Cannot use dot before redirect to file in batch file

Question

I cannot tell why the context of an if would change my ability to run the same code.

While this:

@SET FILE_MAIL_BODY=mail.body
@echo The build FAILED because of a lock on the 'classes' folder (or its subfolders).>%FILE_MAIL_BODY%

works just fine, running the following snippet:

@SET retval=%ERRORLEVEL%
if %retval% == 1 (
    @SET FILE_MAIL_BODY=mail.body
    @echo The build FAILED because of a lock on the 'classes' folder (or its subfolders).>%FILE_MAIL_BODY%  
)

fails with the message:

. was unexpected at this time.

, unless I delete the . after subfolders.

Answer 1

You have to escape the () open and closed parenthesis characters in the ECHO command with the ^ caret character (see below) so it'll be: @echo The build FAILED because of a lock on the 'classes' folder ^(or its subfolders^).>%FILE_MAIL_BODY%.

@SET retval=%ERRORLEVEL%
if %retval% == 1 (
    @SET FILE_MAIL_BODY=mail.body
    @echo The build FAILED because of a lock on the 'classes' folder ^(or its subfolders^)^.>%FILE_MAIL_BODY%  
)

---

Further Resources

• Some characters characters, have special meaning to the command line. They cannot be printed as text using the ECHO command unless escaped using the caret ^ symbol:
• SO - Batch Character Escaping
• Escape Characters

• Escape Characters, Delimiters and Quotes

• Echoing Parentheses in Windows Batch Files

  It’s not just about parentheses, really. It’s about almost anything that a script engine will ruthlessly interpret before executing a command: variable markers (percent signs), redirection symbols, parentheses, double quotes, ampersands…

  My most common… let’s say, case, is this:

  @echo off
  
  echo Doing something (very important)...
  

  Put this in a BATch file, run it, and you’ll end up with a message saying

  ... was unexpected at this time.
  

  No, seriously? It’s great that the engine is trying to evaluate an expression within an echo, but this time I need something much more simple: round brackets embedded into a text message. Just that. Please.

  Thank heavens there is a “cure”: parentheses can be escaped with a caret character.

  @echo off
  
  echo Doing something ^(very important^)...
  

  Now we’re good:

  Doing something (very important)...
  

  Carets can be used to escape almost any special character, even a newline — to break a single command in several lines.

  _source