Batch files - number of command line arguments

Question

Just converting some shell scripts into batch files and there is one thing I can\'t seem to find...and that is a simple count of the number of command line arguments.

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Answer 1

A robust solution is to delegate counting to a subroutine invoked with call; the subroutine uses goto statements to emulate a loop in which shift is used to consume the (subroutine-only) arguments iteratively:

@echo off
setlocal

:: Call the argument-counting subroutine with all arguments received,
:: without interfering with the ability to reference the arguments
:: with %1, ... later.
call :count_args %*

:: Print the result.
echo %ReturnValue% argument(s) received.

:: Exit the batch file.
exit /b

:: Subroutine that counts the arguments given.
:: Returns the count in %ReturnValue%
:count_args
  set /a ReturnValue = 0
  :count_args_for

    if %1.==. goto :eof

    set /a ReturnValue += 1

    shift
  goto count_args_for