Windows 7 batch error “finishes was unexpected”

Question

I am using Windows 7 Notepad to write a trivial batch file and getting an error message I can't identify or isolate:

REM  Robocopy script for Sequoia data collection
REM  Run WRITE three times, collect the results

cd c:\Robo_results\Sequoia_tests

for /L %%n in (1, 1, 1) do (
  REM WRITE
  echo Testing again %%n
)

for /L %%n in (1, 1, 1) do (
  echo Pause for 60 seconds until the crawler (hopefully) finishes
)

Output:

c:\Robo_results\Sequoia_tests>run_Seq_robocopy2.bat

c:\Robo_results\Sequoia_tests>REM  Robocopy script for Sequoia data collection

c:\Robo_results\Sequoia_tests>REM  Run WRITE three times, collect the results

c:\Robo_results\Sequoia_tests>cd c:\Robo_results\Sequoia_tests

c:\Robo_results\Sequoia_tests>for /L %n in (1 1 1) do (
REM WRITE
 echo Testing again %n
)

c:\Robo_results\Sequoia_tests>(
REM WRITE
 echo Testing again 1
)
Testing again 1
finishes was unexpected at this time.
c:\Robo_results\Sequoia_tests>  echo Pause for 60 seconds until the crawler (hopefully) finishes
c:\Robo_results\Sequoia_tests>

I don't understand what "finishes" is referring to. I used a hex editor and see 0D 0A for CR LF, which seem OK.

Interesting: the text I copied from notepad and pasted in this submission have CR and LF but the question as displayed does not. Rephrasing that statement: In the batch file REM and echo start new lines but in this display they do not. Thank you, Neal

Answer 1

finishes is the word in your batch file having that exact spelling, from here:

for /L %%n in (1, 1, 1) do ( echo Pause for 60 seconds until the crawler (hopefully) finishes )

This has a few parts:

1. A loop

    for /L %%n in (1, 1, 1) do 

2. A subshell, delimited by parentheses ()

3. A command inside the subshell

    echo Pause for 60 seconds until the crawler (hopefully 

4. Some garbage following the close parenthesis:

    finishes ) 

That last part causes an error.

You meant for the first close parenthesis to be part of the message, not end the subshell, but the command interpreter doesn't know that. Try writing your message without using characters ( ) ) with special meaning to the shell. Or use some quotes.