How do you get the string length in a batch file?

Question

There doesn't appear to be an easy way to get the length of a string in a batch file. E.g.,

SET MY_STRING=abcdefg
SET /A MY_STRING_LEN=???

How would I find the string length of MY_STRING?

Bonus points if the string length function handles all possible characters in strings including escape characters, like this: !%^^()^!.

Solution 1

As there is no built in function for string length, you can write your own function like this one:

@echo off
setlocal
REM *** Some tests, to check the functionality ***
REM *** An emptyStr has the length 0
set "emptyString="
call :strlen result emptyString
echo %result%

REM *** This string has the length 14
set "myString=abcdef!%%^^()^!"
call :strlen result myString
echo %result%

REM *** This string has the maximum length of 8191
setlocal EnableDelayedExpansion
set "long=."
FOR /L %%n in (1 1 13) DO set "long=!long:~-4000!!long:~-4000!"
(set^ longString=!long!!long:~-191!)

call :strlen result longString
echo %result%

goto :eof

REM ********* function *****************************
:strlen <resultVar> <stringVar>
(   
    setlocal EnableDelayedExpansion
    (set^ tmp=!%~2!)
    if defined tmp (
        set "len=1"
        for %%P in (4096 2048 1024 512 256 128 64 32 16 8 4 2 1) do (
            if "!tmp:~%%P,1!" NEQ "" ( 
                set /a "len+=%%P"
                set "tmp=!tmp:~%%P!"
            )
        )
    ) ELSE (
        set len=0
    )
)
( 
    endlocal
    set "%~1=%len%"
    exit /b
)

This function needs always 13 loops, instead of a simple strlen function which needs strlen-loops.
It handles all characters.

The strange expression (set^ tmp=!%~2!) is necessary to handle ultra long strings, else it's not possible to copy them.

Solution 2

You can do it in two lines, fully in a batch file, by writing the string to a file and then getting the length of the file. You just have to subtract two bytes to account for the automatic CR+LF added to the end.

Let's say your string is in a variable called strvar:

ECHO %strvar%> tempfile.txt
FOR %%? IN (tempfile.txt) DO ( SET /A strlength=%%~z? - 2 )

The length of the string is now in a variable called strlength.

In slightly more detail:

• FOR %%? IN (filename) DO ( ... : gets info about a file
• SET /A [variable]=[expression] : evaluate the expression numerically
• %%~z? : Special expression to get the length of the file

To mash the whole command in one line:

ECHO %strvar%>x&FOR %%? IN (x) DO SET /A strlength=%%~z? - 2&del x

Solution 3

I prefer jeb's accepted answer - it is the fastest known solution and the one I use in my own scripts. (Actually there are a few additional optimizations bandied about on DosTips, but I don't think they are worth it)

But it is fun to come up with new efficient algorithms. Here is a new algorithm that uses the FINDSTR /O option:

@echo off
setlocal
set "test=Hello world!"

:: Echo the length of TEST
call :strLen test

:: Store the length of TEST in LEN
call :strLen test len
echo len=%len%
exit /b

:strLen  strVar  [rtnVar]
setlocal disableDelayedExpansion
set len=0
if defined %~1 for /f "delims=:" %%N in (
  '"(cmd /v:on /c echo(!%~1!&echo()|findstr /o ^^"'
) do set /a "len=%%N-3"
endlocal & if "%~2" neq "" (set %~2=%len%) else echo %len%
exit /b

The code subtracts 3 because the parser juggles the command and adds a space before CMD /V /C executes it. It can be prevented by using (echo(!%~1!^^^).

---

For those that want the absolute fastest performance possible, jeb's answer can be adopted for use as a batch "macro" with arguments. This is an advanced batch technique devloped over at DosTips that eliminates the inherently slow process of CALLing a :subroutine. You can get more background on the concepts behind batch macros here, but that link uses a more primitive, less desirable syntax.

Below is an optimized @strLen macro, with examples showing differences between the macro and :subroutine usage, as well as differences in performance.

@echo off
setlocal disableDelayedExpansion

:: -------- Begin macro definitions ----------
set ^"LF=^
%= This creates a variable containing a single linefeed (0x0A) character =%
^"
:: Define %\n% to effectively issue a newline with line continuation
set ^"\n=^^^%LF%%LF%^%LF%%LF%^^"

:: @strLen  StrVar  [RtnVar]
::
::   Computes the length of string in variable StrVar
::   and stores the result in variable RtnVar.
::   If RtnVar is is not specified, then prints the length to stdout.
::
set @strLen=for %%. in (1 2) do if %%.==2 (%\n%
  for /f "tokens=1,2 delims=, " %%1 in ("!argv!") do ( endlocal%\n%
    set "s=A!%%~1!"%\n%
    set "len=0"%\n%
    for %%P in (4096 2048 1024 512 256 128 64 32 16 8 4 2 1) do (%\n%
      if "!s:~%%P,1!" neq "" (%\n%
        set /a "len+=%%P"%\n%
        set "s=!s:~%%P!"%\n%
      )%\n%
    )%\n%
    for %%V in (!len!) do endlocal^&if "%%~2" neq "" (set "%%~2=%%V") else echo %%V%\n%
  )%\n%
) else setlocal enableDelayedExpansion^&setlocal^&set argv=,

:: -------- End macro definitions ----------

:: Print out definition of macro
set @strLen

:: Demonstrate usage

set "testString=this has a length of 23"

echo(
echo Testing %%@strLen%% testString
%@strLen% testString

echo(
echo Testing call :strLen testString
call :strLen testString

echo(
echo Testing %%@strLen%% testString rtn
set "rtn="
%@strLen% testString rtn
echo rtn=%rtn%

echo(
echo Testing call :strLen testString rtn
set "rtn="
call :strLen testString rtn
echo rtn=%rtn%

echo(
echo Measuring %%@strLen%% time:
set "t0=%time%"
for /l %%N in (1 1 1000) do %@strlen% testString testLength
set "t1=%time%"
call :printTime

echo(
echo Measuring CALL :strLen time:
set "t0=%time%"
for /l %%N in (1 1 1000) do call :strLen testString testLength
set "t1=%time%"
call :printTime
exit /b


:strlen  StrVar  [RtnVar]
::
:: Computes the length of string in variable StrVar
:: and stores the result in variable RtnVar.
:: If RtnVar is is not specified, then prints the length to stdout.
::
(
  setlocal EnableDelayedExpansion
  set "s=A!%~1!"
  set "len=0"
  for %%P in (4096 2048 1024 512 256 128 64 32 16 8 4 2 1) do (
    if "!s:~%%P,1!" neq "" (
      set /a "len+=%%P"
      set "s=!s:~%%P!"
    )
  )
)
(
  endlocal
  if "%~2" equ "" (echo %len%) else set "%~2=%len%"
  exit /b
)

:printTime
setlocal
for /f "tokens=1-4 delims=:.," %%a in ("%t0: =0%") do set /a "t0=(((1%%a*60)+1%%b)*60+1%%c)*100+1%%d-36610100
for /f "tokens=1-4 delims=:.," %%a in ("%t1: =0%") do set /a "t1=(((1%%a*60)+1%%b)*60+1%%c)*100+1%%d-36610100
set /a tm=t1-t0
if %tm% lss 0 set /a tm+=24*60*60*100
echo %tm:~0,-2%.%tm:~-2% msec
exit /b

-- Sample Output --

@strLen=for %. in (1 2) do if %.==2 (
  for /f "tokens=1,2 delims=, " %1 in ("!argv!") do ( endlocal
    set "s=A!%~1!"
    set "len=0"
    for %P in (4096 2048 1024 512 256 128 64 32 16 8 4 2 1) do (
      if "!s:~%P,1!" neq "" (
        set /a "len+=%P"
        set "s=!s:~%P!"
      )
    )
    for %V in (!len!) do endlocal&if "%~2" neq "" (set "%~2=%V") else echo %V
  )
) else setlocal enableDelayedExpansion&setlocal&set argv=,

Testing %@strLen% testString
23

Testing call :strLen testString
23

Testing %@strLen% testString rtn
rtn=23

Testing call :strLen testString rtn
rtn=23

Measuring %@strLen% time:
1.93 msec

Measuring CALL :strLen time:
7.08 msec

Solution 4

The first few lines are simply to demonstrate the :strLen function.

@echo off
set "strToMeasure=This is a string"
call :strLen strToMeasure strlen
echo.String is %strlen% characters long
exit /b

:strLen
setlocal enabledelayedexpansion
:strLen_Loop
  if not "!%1:~%len%!"=="" set /A len+=1 & goto :strLen_Loop
(endlocal & set %2=%len%)
goto :eof

Of course, this is not quite as efficient at the "13 loop" version provided by jeb. But it is easier to understand, and your 3GHz computer can slip through a few thousand iterations in a small fraction of a second.

Solution 5

Just found ULTIMATE solution:

set "MYSTRING=abcdef!%%^^()^!"
(echo "%MYSTRING%" & echo.) | findstr /O . | more +1 | (set /P RESULT= & call exit /B %%RESULT%%)
set /A STRLENGTH=%ERRORLEVEL%-5
echo string "%MYSTRING%" length = %STRLENGTH%

The output is:

string "abcdef!%^^()^!" length = 14

It handles escape characters, an order of magnitude simpler then most solutions above, and contains no loops, magic numbers, DelayedExpansion, temp files, etc.

In case usage outside batch script (mean putting commands to console manually), replace %%RESULT%% key with %RESULT%.

If needed, %ERRORLEVEL% variable could be set to FALSE using any NOP command, e.g. echo. >nul

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