Hi, I have a text file that has four lines of text as follows: Hello Planet Welcome Goodbye I have a batch file that I would like to read in each line and set each line to a variable. For example my batch file is as follows: set /p hostname=<variables.txt set /p backupdrive=<variables.txt set /p backupdir=<variables.txt set /p xbackupdir=<variables.txt This does not work because it is only reading in the first line each time, so each variable is: hostname = Hello backupdrive = Hello backupdir = Hello xbackupdir = Hello I would like it to read: hostname = Hello backupdrive = Planet backupdir = Welcome xbackupdir = Goodbye I know I can manually change these variables in the batch file, but I have a bunch of other batch files that have the same variables. And I would like to automate this process and only have the user edit one file (variables.txt). I have searched for hours and days on this topic but I cannot seem to find anything. If anyone can help, it would greatly be appreciated. Thanks

@echo off setLocal EnableDelayedExpansion for /f "tokens=* delims= " %%a in (variables.txt) do ( set /a N+=1 set v!N!=%%a ) set hostname=!v1! set backupdrive=!v2! set backupdir=!v3! set xbackupdir=!v4! ===================================== If at first you don't succeed, you're about average. M2

BRILLIANT!!! Thank you so much!

I know this is already solved but I would like to point out that the method you used in your post almost worked. Instead of inputting the whole text file into each line, input the whole text file into a number of lines by calling a label (or using a second batch file). call :label<variables.txt goto otherstuff :label set /p hostname=>nul set /p backupdrive=>nul set /p backupdir=>nul set /p xbackupdir=>nul goto :eof :otherstuff Just don't forget the "goto :eof" line (the label dosen't have to exist). It won't end the batch, it will only end the call.

Obviously, I mised the point. ===================================== If at first you don't succeed, you're about average. M2

I don't think you missed the point. Your solution has the advantage of being more efficient, especially if there is a large number of variables to be set from the text file. With the other method each variable would need it's own set /p line, even if it's not going to be used, in contrast with just using !Vx!. Your method can even adapt to files with a different number of lines without modification, whilst the other can't, they either match, get lost or don't get set at all. The later is subjectively the worst because the batch would even stop and wait for input from the user, possibly hundreds or even thousands of times. I was just trying to say it *could* be done that way.