extension of the batch file
`%~z1`	File size of argument 1
`%~$PATH:1`	Search PATH for argument 1

Argument Parsing Pattern

:parse_args
if "%~1"=="" goto :args_done
if /i "%~1"=="--help" goto :usage
if /i "%~1"=="--output" (
    set "_OUTPUT_DIR=%~2"
    shift
)
shift
goto :parse_args
:args_done

String Processing

Substrings

set _STR=Hello World
echo %_STR:~0,5%       & REM "Hello"
echo %_STR:~6%         & REM "World"
echo %_STR:~-5%        & REM "World"
echo %_STR:~0,-6%      & REM "Hello"

Search and Replace

set _STR=Hello World
echo %_STR:World=Earth%       & REM "Hello Earth"
echo %_STR:Hello=%            & REM " World" (remove "Hello")

Substring Containment Test

if not "%_STR:World=%"=="%_STR%" echo Contains "World"

Functions

Functions use labels, CALL, and SETLOCAL/ENDLOCAL:

@echo off
call :greet "Jane Doe"
echo Result: %_GREETING%
exit /b 0

:greet
setlocal
set "_MSG=Hello, %~1"
endlocal & set "_GREETING=%_MSG%"
exit /b 0

call :label args invokes a function
exit /b returns from the function (not the script)
Use the endlocal & set trick to pass values out of a scoped block

Arithmetic

set /a performs 32-bit signed integer arithmetic:

set /a _RESULT=10 * 5 + 3
set /a _COUNTER+=1
set /a _REMAINDER=14 %% 3       & REM Use %% for modulo in batch files
set /a _BITS="255 & 0x0F"       & REM Bitwise AND

Supported operators: + - * / %% ( ) and bitwise & | ^ ~ << >>.

Hexadecimal (0xFF) and octal (077) literals are supported.

Error Handling

Error Level Conventions

0 = success
Non-zero = failure (typically 1)

mycommand.exe
if %ERRORLEVEL% neq 0 (
    echo ERROR: mycommand failed with code %ERRORLEVEL%
    exit /b %ERRORLEVEL%
)

Fail-Fast Pattern

command1 || (echo command1 failed & exit /b 1)
command2 || (echo command2 failed & exit /b 1)

Setting Exit Codes

exit /b 0        & REM Return success from a batch/function
exit /b 1        & REM Return failure
cmd /c "exit /b 42"   & REM Set ERRORLEVEL to 42 inline

Essential Commands Reference

File Operations

Command	Purpose
`DIR`	List directory contents
`COPY`	Copy files
`XCOPY`	Extended copy with subdirectories (legacy)
`ROBOCOPY`	Robust copy with retry, mirror, logging
`MOVE`	Move or rename files
`DEL`	Delete files
`REN`	Rename files
`MD` / `MKDIR`	Create directories
`RD` / `RMDIR`	Remove directories
`MKLINK`	Create symbolic or hard links
`ATTRIB`	View or set file attributes
`TYPE`	Print file contents
`MORE`	Paginated file display
`TREE`	Display directory structure
`REPLACE`	Replace files in destination with source
`COMPACT`	Show or set NTFS compression
`EXPAND`	Extract from .cab files
`MAKECAB`	Create .cab archives
`TAR`	Create or extract tar archives

Text Search and Processing

Command	Purpose
`FIND`	Search for literal strings
`FINDSTR`	Search with limited regular expressions
`SORT`	Sort lines alphabetically
`CLIP`	Copy piped input to clipboard
`FC`	Compare two files
`COMP`	Binary file comparison
`CERTUTIL`	Encode/decode Base64, compute hashes

System Information

Command	Purpose
`SYSTEMINFO`	Full system configuration
`HOSTNAME`	Display computer name
`VER`	Windows version
`WHOAMI`	Current user and group info
`TASKLIST`	List running processes
`TASKKILL`	Terminate processes
`WMIC`	WMI queries (drives, OS, memory)
`SC`	Service control (query, start, stop)
`DRIVERQUERY`	List installed drivers
`REG`	Registry operations (query, add, delete)
`SETX`	Set persistent environment variables

Network

Command	Purpose
`PING`	Test network connectivity
`IPCONFIG`	IP configuration
`NSLOOKUP`	DNS lookup
`NETSTAT`	Network connections and ports
`TRACERT`	Trace route to host
`NET USE`	Map/disconnect network drives
`NET USER`	Manage user accounts
`NETSH`	Network configuration utility
`ARP`	ARP cache management
`ROUTE`	Routing table management
`CURL`	HTTP requests (Windows 10+)
`SSH`	Secure shell (Windows 10+)

Scheduling and Automation

Command	Purpose
`SCHTASKS`	Create and manage scheduled tasks
`TIMEOUT`	Wait N seconds (Vista+)
`START`	Launch programs asynchronously
`RUNAS`	Run as different user
`SHUTDOWN`	Shutdown or restart
`FORFILES`	Find files by date and execute commands

Shell Utilities

Command	Purpose
`WHERE`	Locate executables in PATH
`DOSKEY`	Create command macros
`CHOICE`	Prompt for single-key input
`MODE`	Configure console size and ports
`SUBST`	Map folder to drive letter
`CHCP`	Get or set console code page
`COLOR`	Set console colors
`TITLE`	Set console window title
`ASSOC` / `FTYPE`	File type associations

Shell Syntax and Expressions

Parentheses for Grouping

Parentheses turn compound commands into a single unit for redirection or conditional execution:

(echo Line 1 & echo Line 2) > output.txt
if exist "data.csv" (
    echo Processing...
    call :process "data.csv"
) else (
    echo No data found.
)

Escape Characters

The caret ^ escapes the next character:

echo Total ^& Summary          & REM Outputs: Total & Summary
echo 100%% complete            & REM Outputs: 100% complete (in batch)
echo Line one^
Line two                       & REM Caret escapes the newline

After a pipe, triple caret is needed: echo x ^^^& y | findstr x

Wildcards

* matches any sequence of characters
? matches a single character (or zero at end of period-free segment)

dir *.txt           & REM All .txt files
ren *.jpeg *.jpg    & REM Bulk rename

Redirection Summary

command > file.txt          & REM Overwrite stdout to file
command >> file.txt         & REM Append stdout to file
command 2> errors.log       & REM Redirect stderr
command > all.log 2>&1      & REM Merge stderr into stdout
command < input.txt         & REM Read stdin from file
command > NUL 2>&1          & REM Discard all output

Writing Production-Quality Batch Files

Standard Script Structure

@echo off
setlocal EnableDelayedExpansion

REM ============================================================
REM  Script: example.bat
REM  Purpose: Describe what this script does
REM ============================================================

call :main %*
exit /b %ERRORLEVEL%

:main
    call :parse_args %*
    if not defined _TARGET (
        echo ERROR: --target is required. 1>&2
        call :usage
        exit /b 1
    )
    echo Processing: %_TARGET%
    exit /b 0

:parse_args
    if "%~1"=="" exit /b 0
    if /i "%~1"=="--target" set "_TARGET=%~2" & shift
    if /i "%~1"=="--help"   call :usage & exit /b 0
    shift
    goto :parse_args

:usage
    echo Usage: %~nx0 --target ^<path^> [--help]
    echo.
    echo Options:
    echo   --target   Path to process (required)
    echo   --help     Show this help message
    exit /b 0

Best Practices

1. Always start with `@echo off` and `setlocal` — Prevents noisy output and variable leakage to the caller. 2. Validate inputs before processing — Check required arguments and file existence early. Use if not defined and if not exist. 3. Quote paths and variables — Use "%~1" and "%_MY_PATH%" to handle spaces and special characters safely. 4. Use `exit /b` instead of `exit` — Avoids closing the parent console window. 5. Return meaningful exit codes — exit /b 0 for success, non-zero for specific failures. 6. Use `%~dp0` for script-relative paths — Ensures the script works regardless of the caller's working directory. 7. Prefer `ROBOCOPY` over `XCOPY` — More reliable, supports retry, mirroring, and logging. 8. Use `EnableDelayedExpansion` when modifying variables inside loops or parenthesized blocks. 9. Write errors to stderr — echo ERROR: message 1>&2 keeps stdout clean for piping. 10. Use `REM` for comments — :: can cause issues inside FOR loop bodies.

Security Considerations

Never store credentials in batch files — Use environment variables, credential stores, or prompts.
Validate user input — Unquoted variables containing &, |, or > can inject commands. Always quote: "%_USER_INPUT%".
Use `SETLOCAL` — Prevents variable values from leaking to parent processes.
Sanitize file paths — Validate paths before passing to DEL, RD, or ROBOCOPY to prevent unintended deletion.
Avoid `SET /P` for sensitive input — Input is visible and stored in console history. Use a dedicated credential tool when possible.

Debugging and Troubleshooting

Technique	How
Trace execution	Remove `@echo off` or use `@echo on` temporarily
Step through	Add `PAUSE` between sections
Check error level	`echo Exit code: %ERRORLEVEL%` after each command
Inspect variables	`set _MY_` to list all variables starting with `_MY_`
Delayed expansion issues	Variable inside `( )` block not updating? Enable `!VAR!` syntax
FOR loop `%%` vs `%`	Use `%%i` in batch files, `%i` on the command line
Spaces in SET	`set name=value` not `set name = value`
Caret in pipes	After a pipe, use `^^^` to escape special chars
Parentheses in SET /A	Escape with `^(` and `^)` inside `if` blocks, or use quotes
Double percent for modulo	`set /a r=14 %% 3` in batch files

Cross-Platform and Extended Tools

When batch scripting reaches its limits, these tools extend cmd.exe capabilities:

Tool	Purpose
Cygwin	Full POSIX environment on Windows (grep, sed, awk, ssh)
MSYS2	Lightweight Unix tools and package manager (pacman)
WSL	Windows Subsystem for Linux — run native Linux binaries
GnuWin32	Individual GNU utilities as native Windows executables
PowerShell	Modern Windows scripting with .NET integration

Use batch when you need: fast startup, simple file operations, PATH-based CLI tools, or Task Scheduler integration. Consider PowerShell or WSL for complex data processing, REST APIs, or object-oriented scripting.

CMD Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut	Action
`Tab`	Auto-complete file/folder names
`Up` / `Down`	Navigate command history
`F7`	Show command history popup
`F3`	Repeat last command
`Esc`	Clear current line
`Ctrl+C`	Cancel running command
`Alt+F7`	Clear command history

Reference Files

The references/ folder contains detailed documentation:

File	Contents
`tools-and-resources.md`	Windows tools, utilities, package managers, terminals
`batch-files-and-functions.md`	Example scripts, techniques, best practices links
`windows-commands.md`	Comprehensive A-Z Windows command reference
`cygwin.md`	Cygwin user guide and FAQ
`msys2.md`	MSYS2 installation, packages, and environments
`windows-subsystem-on-linux.md`	WSL setup, commands, and documentation

Asset Templates

The assets/ folder contains starter batch file template data, but as text files:

Template	Purpose
`executable.txt`	Standalone CLI tool with argument parsing
`library.txt`	Reusable function library with CALL-able labels
`task.txt`	Scheduled task / automation script

@echo off
REM myTool
::  A standalone command-line tool template with argument parsing.
::
::  usage: myTool [options] [1] [2]
::   [1]  =  input file path or value
::   [2]  =  output file path (optional)
::
::  options:
::   /?        Show this help message
::   -h        Show this help message
::   --help    Show this help message
::   -v        Show version information
::   --verbose Enable verbose output
::
::  examples:
::   > myTool "C:\data\input.txt"
::   > myTool "C:\data\input.txt" "C:\data\output.txt"
::   > myTool --verbose "C:\data\input.txt"
::
set "_helpLinesMyTool=19"

:: ========================================================================
:: TEMPLATE INSTRUCTIONS
:: 1. Find/Replace "myTool" with your executable name (camelCase).
:: 2. Find/Replace "MyTool" with your executable name (PascalCase).
:: 3. Update the help block above (lines 2-19) for your tool.
:: 4. Implement your logic in :_runMyTool.
:: 5. Add any new variables to :_removeBatchVariablesMyTool.
:: ========================================================================

:: Config variables.
set "_versionMyTool=1.0.0"
set "_verboseMyTool=0"

:: Define paths.
set "_scriptDirMyTool=%~dp0"
set "_scriptNameMyTool=%~n0"

:: Parse arguments into variables.
set "_parOneMyTool=%~1"
set "_checkParOneMyTool=-%_parOneMyTool%-"
set "_parTwoMyTool=%~2"
set "_checkParTwoMyTool=-%_parTwoMyTool%-"
set "_parThreeMyTool=%~3"
set "_checkParThreeMyTool=-%_parThreeMyTool%-"

:: -----------------------------------------------------------------------
:: Handle help and version flags.
:: -----------------------------------------------------------------------
if "%_parOneMyTool%"=="/?" call :_showHelpMyTool & goto _removeBatchVariablesMyTool
if /i "%_parOneMyTool%"=="-h" call :_showHelpMyTool & goto _removeBatchVariablesMyTool
if /i "%_parOneMyTool%"=="--help" call :_showHelpMyTool & goto _removeBatchVariablesMyTool
if /i "%_parOneMyTool%"=="-v" (
    echo %_scriptNameMyTool% version %_versionMyTool%
    goto _removeBatchVariablesMyTool
)

:: -----------------------------------------------------------------------
:: Handle --verbose flag (shift arguments if present).
:: -----------------------------------------------------------------------
if /i "%_parOneMyTool%"=="--verbose" (
    set "_verboseMyTool=1"
    set "_parOneMyTool=%~2"
    set "_checkParOneMyTool=-%~2-"
    set "_parTwoMyTool=%~3"
    set "_checkParTwoMyTool=-%~3-"
)

:: Create temp directory for intermediate files.
call :_makeTempDirMyTool

:: -----------------------------------------------------------------------
:: Validate required input and start execution.
:: -----------------------------------------------------------------------
if "%_checkParOneMyTool%"=="--" (
    echo ERROR: No input specified. Run "%_scriptNameMyTool% /?" for usage. 1>&2
    goto _removeBatchVariablesMyTool
)

call :_startMyTool
goto _removeBatchVariablesMyTool

:: ========================================================================
:: MAIN LOGIC
:: ========================================================================

:_startMyTool
    if "%_verboseMyTool%"=="1" (
        echo [VERBOSE] Input:  %_parOneMyTool%
        echo [VERBOSE] Output: %_parTwoMyTool%
    )

    REM Validate input file exists.
    if NOT EXIST "%_parOneMyTool%" (
        echo ERROR: Input file not found: %_parOneMyTool% 1>&2
        goto :eof
    )

    call :_runMyTool
goto :eof

:_runMyTool
    REM ===================================================================
    REM TODO: Replace this section with your tool's logic.
    REM ===================================================================
    echo Processing: %_parOneMyTool%

    if NOT "%_checkParTwoMyTool%"=="--" (
        echo Output to:  %_parTwoMyTool%
        REM Example: copy input to output.
        REM copy /Y "%_parOneMyTool%" "%_parTwoMyTool%" >nul
    )

    echo Done.
goto :eof

:: ========================================================================
:: SUPPORT FUNCTIONS
:: ========================================================================

:_showHelpMyTool
    echo:
    for /f "skip=1 delims=" %%a in ('findstr /n "^" "%~f0"') do (
        set "_line=%%a"
        setlocal EnableDelayedExpansion
        for /f "delims=:" %%n in ("!_line!") do set "_lineNum=%%n"
        if !_lineNum! GTR %_helpLinesMyTool% (
            endlocal
            goto :eof
        )
        set "_text=!_line:*:=!"
        if defined _text (
            echo !_text:~4!
        ) else (
            echo:
        )
        endlocal
    )
goto :eof

:_makeTempDirMyTool
    set "_tmpDirMyTool=%TEMP%\%~n0_%RANDOM%%RANDOM%"
    set "_tmpDirCreatedMyTool=0"
    if NOT EXIST "%_tmpDirMyTool%" (
        mkdir "%_tmpDirMyTool%" >nul 2>nul
        set "_tmpDirCreatedMyTool=1"
    )
goto :eof

:: ========================================================================
:: CLEANUP — Remove all batch variables.
:: ========================================================================
:_removeBatchVariablesMyTool
    set _helpLinesMyTool=
    set _versionMyTool=
    set _verboseMyTool=
    set _scriptDirMyTool=
    set _scriptNameMyTool=
    set _parOneMyTool=
    set _checkParOneMyTool=
    set _parTwoMyTool=
    set _checkParTwoMyTool=
    set _parThreeMyTool=
    set _checkParThreeMyTool=
    REM Append new variables above this line.

    if "%_tmpDirCreatedMyTool%"=="1" if EXIST "%_tmpDirMyTool%" rmdir /S /Q "%_tmpDirMyTool%" >nul 2>nul
    set _tmpDirMyTool=
    set _tmpDirCreatedMyTool=
    exit /b

@echo off
REM myLib
::  A reusable function library with CALL-able labels.
::
::  usage: call myLib [function] [args...]
::   Functions:
::     trimWhitespace  [inputVar]            Trim leading/trailing spaces
::     toLower         [inputVar]            Convert value to lowercase
::     getTimestamp     [outputVar]           Get current date-time stamp
::     logMessage       [level] [message]    Write a log entry
::     padRight         [string] [width]     Right-pad a string with spaces
::
::  examples:
::   > set "myVar=  Hello World  "
::   > call myLib trimWhitespace myVar
::   > call myLib getTimestamp _now
::   > call myLib logMessage INFO "Acme Corp backup started"
::
set "_helpLinesMyLib=17"

:: ========================================================================
:: TEMPLATE INSTRUCTIONS
:: 1. Find/Replace "myLib" with your library name (camelCase).
:: 2. Find/Replace "MyLib" with your library name (PascalCase).
:: 3. Add your own :_funcNameMyLib labels below.
:: 4. Update the help block above (lines 2-17) for your library.
:: 5. Add any new variables to :_removeBatchVariablesMyLib.
:: ========================================================================

:: Route to the requested function.
set "_funcMyLib=%~1"
set "_argOneMyLib=%~2"
set "_argTwoMyLib=%~3"
set "_argThreeMyLib=%~4"

if "%_funcMyLib%"=="/?" call :_showHelpMyLib & goto _removeBatchVariablesMyLib
if /i "%_funcMyLib%"=="-h" call :_showHelpMyLib & goto _removeBatchVariablesMyLib
if /i "%_funcMyLib%"=="--help" call :_showHelpMyLib & goto _removeBatchVariablesMyLib

if /i "%_funcMyLib%"=="trimWhitespace" call :_trimWhitespaceMyLib & goto _removeBatchVariablesMyLib
if /i "%_funcMyLib%"=="toLower" call :_toLowerMyLib & goto _removeBatchVariablesMyLib
if /i "%_funcMyLib%"=="getTimestamp" call :_getTimestampMyLib & goto _removeBatchVariablesMyLib
if /i "%_funcMyLib%"=="logMessage" call :_logMessageMyLib & goto _removeBatchVariablesMyLib
if /i "%_funcMyLib%"=="padRight" call :_padRightMyLib & goto _removeBatchVariablesMyLib

echo ERROR: Unknown function "%_funcMyLib%". Run "%~n0 /?" for usage.
goto _removeBatchVariablesMyLib

:: ========================================================================
:: LIBRARY FUNCTIONS
:: ========================================================================

:_trimWhitespaceMyLib
    REM Trim leading and trailing spaces from a variable.
    REM   %_argOneMyLib% = name of the variable to trim (passed by name).
    if not defined _argOneMyLib goto :eof
    setlocal EnableDelayedExpansion
    set "_valMyLib=!%_argOneMyLib%!"
    REM Trim leading spaces.
    for /f "tokens=* delims= " %%a in ("!_valMyLib!") do set "_valMyLib=%%a"
    REM Trim trailing spaces.
    :_trimTrailingMyLib
    if "!_valMyLib:~-1!"==" " (
        set "_valMyLib=!_valMyLib:~0,-1!"
        goto _trimTrailingMyLib
    )
    endlocal & set "%_argOneMyLib%=%_valMyLib%"
goto :eof

:_toLowerMyLib
    REM Convert a variable's value to lowercase.
    REM   %_argOneMyLib% = name of the variable to convert (passed by name).
    if not defined _argOneMyLib goto :eof
    setlocal EnableDelayedExpansion
    set "_valMyLib=!%_argOneMyLib%!"
    set "_valMyLib=!_valMyLib:A=a!"
    set "_valMyLib=!_valMyLib:B=b!"
    set "_valMyLib=!_valMyLib:C=c!"
    set "_valMyLib=!_valMyLib:D=d!"
    set "_valMyLib=!_valMyLib:E=e!"
    set "_valMyLib=!_valMyLib:F=f!"
    set "_valMyLib=!_valMyLib:G=g!"
    set "_valMyLib=!_valMyLib:H=h!"
    set "_valMyLib=!_valMyLib:I=i!"
    set "_valMyLib=!_valMyLib:J=j!"
    set "_valMyLib=!_valMyLib:K=k!"
    set "_valMyLib=!_valMyLib:L=l!"
    set "_valMyLib=!_valMyLib:M=m!"
    set "_valMyLib=!_valMyLib:N=n!"
    set "_valMyLib=!_valMyLib:O=o!"
    set "_valMyLib=!_valMyLib:P=p!"
    set "_valMyLib=!_valMyLib:Q=q!"
    set "_valMyLib=!_valMyLib:R=r!"
    set "_valMyLib=!_valMyLib:S=s!"
    set "_valMyLib=!_valMyLib:T=t!"
    set "_valMyLib=!_valMyLib:U=u!"
    set "_valMyLib=!_valMyLib:V=v!"
    set "_valMyLib=!_valMyLib:W=w!"
    set "_valMyLib=!_valMyLib:X=x!"
    set "_valMyLib=!_valMyLib:Y=y!"
    set "_valMyLib=!_valMyLib:Z=z!"
    endlocal & set "%_argOneMyLib%=%_valMyLib%"
goto :eof

:_getTimestampMyLib
    REM Write a YYYY-MM-DD_HH-MM-SS timestamp into the named variable.
    REM   %_argOneMyLib% = name of the output variable.
    REM NOTE: Uses %DATE% and %TIME% which are locale-dependent. The parsing
    REM   below assumes US-style format (e.g., "Fri 04/18/2026" or "04/18/2026").
    REM   Adjust the substring offsets for your locale, or use PowerShell for
    REM   a locale-independent alternative:
    REM     for /f %%a in ('powershell -nop -c "Get-Date -F yyyy-MM-dd_HH-mm-ss"') do set "var=%%a"
    if not defined _argOneMyLib goto :eof
    setlocal EnableDelayedExpansion
    REM Parse date — strip leading day name if present (e.g., "Fri ").
    set "_dtMyLib=%DATE%"
    if "!_dtMyLib:~3,1!"==" " set "_dtMyLib=!_dtMyLib:~4!"
    set "_stampMyLib=!_dtMyLib:~6,4!-!_dtMyLib:~0,2!-!_dtMyLib:~3,2!"
    REM Parse time — replace leading space with 0 for single-digit hours.
    set "_tmMyLib=%TIME: =0%"
    set "_stampMyLib=!_stampMyLib!_!_tmMyLib:~0,2!-!_tmMyLib:~3,2!-!_tmMyLib:~6,2!"
    endlocal & set "%_argOneMyLib%=%_stampMyLib%"
goto :eof

:_logMessageMyLib
    REM Write a timestamped log line to stdout.
    REM   %_argOneMyLib% = level (INFO, WARN, ERROR)
    REM   %_argTwoMyLib% = message text
    REM NOTE: Uses %DATE% and %TIME% (locale-dependent). See :_getTimestampMyLib.
    setlocal EnableDelayedExpansion
    set "_dtMyLib=%DATE%"
    if "!_dtMyLib:~3,1!"==" " set "_dtMyLib=!_dtMyLib:~4!"
    set "_tmMyLib=%TIME: =0%"
    set "_tsMyLib=!_dtMyLib:~6,4!-!_dtMyLib:~0,2!-!_dtMyLib:~3,2! !_tmMyLib:~0,2!:!_tmMyLib:~3,2!:!_tmMyLib:~6,2!"
    echo [!_tsMyLib!] [%_argOneMyLib%] %_argTwoMyLib%
    endlocal
goto :eof

:_padRightMyLib
    REM Pad a string to a given width with trailing spaces.
    REM   %_argOneMyLib% = the string to pad
    REM   %_argTwoMyLib% = desired total width
    if not defined _argOneMyLib goto :eof
    if not defined _argTwoMyLib goto :eof
    setlocal EnableDelayedExpansion
    set "_valMyLib=%_argOneMyLib%"
    set "_padMyLib=%_valMyLib%                                                  "
    set "_padMyLib=!_padMyLib:~0,%_argTwoMyLib%!"
    echo !_padMyLib!
    endlocal
goto :eof

:: ========================================================================
:: HELP
:: ========================================================================

:_showHelpMyLib
    echo:
    for /f "skip=1 delims=" %%a in ('findstr /n "^" "%~f0"') do (
        set "_line=%%a"
        setlocal EnableDelayedExpansion
        for /f "delims=:" %%n in ("!_line!") do set "_lineNum=%%n"
        if !_lineNum! GTR %_helpLinesMyLib% (
            endlocal
            goto :eof
        )
        set "_text=!_line:*:=!"
        if defined _text (
            echo !_text:~4!
        ) else (
            echo:
        )
        endlocal
    )
goto :eof

:: ========================================================================
:: CLEANUP — Remove all batch variables.
:: ========================================================================
:_removeBatchVariablesMyLib
    set _helpLinesMyLib=
    set _funcMyLib=
    set _argOneMyLib=
    set _argTwoMyLib=
    set _argThreeMyLib=
    set _valMyLib=
    REM Append new variables above this line.
    exit /b

@echo off
REM myTask
::  An automation script for scheduled or manual task execution.
::
::  usage: myTask [options]
::   [1]  =  task target or configuration value (optional)
::
::  options:
::   /?       Show this help message
::   -h       Show this help message
::   --help   Show this help message
::   --dry    Dry-run mode (preview actions without executing)
::
::  examples:
::   > myTask
::     - Run the default task.
::   > myTask --dry
::     - Preview what the task would do without making changes.
::   > myTask "C:\data\reports"
::     - Run the task against a specific target directory.
::
set "_helpLinesMyTask=20"

:: ========================================================================
:: TEMPLATE INSTRUCTIONS
:: 1. Find/Replace "myTask" with your task name (camelCase).
:: 2. Find/Replace "MyTask" with your task name (PascalCase).
:: 3. Update the help block above (lines 2-20) for your task.
:: 4. Implement your logic in :_runMyTask.
:: 5. Add any new variables to :_removeBatchVariablesMyTask.
:: ========================================================================

:: Config variables.
set "_dryRunMyTask=0"
set "_logFileMyTask=%TEMP%\%~n0.log"

:: Define paths.
set "_scriptDirMyTask=%~dp0"
set "_scriptNameMyTask=%~n0"

:: Parse arguments into variables.
set "_parOneMyTask=%~1"
set "_checkParOneMyTask=-%_parOneMyTask%-"
set "_parTwoMyTask=%~2"
set "_checkParTwoMyTask=-%_parTwoMyTask%-"

:: -----------------------------------------------------------------------
:: Handle help flag.
:: -----------------------------------------------------------------------
if "%_parOneMyTask%"=="/?" call :_showHelpMyTask & goto _removeBatchVariablesMyTask
if /i "%_parOneMyTask%"=="-h" call :_showHelpMyTask & goto _removeBatchVariablesMyTask
if /i "%_parOneMyTask%"=="--help" call :_showHelpMyTask & goto _removeBatchVariablesMyTask

:: -----------------------------------------------------------------------
:: Handle --dry flag (shift arguments if present).
:: -----------------------------------------------------------------------
if /i "%_parOneMyTask%"=="--dry" (
    set "_dryRunMyTask=1"
    set "_parOneMyTask=%~2"
    set "_checkParOneMyTask=-%~2-"
)

:: Store current directory to return to after task completes.
set "_savedDirMyTask=%CD%"

:: Create temp directory for intermediate files.
call :_makeTempDirMyTask

:: -----------------------------------------------------------------------
:: Log start and begin execution.
:: -----------------------------------------------------------------------
call :_logMyTask "=========================================="
call :_logMyTask "Task started: %_scriptNameMyTask%"
call :_logMyTask "=========================================="

call :_runMyTask

call :_logMyTask "Task finished: %_scriptNameMyTask%"
goto _removeBatchVariablesMyTask

:: ========================================================================
:: MAIN LOGIC
:: ========================================================================

:_runMyTask
    REM ===================================================================
    REM TODO: Replace this section with your task logic.
    REM ===================================================================

    if "%_dryRunMyTask%"=="1" (
        call :_logMyTask "[DRY RUN] Would process target: %_parOneMyTask%"
        goto :eof
    )

    REM Example: Process files in a target directory.
    if NOT "%_checkParOneMyTask%"=="--" (
        if NOT EXIST "%_parOneMyTask%" (
            call :_logMyTask "ERROR: Target not found: %_parOneMyTask%"
            goto :eof
        )
        call :_logMyTask "Processing target: %_parOneMyTask%"
        REM Add task operations here.
    ) else (
        call :_logMyTask "Running default task (no target specified)."
        REM Add default task operations here.
    )

    call :_logMyTask "Task operations complete."
goto :eof

:: ========================================================================
:: SUPPORT FUNCTIONS
:: ========================================================================

:_logMyTask
    REM Write a timestamped message to both console and log file.
    setlocal EnableDelayedExpansion
    for /f "tokens=2 delims==" %%a in ('wmic os get localdatetime /value') do (
        set "_dtMyTask=%%a"
    )
    set "_tsMyTask=!_dtMyTask:~0,4!-!_dtMyTask:~4,2!-!_dtMyTask:~6,2! !_dtMyTask:~8,2!:!_dtMyTask:~10,2!:!_dtMyTask:~12,2!"
    echo [!_tsMyTask!] %~1
    echo [!_tsMyTask!] %~1 >>"%_logFileMyTask%"
    endlocal
goto :eof

:_showHelpMyTask
    echo:
    for /f "skip=1 tokens=* delims=" %%a in ('findstr /n "^" "%~f0"') do (
        set "_line=%%a"
        setlocal EnableDelayedExpansion
        set "_lineNum=!_line:~0,2!"
        if !_lineNum! GTR %_helpLinesMyTask% (
            endlocal
            goto :eof
        )
        set "_text=!_line:*:=!"
        if defined _text (
            echo !_text:~4!
        ) else (
            echo:
        )
        endlocal
    )
goto :eof

:_makeTempDirMyTask
    set "_tmpDirMyTask=%TEMP%\%~n0"
    if NOT EXIST "%_tmpDirMyTask%" (
        mkdir "%_tmpDirMyTask%" >nul 2>nul
    )
goto :eof

:: ========================================================================
:: CLEANUP - Remove all batch variables and restore directory.
:: ========================================================================
:_removeBatchVariablesMyTask
    set _helpLinesMyTask=
    set _dryRunMyTask=
    set _logFileMyTask=
    set _scriptDirMyTask=
    set _scriptNameMyTask=
    set _parOneMyTask=
    set _checkParOneMyTask=
    set _parTwoMyTask=
    set _checkParTwoMyTask=
    REM Append new variables above this line.

    if EXIST "%_tmpDirMyTask%" rmdir /S /Q "%_tmpDirMyTask%" >nul 2>nul
    set _tmpDirMyTask=

    REM Restore original directory.
    if DEFINED _savedDirMyTask (
        cd /D "%_savedDirMyTask%"
        set _savedDirMyTask=
    )
    exit /b

Cygwin Reference

Cygwin provides a large collection of GNU and Open Source tools that provide functionality similar to a Linux distribution on Windows, plus a POSIX API DLL (cygwin1.dll) for substantial Linux API compatibility.

Documentation

Cygwin User's Guide — comprehensive official documentation
Cygwin FAQ
Cygwin Homepage

User's Guide — Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Cygwin Overview

What is it? — POSIX compatibility layer and GNU toolset for Windows
Quick Start Guide (Windows users) — Getting started for those familiar with Windows
Quick Start Guide (UNIX users) — Getting started for those familiar with UNIX/Linux
Are the Cygwin tools free software? — Licensing (GPL/LGPL)
A brief history of the Cygwin project — Origins and evolution
Highlights of Cygwin Functionality
Permissions and Security
File Access
Text Mode vs. Binary Mode
ANSI C Library
Process Creation
Signals
Sockets and Select
What's new and what changed — Release notes for all versions (1.7.x through 3.6)

Chapter 2: Setting Up Cygwin

Internet Setup — Installing via setup-x86_64.exe, mirror selection, package management
Environment Variables — Configuring PATH, HOME, CYGWIN and other environment variables
Changing Cygwin's Maximum Memory — Adjusting memory limits via the registry
Internationalization — Locale and character set configuration
Customizing bash — .bashrc, .bash_profile, and prompt customization

Chapter 3: Using Cygwin

Mapping path names — How Cygwin maps POSIX paths to Windows paths (/cygdrive/c = C:\)
Text and Binary modes — Line ending handling (\n vs \r\n), mount options
File permissions — POSIX permission model on NTFS, ACLs
Special filenames — Device files, /proc, /dev, socket files
POSIX accounts, permission, and security — User/group mapping, passwd/group files, ntsec
Cygserver — Background service for shared memory, message queues, semaphores
Cygwin Utilities — Built-in command-line tools:
cygcheck — System information and package diagnostics
cygpath — Convert between POSIX and Windows paths
cygstart — Open files/URLs with associated Windows applications
dumper — Create Windows minidumps
getconf — Query POSIX system configuration
getfacl / setfacl — Get/set file access control lists
ldd — List shared library dependencies
locale — Display locale information
minidumper — Write a minidump of a running process
mkgroup / mkpasswd — Generate group/passwd entries from Windows accounts
mount / umount — Manage Cygwin mount table
passwd — Change passwords
pldd — List loaded DLLs for a process
profiler — Profile Cygwin programs
ps — List running processes
regtool — Access the Windows registry from the shell
setmetamode — Control meta key behavior in the console
ssp — Single-step profiler
strace — Trace system calls and signals
tzset — Print POSIX-compatible timezone string
Case-sensitive directories — Enabling per-directory case sensitivity on Windows 10+
Using Cygwin effectively with Windows — Integration tips, running Windows programs from Cygwin

Chapter 4: Programming with Cygwin

Using GCC with Cygwin — Compiling C/C++ programs with the Cygwin GCC toolchain
Debugging Cygwin Programs — Using GDB and other debugging tools
Building and Using DLLs — Creating shared libraries under Cygwin
Defining Windows Resources — Resource files and windres
Profiling Cygwin Programs — Performance profiling with gprof and ssp

Key Concepts for Batch Scripting

Invoking Cygwin from Batch Files

REM Run a Cygwin command from a batch file
C:\cygwin64\bin\bash.exe -l -c "ls -la /home"

REM Convert a Windows path to POSIX for Cygwin
C:\cygwin64\bin\cygpath.exe -u "C:\Users\John Doe\Documents"

REM Convert a POSIX path back to Windows
C:\cygwin64\bin\cygpath.exe -w "/home/jdoe/project"

Common Environment Variables

Variable	Purpose
`CYGWIN`	Runtime options (e.g., `nodosfilewarning`, `winsymlinks:nativestrict`)
`HOME`	User home directory
`PATH`	Must include `/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin` for Cygwin tools
`SHELL`	Default shell (typically `/bin/bash`)
`TERM`	Terminal type for console applications

MSYS2 Reference

MSYS2 provides a collection of tools and libraries for building, installing, and running native Windows software. It uses Pacman (from Arch Linux) for package management.

Getting Started

Environments

MSYS2 provides multiple environments targeting different use cases:

Environment	Prefix	Toolchain	C Runtime
MSYS	`/usr`	GCC	cygwin
MINGW64	`/mingw64`	GCC	MSVCRT
UCRT64	`/ucrt64`	GCC	UCRT
CLANG64	`/clang64`	LLVM	UCRT
CLANGARM64	`/clangarm64`	LLVM	UCRT

Configuration

Package Management

Development Tools

Package Development

Wiki

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FAQ

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Batch Files by the numbers

batch-files capabilities & compatibility

What batch-files says it does

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How do I use batch-files correctly?

Who is it for?

When should I use this skill?

What you get

Files

Batch Files

When to Use This Skill

Prerequisites

Command Interpretation

Variables

Environment Variables

Special Variables

Scoping with SETLOCAL / ENDLOCAL

Delayed Expansion

Control Flow

Conditional Execution

Compound Commands

FOR Loops

GOTO and Labels

Command-Line Arguments

Argument Parsing Pattern

String Processing

Substrings

Search and Replace

Substring Containment Test

Functions

Arithmetic

Error Handling

Error Level Conventions

Fail-Fast Pattern

Setting Exit Codes

Essential Commands Reference

File Operations

Text Search and Processing

System Information

Network

Scheduling and Automation

Shell Utilities

Shell Syntax and Expressions

Parentheses for Grouping

Escape Characters

Wildcards

Redirection Summary

Writing Production-Quality Batch Files

Standard Script Structure

Best Practices

Security Considerations

Debugging and Troubleshooting

Cross-Platform and Extended Tools

CMD Keyboard Shortcuts

Reference Files

Asset Templates

Cygwin Reference

Documentation

User's Guide — Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Cygwin Overview

Chapter 2: Setting Up Cygwin

Chapter 3: Using Cygwin

Chapter 4: Programming with Cygwin

Key Concepts for Batch Scripting

Invoking Cygwin from Batch Files

Common Environment Variables

MSYS2 Reference

Getting Started

Environments

Configuration

Package Management

Development Tools

Package Development

Wiki

Windows Tools and Resources

Updates and News

Tools and Utilities

Tools for Deployment

Package Management