batch file - use of variable

Question

@echo off
set filename = 
cd GWConfig_TDS-mtpe3003
set filename = VCU17_CCU6\applications\VCU17APP 
GOTO CHECKFILE

:CHECKFILE 
echo reached
IF EXIST %filename% ( echo exists 
) ELSE ( echo Doesnot exist )

/////////////////////////////////////////////////

Here output shows :

reached

Doesnot echo "exists" or "Doesnot exist"

Is there anything wrong with the use of variable "filename".

Also,

@echo off
set filename = 
cd GWConfig_TDS-mtpe3003
set filename = VCU17_CCU6\applications\VCU17APP 
GOTO CHECKFILE

:CHECKFILE 
echo reached
IF EXIST VCU17_CCU6\applications\VCU17APP ( echo exists 
) ELSE ( echo Doesnot exist )

gives output:

reached
exists.

Answer 1

There are two problems here. One is the space after the variable name:

SET filename = whatever

should be

SET filename=whatever

(Or you could use %filename % later, but that's just horrible :)

The second problem is that without any quotes, your "IF" test won't work properly if %filename% is empty. Quote it instead:

IF EXIST "%filename%" ( echo exists
) ELSE ( echo Doesnot exist )

Answer 2

I don't have the time to properly re-create this now, but I can spot a few potential problems:

• Have you tried removing the spaces around the = in set:

  set filename=VCU17_CCU6\applications\VCU17APP
  

  otherwise you might have a single space leading your file name

• You might want to try to quote the use of %filename%:

  IF EXIST "%filename%" ( ...