Windows Batch: Select Drive

gjacobse

At some point I plan to move a script to Powershell, until then:

In the script I am working on, it is set to ask for the drive to back up to, you currently enter x:.

Is there syntax that would allow for either x or x: ?

While right now using the x: works,.. just want to expand.

WrCombs

does this webpage help?

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/copy

Obsolesce

I don't think there's an or operator, as a workaround you can accept both by using two if statements that goto the same :label.

I haven't done much with batch scripts for a while so :man_shrugging:

JasGot

Can you post the line or two that gathers the input? Set /p would ignore the colon, and Choice doesn't allow colons, so I need to see your approach to provide you with a solution.

1337

@gjacobse said in Windows Batch: Select Drive:

At some point I plan to move a script to Powershell, until then:

In the script I am working on, it is set to ask for the drive to back up to, you currently enter x:.

Is there syntax that would allow for either x or x: ?

While right now using the x: works,.. just want to expand.

It would be very confusing to enter x when the script is asking for a drive.
Drive letters are always x: in windows. It's the colon than makes it a drive and not just a directory or file.

If you enter something like this in a script, you might want to put a check in the script that the drive is actually available.

JasGot

Actually Set /p does work:

echo off 

SET /P _inputname= Please enter an input:
IF "%_inputname%"=="x" GOTO :they_typed_x
IF "%_inputname%"=="x:" GOTO :they_typed_xcolon
ECHO Invalid Answer... 
GOTO :end
:they_typed_x
Echo Should be x =  %_inputname%
GOTO :end
:they_typed_xcolon
Echo Should be x: = %_inputname%
:end

Obsolesce

@JasGot said in Windows Batch: Select Drive:

Can you post the line or two that gathers the input? Set /p would ignore the colon, and Choice doesn't allow colons, so I need to see your approach to provide you with a solution.

Was going to say it worked for me but looks like I replied too late with an example:

@echo off
echo What are drive you is want?
set /p drive=""
cls
if "%drive%" == "x" GOTO AWWYEAH
if "%drive%" == "x:" GOTO AWWYEAH
echo FAIL!
pause
exit
:AWWYEAH
echo YEAH! [%drive%]
pause

JasGot

@Obsolesce said in Windows Batch: Select Drive:

Was going to say it worked for me but looks like I replied too late with an example:

That's usually me! I was so happy to see I corrected myself before someone else did! I like how our Set /P lines show two different ways to capture the input!

Grey

I was a little bored, so here you go:

##  Example drive letter selection
# Only allow X, Y or <enter>
do{Write-Host -NoNewline -ForegroundColor Cyan "What drive letter do you prefer as a backup?"
$letter = (Read-Host -prompt "(X) or Y?").ToUpper()} while ($letter -notin @('x','y',''))

# This sets the default to X, allowing the user to simply press enter if X is OK.
if($letter -eq ''){$letter = 'X'}
# Now set the drive letter.
New-PSDrive –Name $letter –PSProvider FileSystem –Root “\\server\backup” –Persist -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

Basic drive letter set is done, but we can be more complicated:

# Do actions based on a user that has an network location from IP.
$ipaddr = Get-NetIPAddress|?{$_.SuffixOrigin -eq "Dhcp" -and $_.AddressState -like "*preferred*"}|select -ExpandProperty ipaddress
# Set the preferred drive letter.
$letter = X

If($ipaddr -like '192.168.0.*'){
New-PSDrive –Name $letter –PSProvider FileSystem –Root “\\alpha\backup” –Persist -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
Write-Host -ForegroundColor Green "You're in Alpha!`nBackup drive connected to Alpha site.`nHave a sumptuous day!"
}
# if you have more networks, insert here with more if statements.
Else{
New-PSDrive –Name $letter –PSProvider FileSystem –Root “\\bravo\backup” –Persist -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
Write-Host -ForegroundColor Green "You're in Bravo!`nBackup drive connected to Bravo site.`nHave a sumptuous day!"
}