Coding in MS-DOS / Batch Files

[Electronic Punk]

I am writing a batch file and have a problem with one of the sections

echo ; Section 4 - Default values for each service.>> custom11.PRF
echo ;***************************************************************>> custom11.PRF
echo.>> custom11.PRF
echo [ServiceX]>> custom11.PRF
echo CachedExchangeMode=0x00000003>> custom11.PRF
echo CachedExchangeSlowDetect=TRUE>> custom11.PRF
echo.>> custom11.PRF
echo [ServiceEGS]>> custom11.PRF
echo CachedExchangeConfigFlags=0x00000500>> custom11.PRF
echo MailboxName=%UserName%>> custom11.PRF
echo HomeServer=mail.network.local>> custom11.PRF

Basically echo MailboxName=%UserName%>> custom11.PRF would ideally output MailboxName=%UserName% into the file custom11.PRF but is instead using the global variable of the username which isn't so good as it will be running as a machine logon script, is there any way I can get around this?

Edited to remove company name.

 

[fitz]

EP, try using two %%

echo mailboxname=%%username%% >> custom11.prf

 

[Electronic Punk]

I'll give it a go tomorrow.
Actually resigned to the idea of being able to use a single batch file so now have a bat, reg/vbs and a prf file... Updating community server to 2007.1 at work now woo ;D

 

[kcnychief]

Why would the need be there to use two of the %%?

 

[fitz]

as EP mentioned, he wanted to write out the string as a literal string "mailbox=%username%". If you leave the one %, the batch file processing will take that to mean it is a variable and will substitute the variable when echo'ing the line. so, "mailbox=%username%" when he writes to the outlook.prf file becomes "mailbox=drose" or whatever the %username% variable is set to.

If this is running in a machine startup script, the username variable would probably not be defined yet (or running under system) which means the line gets written out as "mailbox=" in the prf file which will obviously cause problems when said user wants to start outlook to create a mailbox.

Even if it was writing out the proper username, a further issue arises when someone else uses the machine since the prf file would try to build a profile for the other user. Setting it to the global variable %username% in the prf file would allow anyone to sit at the computer, start outlook, and build the correct profile.

Using the two %% is the escape character so the batch file will see the string as a literal string "%username%" instead of a variable.

 

[kcnychief]

Nice explanation, thanks.

 

[Sazar]

fitz > derek and the red sox.

all hail the fitz

 

[fitz]

*cough* *cough* that's right,.. love me!

 

[kcnychief]

Both Derek and the Yankees will prevail this season!

 

[Electronic Punk]

Sorry to drag this back on topic.

H:\>echo %%USERNAME%%
%husbandp%

 

[fitz]

that would be correct if you did that on the command line, however, write it in a short batch file to write out to a file and it will show up correctly.

@echo off
echo %%username%%

c:\> test.bat
%username%

 

[fitz]

get this sorted out yet EP?