MS-DOS and Windows command line option command

Updated:
12/30/2021
by

Reckoner Hope

The
selection
command allows users to keep batch files and scripts from running while they make a set of choices.

Microsoft Windows 2000 and Windows XP users who have batch files that utilize the choice command should modify the batch file to use the MS-DOS set command.

Availability

Pick is an external command and is available for the following Microsoft operating systems. Early versions of MS-DOS used choice.com as the external file. All versions of Windows utilize choicee.exe every bit the external file.

  • MS-DOS 6.0+
  • Windows 95
  • Windows 98
  • Windows Vista
  • Windows 7
  • Windows 8
  • Windows 10
  • Windows 11

Choice syntax

  • Windows Vista and later syntax
  • Windows XP and before syntax

Windows Vista and afterwards syntax

Pick [/C choices] [/N] [/CS] [/T timeout /D choice] [/1000 text]
/C choices Specifies the list of choices to be created. Default list is “YN”.
/N Hides the listing of choices in the prompt. The message before the prompt is displayed and the choices are still enabled.
/CS Enables instance-sensitive choices to be selected. Past default, the utility is instance-insensitive.
/T timeout The number of seconds to break before a default choice is made. Acceptable values are from 0 to 9999. If 0 is specified, there will be no pause and the default choice is selected.
/D choice Specifies the default selection after nnnn seconds. Character must exist in the set of choices specified past /C option and must also specify nnnn with /T.
/Grand text Specifies the bulletin to show before the prompt. If non specified, the utility displays only a prompt.
Popular:   Autoexec.bat and config.sys help and instructions

NOTE:

The ERRORLEVEL environs variable is set up to the alphabetize of the key that was selected from the set of choices. The first selection listed returns a value of 1, the second a value of 2, etc. If the user presses a key that is not a valid choice, the tool sounds a warning beep. If tool detects an error condition, information technology returns an ERRORLEVEL value of 255. If the user presses
Ctrl+Interruption
or
Ctrl+C, the tool returns an ERRORLEVEL value of 0. When yous employ ERRORLEVEL parameters in a batch plan, list them in decreasing society.

Examples:

CHOICE /? Option /C YNC /M "Printing Y for Yes, Due north for No or C for Cancel." Choice /T 10 /C ync /CS /D y CHOICE /C ab /One thousand "Select a for selection one and b for option 2." Choice /C ab /Northward /M "Select a for option 1 and b for choice 2."

Windows XP and earlier syntax

pick [/C[:]choices] [/Northward] [/S] [/T[:]c,nn] [text]

Options

/C[:]choices Specifies allowable keys. Default is Y/Due north.
/North Practise not display choices and “?” at end of prompt string.
/S Treat choice keys as case-sensitive.
/T[:]c,nn Default choice to c after nn seconds.
text Prompt string to brandish.

Choice examples

See the following page for examples on using the selection and set in a batch file.

  • How to use choice and set in a batch file.