Referencing argument with spaces in MS-DOS 3.3 batch file?

[charnitz]

batch.bat contains this:

@echo %1​

Results:

C>batch hello
hello

C>batch hello string
hello

C>batch "hello string"
"hello​

How can the batch file reference an argument with spaces in it?

This pattern concatenates arguments, but runs out of argument variables after 8 spaces between 9 strings:

set msg=%1 %2
echo %msg%​

 

[WBST]

You can use the SHIFT subcommand to access more than 9 parameters.

I can't remember if DOS 3.3 has %0 set as the whole of the trailing string. e.g. echo %0

 

[kc8eyt]

An example of using SHIFT

@ECHO OFF
SET msg=
:REDO
IF '%1'=='' GOTO END
ECHO %1
SET msg=%msg% %1
SHIFT
GOTO REDO
:END
ECHO %msg%