Can anyone explane this...

if not %1*==* goto loop ????

(it's from setramd.bat from windwos 98 startup disk)

I specificly need to know what the * mean.

New to DOS?

The '*' is one of the wildcard characters, and can be loosely translated as 'any'

a bit more here

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jboy is correct as usual.

In this case, and I assume the line is actually:

if not %1*==* goto loop

[no string of ?]

the gist is that if %1 is nul [not set] then:

*==*

is evaluated as TRUE and the batch goes to the label named LOOP.

If %1 is set [NOT nul] the:

*==*

is evaluated as FALSE and the batch proceeds to the next line.

=====================================
If at first you don't succeed, you're about average.

M2Go

Sure - the trailing '?'s must be punctuation ; )

Seems like error handling.

I suspect if the wildcard concept is a new one, likely quite a bit of ground left to cover

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While we're at it...

The batch files on a 98 startup disk are not recommended as a good example of scripting from which to learn.

To me they look more like a fruit salad.

And we don't even need to mention the wisdom of extracting stuff from CAB to ramdisk.

=====================================
If at first you don't succeed, you're about average.

M2Go

True - not what I'd consider as a good starting point to DOS batching - just *a bit* convoluted

Maybe the ultimate goal will be revealed

We've heard that a million monkeys at a million keyboards could produce the complete works of Shakespeare; now, thanks to the Internet, we know that is not true

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In #2 I ignored the "not", so what I wrote is 180° out.

If %1 is NOT nul, it goes to the loop.

=====================================
If at first you don't succeed, you're about average.

M2Go

TKS!!! :)

Now what do the * represent?

By the way im just fiddeling around with the 98 startup disk to do waht I want it to do.

(the string of ? was the pucuation at the end of the sentance. Guess I shouldn't have put it there)

In the posted statement the * has no special meaning, it's just a filler to enable the %1 parameter is set to nul. You can replace it with any other character you like.

Great... now what do the * represent ?

("Rainman"?)

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