If String is Enclosed in Quotes Do Commands

[alleypuppy]

Hello,

I know this is probably possible, but I don't know how to do it. I want to create an IF statement that checks if a predefined variable is enclosed in quotes, and if it is, do certain commands. My guess is that I have to use some sort of string manipulation, but I'm not entirely sure how to do it.

Thanks in advance!

[paultomasi]

Try the following:

Code: Select all

if [%var%]==["%var:"=%"] (
   rem var enclosed in quotes
) else (
   rem var not enclosed in quotes
)

[alleypuppy]

Try the following:

Code: Select all

if [%var%]==["%var:"=%"] (
   rem var enclosed in quotes
) else (
   rem var not enclosed in quotes
)

When I executed the statement with this syntax, it came up with an error, but I was able to manipulate it to make it work. Here's what I did:

Code: Select all

IF /I [%var:~1,-1%]==[%var:"=%] (commands)

Thanks!

[paultomasi]

Yeah, the '/I' is good when you can ignore case.

A better way to do it is like this:

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if [^%var:~0,1%]==[^"] (
  if [^%var:~-1,1%]==[^"] (
     rem first and last character are quotes
  )
)

This way, you will avoid DOS throwing up errors in certain circumstances.

[paultomasi]

Of course, it goes without saying:

- var should be defined
otherwise you get an error

- var should be at least 2 characters wide
otherwise ^%var:~0,1% is the same character as ^%var:~-1,1%

[alleypuppy]

Yeah, the '/I' is good when you can ignore case.

A better way to do it is like this:

Code: Select all

if [^%var:~0,1%]==[^"] (
  if [^%var:~-1,1%]==[^"] (
     rem first and last character are quotes
  )
)

This way, you will avoid DOS throwing up errors in certain circumstances.

Okay I will use this instead. This is what I was originally thinking about doing (having the first and last character equal a quotation mark), but I wasn't sure how to do it. I didn't know you have to escape the variable itself as well as the quotation mark. Thanks a lot!