Q71247: Semicolon, Equal Sign As Arguments in Batch File

Article: Q71247
Product(s): Microsoft Disk Operating System
Version(s): MS-DOS:4.x,5.x,6.0,6.2,6.21,6.22
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): 
Last Modified: 17-DEC-2000

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft MS-DOS operating system versions 4.0, 4.01, 5.0, 5.0a, 6.0, 6.2, 6.21, 6.22 
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SUMMARY
=======

When a semicolon (;) or equal sign (=) is used as a command line argument in a
batch file, it is treated as a blank space.

MORE INFORMATION
================

For example, in the following batch file, TEST.BAT,

     echo %1 %2 %3

the command line and resulting output appear as follows:

  Command Line       Output
  ------------       ------

  test a=b           a b
  test a;b           a b
  test ;ab           ab
  test =             ECHO is on (parsed as test)
  test ;             ECHO is on

For more information, query on the following words:

  " equal and sign and characters and batch " (without the quotation marks)

Additional query words: 6.22 4.0 4.00 4.01 4.01a 5.00 5.00a 6.00 6.20

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Keywords          :  
Technology        : kbMSDOSSearch kbMSDOS400 kbMSDOS621 kbMSDOS622 kbMSDOS620 kbMSDOS600 kbMSDOS500 kbMSDOS401 kbMSDOS500a
Version           : MS-DOS:4.x,5.x,6.0,6.2,6.21,6.22

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