How to get input from a user, search a .txt file, return data and use it redirected to another program?

Question

1.00/5 (1 vote)

See more:

Hello all,

I'm very new at this and really don't know much so any help would be greatly appreciated.

What I would like to do :

. retrieve an IP from a file using user input
. launch UltraVNC with that IP to simplify connections

What I have :

. the file is a semicolon separated .txt file with the following data :

. Client name; : its the number of the client, always five numbers
. Subnet mask; : two possible, either ending with 224 or 192
. LAN IP Address : self explanatory

. I got here :

@echo off

mode con: lines=2 cols=40

title Direct connect

:start

color 0A

cls

set var=

set /p var= Enter name:

???? "C:\Users\XXX\XXXX\XXXX" XXXX.txt
????
IF 224 add 17 to IP
IF 192 add 38 to IP
????
OUTPUT
????
start "C:\Program Files\UltraVNC" vncviewer.exe -connect -4greycolors host OUTPUT -Password xxxxxxxxx

. So, that's not much. I would like from the input search the file (that would be 'Client name'), if the mask ends with 224 to add 17 to the IP, 38 if 192 and then direct that IP to the VNC connection.

There it is, if what I ask is possible I hope that someone will have the kindness and patience to explain how to do this and finally evolve.

___________________________________________________________________________________
Hello Sergey,

Thank you so very much for your help!

I got here :

Set Var=
SET /P var= name:
FINDSTR %var% C:\IP_LAN.txt
pause

And in fact I have the output desired :

10001;225.225.225.192;192.192.192.1

Where :

Name : 10001
Sub net mask :225.225.225.192
IP LAN : 192.192.192.1

Now again I'm stomped and I would like to retieve this info and turn it into variables to then use the IF THEN command and pipe it to a connection program as the IP to connect to. I've found some info on the FOR /F command but I don't understand it completely.

Your help would be greatly appreciated.

Posted 21-May-15 3:13am

DarthVagrant

Updated 24-May-15 20:24pm

v3

Add a Solution

Comments

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 21-May-15 9:48am

Bad idea. Such things are awkward in batch files and are very inconvenient to the users. It's much better to put all input in a command line. In batch, the command-line parameters are %1, %2, etc.
—SA

1 solution

Add a Solution

Add your solution here

Treat my content as plain text, not as HTML

Preview 0

…

Existing Members

Sign in to your account

...or Join us

Download, Vote, Comment, Publish.

Your Email
Password
Forgot your password?

Your Email
This email is in use. Do you need your password?
Optional Password

I have read and agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
Please subscribe me to the CodeProject newsletters

When answering a question please:

Read the question carefully.
Understand that English isn't everyone's first language so be lenient of bad spelling and grammar.
If a question is poorly phrased then either ask for clarification, ignore it, or edit the question and fix the problem. Insults are not welcome.
Don't tell someone to read the manual. Chances are they have and don't get it. Provide an answer or move on to the next question.

Let's work to help developers, not make them feel stupid.

This content, along with any associated source code and files, is licensed under The Code Project Open License (CPOL)

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov · Accepted Answer · 2015-05-21T03:59:00

Solution 1

What you need is done using the SET command:

SET /P variable=[promptString]

But please see my comment to the question: it could be much better to use all input in command-line parameters.

For more help on batch, do the following:

Visit this site loop what it suggests for you: http://www.robvanderwoude.com[^].

In particular, look at this page: http://www.robvanderwoude.com/allhelp.php[^].

If gives you the utility to generate complete batch help from your system. Use it to generate help and read it; you will find more detailed information on how to use each batch construct or command. It may surprise you: in newer systems, there are functions and calls (in contrast to go to, with return) and a lot more.

—SA

Posted 21-May-15 3:59am

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov

Updated 21-May-15 4:00am

v2

Comments

DarthVagrant 25-May-15 4:12am

Hello Sergey,

Thank you so very much for your help!

I got here :

Set Var=
SET /P var= name:
FINDSTR %var% C:\IP_LAN.txt
pause

And in fact I have the output desired :

10001;225.225.225.192;192.192.192.1

Where :

Name : 10001
Sub net mask :225.225.225.192
IP LAN : 192.192.192.1

Now again I'm stomped and I would like to retieve this info and turn it into variables to then use the IF THEN command and pipe it to a connection program as the IP to connect to. I've found some info on the FOR /F command but I don't understand it completely.

Your help would be greatly appreciated.

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 25-May-15 9:48am

Ask the user 3 questions:

set /P name= Name:
set /P mask= Mask:
set /P ip= IP Address:

Then your output will can be obtained as
set oneLine=%name%;%mask%;%ip%

...

But better don't waste time on all that. Make the user supply all the data in one command line. This is more convenient for the user, because the user can always repeat wrong line. Parse command line and use it to get data. Or combine it with interactive questions to the user if not all data is supplied. Repeat the question until the user gives satisfactory answer, and so on.

Also, think if you are not wasting time on batch language. It's good to use it, but not if you make it hard (no debugging, no nothing). For example, interactive data input takes GUI. And so on...

Now, I answered your question in full. Will you accept it formally?

—SA