The following code works as expected- it loops for user's input and detects <ret>, Y/y or N/n: --------------- @echo off setLocal EnableDelayedExpansion :inputloop set cho= set /p "cho=>" if !cho!'==' goto return if /i %cho%==y goto yes if /i %cho%==n goto no goto inputloop :return echo return pause goto :eof :yes echo yes pause goto :eof :no echo no pause goto :eof --------------- But the code no longer behaves after I add a nested IF structure. Y/y and N/n still work as before, but <ret> now seems to skip the 'goto return' and heads straight for :eof. How could this be? Help! --------------- @echo off setLocal EnableDelayedExpansion :inputloop set cho= set /p "cho=>" if !cho!'==' ( goto return ) else ( if /i %cho%==y ( goto yes ) else ( if /i %cho%==n ( goto no ) else ( goto inputloop ) ) ) :return echo return pause goto :eof :yes echo yes pause goto :eof :no echo no pause goto :eof ---------------

@echo off setLocal EnableDelayedExpansion :inputloop set cho= set /p "cho=>" if !cho!'==' ( goto return ) else ( if /i !cho!==y ( goto yes ) else ( if /i !cho!==n ( goto no ) else ( goto inputloop ) ) ) :return echo return pause goto :eof :yes echo yes pause goto :eof :no echo no pause ===================================== If at first you don't succeed, you're about average. M2

It works! Thanks, Mechanix2Go. Looks like I can't mix !cho! and %cho%. But why is that? By the look of it, I'm guessing that !cho! is "inline substitution" (?), while %cho% is simply a variable? But then again, why can't they mix?