How to output a list of arguments passed to a VBScript script?

Question

I have the following VBScript code:

Dim returnVal
returnVal = "You did not pass me 4 arguments"

args = WScript.Arguments.Count

If args = 4 Then
    returnVal = "The arguements you passed me are " & WScript.Arguments.Item(0) & "  "  & WScript.Arguments.Item(1) & "  "  & WScript.Arguments.Item(2) & "  "  & WScript.Arguments.Item(3) 
end if

All I want is the ability to print "returnVal" so that if I typed:

test.vbs 1 2 3 4

It would return:

The arguments you passed me are 1 2 3 4

How can I do this?

Kev · Accepted Answer · 2011-07-28 19:09:39Z

6

To output to the command console window you can do this using:

WScript.Echo returnVal

or

WScript.StdOut.WriteLine returnVal

But you must use the CScript host for this to work, for example:

cscript.exe myscript.vbs

WScript is the GUI host and so has no knowledge of the standard input/output/error/aux streams. Trying to do WScript.StdOut.WriteLine will result in the following error dialogue:

---------------------------
Windows Script Host
---------------------------
Script: d:\myscript.vbs
Line:   12
Char:   1
Error:  The handle is invalid. 
Code:   80070006
Source:     (null)

---------------------------
OK   
---------------------------

In a CScript.exe script you can still pop up GUI message dialogues using:

Msgbox "Hello World!"

Using WScript.Echo in a WScript host will display the message in a popup dialogue instead of printing to the command line window.

For more information see:

Write Method (Windows Script Host)

For more information on the differences between WScript and CScript and how to switch between them:

Sesame Script Stop and Go (MS TechNet)

The difference between Cscript and Wscript is that Cscript is the command-line version of the script host and Wscript is the graphical version. This difference isn’t really noticeable unless your script uses the Wscript.Echo command.

edited Jul 28, 2011 at 19:09

answered Jul 28, 2011 at 14:10

Kev

120k53 gold badges308 silver badges396 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

4 Comments

Filburt Over a year ago

Dang - 3 secs ... and you included cscript usage.

Kev Over a year ago

For my sins, I worked in a bank and used to look after a 30000 line build system written entirely in vbscript. This experience is burned irreversibly into my noggin :)

Landister Over a year ago

I did not figure it was a hard problem but I am new to scripting. Thanks man :)

Ekkehard.Horner Over a year ago

@Kev: +1 for this excellent summary of w/cscript output. May I ask you to take out the misleading 'pass me per value' () from your example sub calls, however?

Filburt · Accepted Answer · 2011-07-28 14:10:45Z

3

If you're not after the Message Box suggested by @heximal, you should use StdOut:

WScript.StdOut.Write(returnVal)

Important: This requires CScript to be the host executable.

To change the default script host, use

cscript //h:cscript //s

answered Jul 28, 2011 at 14:10

Filburt

18.1k14 gold badges106 silver badges167 bronze badges

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

How to output a list of arguments passed to a VBScript script?

2 Answers 2

4 Comments

Comments

Your Answer

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

2 Answers 2

4 Comments

Comments

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Related