Why does for /f not ignore blank lines?

Stese Published at Dev

Stese

I'm trying to get a simple value from a for /f loop in a batch file.

Using the command wmic path win32_localtime get dayofweek gives me the output:

C:\sendemail>wmic path win32_localtime get dayofweek
DayOfWeek
1


C:\sendemail>

So, using the following batch script, I should be able to return a result of "1":

set cmd=wmic path win32_localtime get dayofweek
for /f "tokens=1 skip=1" %%Z in ('%cmd%') do set _myday=%%Z
echo Var is %_myday%

But I don't, it sets the variable at least twice, as seen here :

C:\sendemail>set cmd=wmic path win32_localtime get dayofweek

C:\sendemail>for /F "tokens=1 skip=1" %Z in ('wmic path win32_localtime get dayofweek') do set _myday=%Z

C:\sendemail>set _myday=1

 :\sendemail>set _myday=

C:\sendemail>echo Var is
Var is

C:\sendemail>

At first, I wondered why, then I realised the loop is processing the two blank lines... which it shouldn't be. according to this: http://ss64.com/nt/for_cmd.html

Skip SKIP will skip processing a number of lines from the beginning of the file. SKIP includes empty lines, but after the SKIP is complete, FOR /F ignores (does not iterate) empty lines.

Either, it's not working normally, or those lines are not blank, and are filled with something...

At any rate, how do I get just the day of the week result out of this, and ignore the rest?

MichaelS

This slight midification will work:

@ECHO OFF
set cmd=wmic path win32_localtime get dayofweek
for /f "tokens=1 skip=1" %%Z in ('%cmd%') do (
    set _myday=%%Z
    GOTO BREAK
)
:BREAK
echo Var is %_myday%
PAUSE

Simply jump out of the loop after reading the desired line.

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