Microsoft KB Archive/69576

= Testing for a Specific Error Level in Batch Files =

Article ID: 69576

Article Last Modified on 11/16/2006

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft MS-DOS 3.1
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 3.2 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 3.21 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 3.3 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 3.3a
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 4.0 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 4.01 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 5.0 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 5.0a
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 6.0 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 6.2 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 6.21 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 6.22 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q69576



SUMMARY
The Microsoft MS-DOS &quot;IF ERRORLEVEL &quot; statement checks for error levels of the given number or greater. If you want to check for a specific error level, you should use the following command construct   IF ERRORLEVEL  IF NOT ERRORLEVEL   where  is the desired number. The  portion of the command must be calculated as the command is entered, because the MS-DOS command interpreter cannot perform mathematical calculations.



MORE INFORMATION
The nested IF statements allow specific selection of an error level because the NOT operator effectively reverses the inequality. The command   IF ERRORLEVEL 5 ... is equivalent to the algebraic construct   IF E = 5 OR E > 5 THEN ... while the command   IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 6 is equivalent to the algebraic construct:   IF E < 6 THEN ... The combination of the two IF commands works as described because the second IF is executed only if the first is true, and the is executed only if the second is true; therefore, the combination of the two commands is executed only if BOTH are true. Because the desired error level is bracketed with the two tests, the entire conditional is TRUE only when ERRORLEVEL is exactly that value.

This same syntax can be expanded to cover a sequential range of ERRORLEVEL return codes by increasing the difference between the values checked for.

Additional query words: 6.22 3.20 3.21 3.30 3.30a 4.00 4.01 5.00 6.00 6.20

Keywords: KB69576

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