Need some help with explanation

[Zeratchi]

Hello.
I'm a new user, and need some simple assistance with some .BAT explanation.

I am suppose to do a script for work, where I will add users/students with the following command (Norwegian)
10;Førrisdahl;Nathaniel;bjørkelangen skole

And in English

class(10);firstname;lastname;school/location

However, in the end of these commands, you've got these:

class(10);firstname;lastname;school/location %%i %%j

Can anyone here tell me the meaning of the %%i %%j
I somewhat knows how it works, but I don't understand the meaning.
So if someone could explain it with some detail (the whole bit if possible) I would be grateful.

[aGerman]

%%i and %%j are dynamic variables of a FOR loop. You should post this loop for a better explanation.

Regards
aGerman

[miskox]

Speaking of explanations...

Can somebody please explain these two things:

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set "line=..."

What is the purpose of using a " (Quotation_mark) before the variable name?

and

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set "line=echo.%%..."

What is the purpose of the echo. command (besides echoing an empty line when by itself or ???? )?

Thanks,
Saso

[aGerman]

Well, I mostly enclose variable name and value in double quotes. This has a lot of advantages.
copy&paste:

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@echo off &setlocal

set "a=x" & set b=y & echo test:
echo %a%!
echo %b%!
pause

set "a=^>"
set b=^>
echo %a%
pause
echo %b%
pause

The first half shows you the handling of unintended spaces.
The second half shows the handling of special characters. (last ECHO generates a syntax error)


Regarding the dot behind the ECHO command:

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@echo off &setlocal
set "var1=123"
set "var2="
:: var2 is not defined in this case

echo ~~~~~~~~~~~
echo %var1%
echo %var2%
echo ~~~~~~~~~~~
echo.%var1%
echo.%var2%
echo ~~~~~~~~~~~

pause

You see the difference
So this is an easy way to make sure not to get an unintended ECHO-message.

Regards
aGerman

[Zeratchi]

Hello, and thanks for answering

This is the full thing I've made, which works in a decent matter, but I cannot see the logic with it all.

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@echo off
REM for /F "eol=; tokens=1,2,3,4,5,* delims=;" %%i in (Bjskole.txt) do echo  "Kull-> %%i Etternavn -> %%j Fornavn -> %%k Brukernavn-> %%l Skole-> %%m"
for /F "eol=; tokens=1,2,3,4,5,* delims=;" %%i in (%1) do  echo dsadd user "cn=%%k %%j,OU=%%i,OU=%%m,OU=Elev,OU=Skole,DC=ahk,DC=no" -fn %%k -ln %%j -desc "Elev %%m skole %%i" -samid %%l -display "%%k %%j" -profile \\adskole\profiler$\%%l -pwd changeme -mustchpwd yes -upn %%l@ahk -loscr SkElev.cmd"
for /F "eol=; tokens=1,2,3,4,5,* delims=;" %%i in (%1) do  echo md \\adskole\Elever$\%%l 

Just change words like "Etternavn, fornavn, brukernavn" to "Lastname, firstname, username"
So, I know what it does, but I cannot see the logic.
Like the 1,2,3,4,5,* Why is that needed, where is it linked to.
Or why start with %%j why not %%a.
Why there is already a premade Variable, would be a lot easier to like call the whole thing $0 or something, for example:

name;telephone;email;homearea = $0

Instead of the strangly %%j %%i %%k %%l which i'm using now.
I'm a bit used to linux, so this doesn't make any logical sense

[aGerman]

Well, you read in a file that is given as parameter (%1). In this file the values are separated by semicolon.
Into the FOR loops you use the semicolon as delimiter to split each line into parts (tokens). It is defined, that the first 5 tokens are returned and the whole rest of the line (*) is in the sixth token. You start with the 1st token in %%i, the 2nd token in %%j, ... , 5th token in %%m and rest of the line in %%n.
BTW if you would write

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for /F "eol=; tokens=1,2,3,4,5,* delims=;" %%a in (%1) do ...

the 1st token would be saved in %%a and the 6th in %%f. I'm also not sure if eol=; is needed, because afaik this should be the default.

I hope you'll understand it. Sorry for my bad English, my native language is German ...


Regards
aGerman