CALL

Calls one batch program from another without causing the first batch program to stop (aka GOSUB).

CALL /?

CALL [drive:][path]filename [batch-parameters]

CALL :label [parameters]

drive: (v3.30 Win95 NT3.1)

Specifies the drive location of batch program you want to call.

:label (NT3.5)

Jump to a label somewhere within the current batch file.

When you jump to a subroutine with CALL, all statements after the label are treated like a separate batch file. When the end of the batch is reached, it will exit and control will return back to just after the position where you used CALL.

You can therefore reach the end of the batch script file more than once.

Don't forget you can also pass command-line arguments to the :label and refer to these just like the parameters passed to a separate batch file.

parameters (NT3.5)

Any command-line arguments.

If Command Extensions are disabled, the CALL command will not accept batch labels.

path (v3.30 Win95 NT3.1)

Specifies the path location of batch program you want to call.

filename (v3.30 Win95 NT3.1)

Specifies the name of the batch program you want to call. Filename must have a .BAT extension.

batch-parameters (v3.30 Win95 NT3.1)

Specifies any command-line information required by the batch program.

/? (NTXP)

Display help.

CMD - can be used to call a subsequent batch and ALWAYS return even if errors occur.
GOTO - jump to a label or GOTO :eof
START - Start a separate window to run a specified program or command
Equivalent Linux BASH commands:
builtin - Run a shell builtin
chroot - Run a command with a different root directory
.period - Run commands from a file

• Making a recursive call
• Using (expanded) batch-parameters
• Using pipes and redirection symbols

Batch-parameters can contain any information that you can pass to a batch program, including switches, filenames, the replaceable parameters (%0) %1 through %9, and environment variables such as %baud%.

Expansion of batch script argument references (%0, %1, ..., %9), beginning with NT2000 have been changed:

• %* expands to all the arguments (%1, %2, ..., %9) The %~ modifiers may not be used with %*
• %~ expands removing any surrounding quotes ("), ie. %~1
• %~a expands to file attributes, ie. %~a2
• %~d expands to a drive letter only, ie. %~d1
• %~f expands to a fully qualified path name, ie. %~f3
• %~n expands to a file name only, ie. %~n2
• %~p expands to a path only, ie. %~p1
• %~s expanded path contains short names only, ie. %~s2
• %~t expands to date/time of file, ie. %~t1
• %~x expands to a file extension only, ie. %~x3
• %~z expands to size of file, ie. %~z1
• %~$PATH: expands to full qualified name of first file found by searching the %PATH% directories, ie. %~$PATH:1 OR expands to the empty string (environment variable not defined or file not found)

Combinations are allowed:

• %~dp1 expands %1 to a drive letter and path only
• %~nx3 expands %3 to a file name and extension only
• %~dp$PATH:2 searches the directories listed in the %PATH% environment variable for %2 and expands to the drive letter and path of the first one found
• %~ftza1 expands %1 to a DIR like output line

The %~ syntax is terminated by a valid argument number.

Do not use pipes ('|') and redirection symbols ('<<','<','>', and '>>') with the CALL command.

You can create a batch program that calls itself; however, you must provide an exit command. Otherwise, the parent and child batch programs can loop endlessly.

To run the CHECKNEW.BAT program from another batch program, include this command in the parent batch program:

    CALL CHECKNEW

Suppose the parent batch program accepts two replaceable parameters and you want it to pass those parameters to CHECKNEW.BAT. You can use the command in the parent batch program:

    CALL CHECKNEW %1 %2

Passing parameters to a label:

    @ECHO OFF
     SETLOCAL
     CALL :s_staff SMITH 100
     GOTO :eof

    :s_staff
     SETLOCAL
     ECHO Name is %1
     ECHO Rate is %2
     GOTO :eof

    :eof

Returning parameters:

    @ECHO OFF
     SETLOCAL
     CALL :s_calc 200 100
     ECHO %v_return%
     GOTO :eof

    :s_calc
     SETLOCAL
     SET v_sum=0
     IF %1 GTR %2 SET v_sum=5
     ENDLOCAL & SET v_return=%v_sum%
     GOTO :eof

    :eof

none.

Internal

DOS

v3.30 v3.3A v3.3R v3.3T v3.31 v3.40 v4.0 v4.01 v4.01A v5.0 v5.0A v5.00.02 v5.001A v5.01 v5.02 v6.0 v6.10 v6.2 v6.21 v6.22 v6.23 v7.00 v7.0R1 v7.10 v8.00

Windows

Win95 Win98 WinME

Windows NT

NT3.1 NT3.5 NT3.51 NT4 NT2000 NTXP NT2003