Batch file: How to replace “=” (equal signs) and a string variable?

Question

Besides SED, how can an equal sign be replaced? And how can I use a string variable in string replacement?

Consider this example:

For /F \"tokens=*\"         


        

Answer 1

UPDATE: The latest version of scripts is here: https://sf.net/p/contools (scripts here: https://sf.net/p/contools/contools/HEAD/tree/trunk/Scripts/Tools/std/)

You can use some sequence to temporary replace special characters by placeholders like ?00, ?01, ?02 and ?03. I basically use these set of scripts:

replace_sys_chars.bat:

@echo off

rem Description:
rem   Script to replace ?, !, %, and = characters in variables by respective
rem   ?00, ?01, ?02 and ?03 placeholders.

setlocal DISABLEDELAYEDEXPANSION

set "__VAR__=%~1"

if "%__VAR__%" == "" exit /b 1

rem ignore empty variables
call set "STR=%%%__VAR__%%%"
if "%STR%" == "" exit /b 0

set ?01=!

call set "STR=%%%__VAR__%:?=?00%%"
set "STR=%STR:!=?01%"

setlocal ENABLEDELAYEDEXPANSION

set STR=!STR:%%=?02!
set "STR_TMP="
set INDEX=1

:EQUAL_CHAR_REPLACE_LOOP
set "STR_TMP2="
for /F "tokens=%INDEX% delims== eol=" %%i in ("/!STR!/") do set STR_TMP2=%%i
if "!STR_TMP2!" == "" goto EQUAL_CHAR_REPLACE_LOOP_END
set "STR_TMP=!STR_TMP!!STR_TMP2!?03"
set /A INDEX+=1
goto EQUAL_CHAR_REPLACE_LOOP

:EQUAL_CHAR_REPLACE_LOOP_END
if not "!STR_TMP!" == "" set STR=!STR_TMP:~1,-4!

(
  endlocal
  endlocal
  set "%__VAR__%=%STR%"
)

exit /b 0

restore_sys_chars.bat:

@echo off

rem Description:
rem   Script to restore ?, !, %, and = characters in variables from respective
rem   ?00, ?01, ?02 and ?03 placeholders.

setlocal DISABLEDELAYEDEXPANSION

set "__VAR__=%~1"

if "%__VAR__%" == "" exit /b 1

rem ignore empty variables
call set "STR=%%%__VAR__%%%"
if "%STR%" == "" exit /b 0

setlocal ENABLEDELAYEDEXPANSION

set STR=!STR:?02=%%!
set STR=!STR:?03==!

(
  endlocal
  set "STR=%STR%"
)

set "STR=%STR:?01=!%"
set "STR=%STR:?00=?%"

(
  endlocal
  set "%__VAR__%=%STR%"
)

exit /b 0

Example:

@echo off

setlocal DISABLEDELAYEDEXPANSION

for /F "usebackq tokens=* delims=" %%i in ("test.txt") do (
  set VALUE=%%i
  call :PROCESS
)
exit /b 0

:PROCESS
if "%VALUE%" == "" exit /b 0

set "VALUE_=%VALUE%"
call replace_sys_chars.bat VALUE_

rem do variable arithmetic here as usual
if not "%VALUE_:?00=%" == "%VALUE_%" echo."%VALUE%" having ?
if not "%VALUE_:?01=%" == "%VALUE_%" echo."%VALUE%" having !
if not "%VALUE_:?02=%" == "%VALUE_%" echo."%VALUE%" having %%
if not "%VALUE_:?03=%" == "%VALUE_%" echo."%VALUE%" having =

rem restore it
call restore_sys_chars.bat VALUE_
echo "VALUE=%VALUE_%"

echo.---

test.txt:

111/222
AAA=BBB
CCC=%DDD%
EEE=!FFF!
FFF=?00?01?02?03

Result:

"VALUE=111/222"
---
"AAA=BBB" having =
"VALUE=AAA=BBB"
---
"CCC=%DDD%" having %
"CCC=%DDD%" having =
"VALUE=CCC=%DDD%"
---
"EEE=!FFF!" having !
"EEE=!FFF!" having =
"VALUE=EEE=!FFF!"
---
"FFF=?00?01?02?03" having ?
"FFF=?00?01?02?03" having =
"VALUE=FFF=?00?01?02?03"
---

Features:

• You can continue use standard batch variable arithmetic between conversions
• You can use character placeholders (?00, ?01, ?02, ?03) as plain variable values