Hello, I'm having a problem with a batch file. I am trying to use a variable in a filename so that when run the output will go to a time stamped log file. Here's the type of command I'm trying to run: ant task-name > C:\logfile%TIME%.log The error I get is "the parameter is incorrect"

Your command likely hides TWO bugs. The first is that reported by the error message probably due to the "-" character in the task-name. I do not know the Ant command, but utilities derived from Unix hates the "-" symbol as it prefixes parameters on the command tail. So stated %Time% may lead to an error as it contains invalid characters due to the specific county settings as ":" To analize this problem please type at prompt Echo Time=%Time% and report the result so I can suggest the correction needed.

Here is what I get: Time=14:17:37.11

Well, as I supposed the Time format is not suited to be part of a PahtName/FileName. To work around the problem a bit of processing is needed; the following statements tailor the %Time% Set MyTime=%Time% Set MyTime=%Mytime:~0,8% Set MyTime=%MyTime::=-% as they strip out the secs/100 and replace the ":" with "-". So you have to log to C:\logfile%MyTime%.log So stated the first question is still with no answer: is what I said about the Ant command correct? As the batch interpreter never went to parse the logfile's name.