For my archive bc.bat it finds Beyond Compare, then starts it with the given command line parameters. It prefers version 4 over version 3 and user settings over system settings:
:begin
@echo off
setlocal
IF /I %PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE% == amd64 goto :x64
IF /I %PROCESSOR_ARCHITEW6432% == amd64 goto :x64
goto :x86
:x64
:: OS is 64bit
set hkcuBaseKey=HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Scooter Software\Beyond Compare
set hklmBaseKey=HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Scooter Software\Beyond Compare
goto :findBC
:x86
:: OS is 32bit
set hkcuBaseKey=HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Scooter Software\Beyond Compare
set hklmBaseKey=HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Scooter Software\Beyond Compare
goto :findBC
:findBC
:: https://gist.github.com/rojepp/634908
:: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/5369528/windows-batch-reg-query-key-value-to-a-variable-but-do-not-display-error-if-key
set SupportedBeyondCompareVersions=3, 4
for %%v in (%SupportedBeyondCompareVersions%) do (
for /f "usebackq tokens=2* delims= " %%c in (`reg query "%hkcuBaseKey% %%v" /v ExePath 2^>NUL`) do (
call :do set bcExe="%%d"
)
)
if not [%bcExe%]==[] goto :foundBC
for /f "usebackq tokens=2* delims= " %%c in (`reg query "%hkcuBaseKey%" /v ExePath 2^>NUL`) do (
call :do set bcExe="%%d"
)
if not [%bcExe%]==[] goto :foundBC
for %%v in (%SupportedBeyondCompareVersions%) do (
for /f "usebackq tokens=2* delims= " %%c in (`reg query "%hklmBaseKey% %%v" /v ExePath 2^>NUL`) do (
call :do set bcExe="%%d"
)
)
if not [%bcExe%]==[] goto :foundBC
for /f "usebackq tokens=2* delims= " %%c in (`reg query "%hklmBaseKey%" /v ExePath 2^>NUL`) do (
call :do set bcExe="%%d"
)
:foundBC
if [%bcExe%]==[] ( echo no bc.exe found in registry) else (
echo bcExe=%bcExe%
if exist %bcExe% start "Beyond Compare" %bcExe% %*
if not exist %bcExe% echo not found: [%bcExe%]
)
:exit
endlocal
:end
goto :eof
:do
::echo %*
call %*
goto :eof
–jeroen
The Wiert Corner - irregular stream of stuff 