Getting user input and storing it and reusing it in batch script

[super-duper]

Hey guys,

I am trying to write a batch script that GETs the user input for location and a name of the file, STOREs/SAVEs it somewhere (in this case, in those 2 text files), and goes and grabs them for future use.
This is gonna be a part of my automation batch, that executes sql files automatically. And our sqls are designed and run on different environments(in this case it is DEV), but the first part of the name is always the same. Makes sense? That's why it would be more efficient if it asked for user input the first time running the files, and for the rest of them, just knows where to go and what to grab automatically.

This is what I have so far. But, it's not fully working.

@ECHO OFF
ECHO.
ECHO -+-+-  Ready for DDL Deployment  -+-+-
ECHO.  

REM SET fileloc=%1
REM SET filenm=%2

SET /P  fileloc=Enter the file directory^>
ECHO.%fileloc%> c:\ddlDeployment\automatic\filedir.txt
SET /P fileloc=< c:\ddlDeployment\automatic\filedir.txt


SET /P  filenm=Enter the file name^>
ECHO.%filenm%> c:\ddlDeployment\automatic\filename.txt
SET /P filenm=< c:\ddlDeployment\automatic\filename.txt


REM ECHO Please enter the file directory followed by the file name:
ECHO .RUN FILE C:\DUR\DDL\%fileloc%\%filenm%_DEV.sql; >> runfile_dev.txt

pause

As you can see, i have 2 variables where a user will enter their input: fileloc (for the location part) and filenm(where the user enters that first part of the file name. Then those inputs are stored in filedir and filename .txt files.
Then, I want to RUN the file using those use Inputs (without asking for the user to input them again) and so on....

Any help would be appreciated!

[Reverend Jim]

There is a seldom used (I hope) technique called "the self modifying program" that, like a GOTO, when used properly can be very convenient. Here is an example of such a program written in vbScript

FILELOC = ""
FILENAM = ""

'keep the above two lines as the first two lines in this script.

set fso = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")

'prompt for FILELOC and FILENAM if either value is not already defined

if FILELOC = "" or FILENAM = "" then 
   SetParms
end if

'replace the first two lines of code in this file with values
'input by the user

Sub SetParms()

   dim pgm: pgm = wscript.ScriptFullName
   dim txt: txt = Split(fso.OpenTextFile(pgm).ReadAll,vbCrLf)   

   txt(0) = "FILELOC = """ & GetParam("Enter File Location: ") & """"
   txt(1) = "FILENAM = """ & GetParam("Enter File Name: ") & """"

   fso.OpenTextFile(pgm,2).Write(Join(txt,vbCrLf))

End Sub

'prompt for and read a string value from the console

Private Function GetParam(prompt)
   wscript.StdOut.Write prompt
   GetParam = wscript.StdIn.ReadLine
End Function    

When the program runs, it checks to see if the configuration values have been defined. If not then the user is prompted to enter them. The program then reads its own source file from disk, modifies the first two lines, then writes itself back to disk. The benefit is that you only ever need the one file. To use this program, copy the code into a file with a "vbs" extension. To run it you can either

cscript myfile.vbs

or you can set cscript.exe to the default by

cscript //nologo /'h:cscript //s

and then you can run it by typing only

myfile

To make it more robust you should do some error checking on the input values to make sure that

1. the entered file path exists
2. the entered file name exists

Just plug in whatever extra code you need to do the specific task.