Windows command line: automatically type in a command from .cmd file

Question

Okay, I have such a batchfile:

@title RUBY ;)
@set PATH=D:\Programming\Ruby22-x64\bin;%PATH%
@call cmd /K cd /D E:\RubyProgramming

that I use to facilitate running scripts without the need to navigate to the folder each time. The thing is that I usually run the very same command for hundreds of times for a given program that I am working on at any given time. For instance:

ruby rubyprogram.rb inputfile.txt outputfile.xml miscargument

Is there a way to make such a batch file that types in a command when you run it? Not executes, just type in, so that I press Enter to execute it and use ↑ up arrow to use it again in the cmd? I haven't been able to find a command that would allow this anywhere, but it would be useful if there was one.

TripeHound · Accepted Answer · 2017-04-25 09:23:17Z

2

The simplest would be to just create a new batch-file that executes that specific command:

@echo off
    title RUBY ;)
    set PATH=D:\Programming\Ruby22-x64\bin;%PATH%
    cd /D E:\RubyProgramming
    rubyprogram.rb inputfile.txt outputfile.xml miscargument

Alternatively, you could get the batch file to repeatedly ask for the command to run

@echo off
    title RUBY ;)
    set PATH=D:\Programming\Ruby22-x64\bin;%PATH%
    cd /D E:\RubyProgramming
    set RUBYCMD=rubyprogram.rb inputfile.txt outputfile.xml miscargument
:loop
    echo.
    REM line below ends with a space for neatness
    set /p RUBYCMD=Enter ruby command (or 'Q' to exit) [%RUBYCMD%]: 
    if /i "%RUBYCMD%" == "q" goto :eof
    %RUBYCMD%
    goto :loop

answered Apr 25, 2017 at 9:23

TripeHound

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MichaelS · Accepted Answer · 2017-04-25 09:23:51Z

2

No, batch files can't type or click anything. However, you can call scripts from a batch file which are written in other languages. For example, you cold write a VB or an AutoIt script, call it from your batch and make the new script "type" the command.

Take a look at this VB script:

Set WshShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")

WshShell.Run "%windir%\notepad.exe"
WshShell.AppActivate "Notepad"

WshShell.SendKeys "hello world"

This will open notepad, focus the new window and type hello world. This way you can also start a new console or get the focus of an already started one and type your command. This code can be saved in a separate vb script file and called from your batch.

edited Apr 25, 2017 at 9:23

answered Apr 25, 2017 at 8:57

MichaelS

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