Choice

CHOICE prompts the user to select one of a specified set of keys in a batch program.

Syntax:

CHOICE [/C[:]choices] [/N] [/S] [/T[:]c,nn] [text]

/C[:]choices	The prompt - comprising a series of single alphanumeric characters corresponding to valid choices. The prompt is displayed as the characters, separated by commas, enclosed in brackets, and followed by a question mark. Default is YN
/N	Stops the prompt from being displayed, although text is still shown and the choices keys are still valid.
/S	Forces the choice keys to be case sensitive. By default they are not.
/T[:]c,nn	Defaults choice to c after nn seconds. c must exist; nn must be in the range 0 to 99.
text	Text displayed before the prompt. Typically, text is used to expand on the subsequent prompt.

Notes:

The CHOICE command works by assigning an errorlevel value to each entry under choices (see below).

Exit Codes:

Examples:

1. Some examples of CHOICE command formats and the corresponding display:

   CHOICE

   [Y,N]?

   CHOICE /C:ync

   [Y,N,C]?

   CHOICE /C:ync Yes, No, Continue

   Yes, No, Continue [Y,N,C]?

   CHOICE /n Yes, No, or Continue?

   Yes, No, Continue?

   CHOICE /C:ync /T:N,5

   [Y,N.C]?

   for 5 seconds; if no key has been pressed by then, N is chosen returning an ErrorLevel value of 2.

2. To have the option of running SCANDISK on drive C when the computer is turned on, the following lines could be added to "autoexec.bat":

   CHOICE Run Scandisk /ty,5
   IF errorlevel 2 GOTO SkipScan
   Scandisk c:
   :SkipScan

   If you press N within 5 seconds, SCANDISK will not run and CHOICE returns an ERRORLEVEL value of 2. If you do not press N within 5 seconds, or if you choose Y, SCANDISK runs on drive C.

3. The following batch program uses the CHOICE option to select one of three Dos utilities: Scandisk, Microsoft Backup, or Debug. Notice that the IF ERRORLEVEL statements are listed in decreasing order. MS-Dos will consider the IF statement true if the ERRORLEVEL parameter returned by CHOICE is greater than or equal to the parameter specified in the IF command.

   @ECHO off
   ECHO A Scandisk
   ECHO B Microsoft Backup
   ECHO C Debug
   CHOICE /C:abc Choose an option
   IF errorlevel 3 GOTO Dbug
   IF errorlevel 2 GOTO MsBack
   IF errorlevel 1 GOTO Scan
   :Dbug
   Debug
   GOTO End
   :Scan
   Scandisk
   GOTO End
   :Msbackup
   msbackup
   GOTO End
   :End

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