Hi all, I want to use a kind of configuration file for my batch scripts (like 'settings.ini' or 'settings.cfg'). In this file I would like to centralise certain settings like servernames for specific commands. This would then allow me to switch all scripts from one server to a backup server by editing the 'cfg' or 'ini' file.... How can I a) Read a text file b) Store line 1 into variable %a AND c) Store line 2 into variable %b OR d) Store line n into variable %n ??? Hope this can be done in DOS!? Kind regards, Igor.

Why not have an IF in the batch. IF %1 = server1 then branch to task1 IF %1 = server2 then branch to task2 ... You won't need a separate confiuration file. You can also add more parameters as needed.

Hi, I run these jobs in a scheduler, preferably unattended.... These batch-files run ftp-uploads and ftp-downloads, smtp-send mail and more jobs of such kind. I would like to have a centralised approach where I can switch to a backup servername if the mainserver fails by entering a new name in the corresponding line. I think that a solution in w2k command environment will be possible with use of command "for", but that's also too difficult to me. I can only read 1 line of such file into a variable filename: c:\settings\config.cfg line 1: SMTPNL01.SCCT.COMPANY.COM; batch line: FOR /F "tokens=1 delims=;" %%a in ('type c:\settings\config.cfg') do set smtpserver=%%a This would result in: smtpserver=SMTPNL01.SCCT.COMPANY.COM The disadvantage is that this only allows a single line in config.cfg while I would like to direct the contents of line 1 into variable smtpserver and/or direct the contents of line 2 into variable ftpserver etc. etc....... Any help will be greatly appreciated! (sorry, maybe I'm getting a bit off-topic here, but I'm quite desperate to have a solution since I'm editing loads of scripts when we have a fail-over!!) Have a nice day! Igor.

Hi ikerstges, "I run these jobs in a scheduler, preferably unattended.... These batch-files run ftp-uploads and ftp-downloads, smtp-send mail and more jobs of such kind." "I think that a solution in w2k command environment will be possible with use of command "for", but that's also too difficult to me." "FOR /F "tokens=1 delims=;" %%a in ('type c:\settings\config.cfg') do set smtpserver=%%a Have you noticed that this is a NT batch command, not a DOS batch command at all? What's the exact OS are you using? DOS+Win95 (as you said in your OS column) or Windows 2000 (as you mentioned in your message body)? Very confusing, isn't it? I know your last post in this forum was removed because it was off-topic. If you really want to have a solution as quickly as possible, then you should try the correct forum rather than the unrelated forum. For example, If your OS is NT system (WinNT/2K/XP) instead of DOS, then you'd better post it in the corresponding forum. Note that you cannot run "NT schedualer, ftp-uploads and ftp-downloads, smtp-send mail and more jobs" or NT batch scripts from DOS! More information: http://computing.net/dos/wwwboard/forum/14722.html --------------- Long Live DOS!

Hi Wengier, I understand your concerns and indeed, this topic should stay on DOS. Maybe I added to some confusing with my reference to the "FOR" solution, but it was only to explain what kind of solution I Am looking for. Let me repeat: I would like to have a Win95/DOS solution that allows me to: a) Read a text file b) Store line 1 into variable %a AND c) Store line 2 into variable %b OR d) Store line n into variable %n CAN THIS BE DONE IN WIN95/DOS? Let me assure you that I have almost 100 hourly and/or daily and/or weekly jobs running on this environment to send emails (using blat) and running FTP-transfers!!! Kind regards, Igor. ps: My other request was related to use nslookup for my smpt-server name(s) and that was indeed w2k command. I apologised for posting that request in the wrong forum. My apologise was truely and sincerely.

That's OK. For a DOS solution on a DOS system (DOS/Win3.x/9x), you can try the methods suggested in #25 on this page: http://www.batch.hpg.ig.com.br/ Alternatively, a simpler way is to use some additional batch tools, such as STRINGS. Good luck. --------------- Long Live DOS!

I have checked solution #25 AND #24. These are great, especially #24 is related to my question. I cannot find though, how to direct the program to a SPECIFIC line in the file and store the content of that line into my variable.... I would somehow need to tell the program to process i.e. line 3 of my configfile and store the content of that line into a variablename. Any help please?