.cmd and .bat file converting return code to an error message

Question

I'm trying to automate a program I made with a test suite via a .cmd file.

I can get the program that I ran's return code via %errorlevel%.

My program has certain return codes for each type of error.

For example:

1 - means failed for such and such a reason

2 - means failed for some other reason

...

echo FAILED: Test case failed, error level: %errorlevel% >> TestSuite1Log.txt

Instead I'd like to somehow say:

echo FAILED: Test case failed, error reason: lookupError(%errorlevel%) >> TestSuite1Log.txt

Is this possible with a .bat file? Or do I have to move to a scripting language like python/perl?

Answer 1

You can do this quite neatly with the ENABLEDELAYEDEXPANSION option. This allows you to use ! as variable marker that is evaluated after %.

REM Turn on Delayed Expansion
SETLOCAL ENABLEDELAYEDEXPANSION

REM Define messages as variables with the ERRORLEVEL on the end of the name
SET MESSAGE0=Everything is fine
SET MESSAGE1=Failed for such and such a reason
SET MESSAGE2=Failed for some other reason

REM Set ERRORLEVEL - or run command here
SET ERRORLEVEL=2

REM Print the message corresponding to the ERRORLEVEL
ECHO !MESSAGE%ERRORLEVEL%!

Type HELP SETLOCAL and HELP SET at a command prompt for more information on delayed expansion.