How do I comment on the Windows command line?
WindowsCommand LineCommentsWindows Problem Overview
In Bash, # is used to comment the following. How do I make a comment on the Windows command line?
Windows Solutions
Solution 1 - Windows
The command you're looking for is rem, short for "remark".
There is also a shorthand version :: that some people use, and this sort of looks like # if you squint a bit and look at it sideways. I originally preferred that variant since I'm a bash-aholic and I'm still trying to forget the painful days of BASIC :-)
Unfortunately, there are situations where :: stuffs up the command line processor (such as within complex if or for statements) so I generally use rem nowadays. In any case, it's a hack, suborning the label infrastructure to make it look like a comment when it really isn't. For example, try replacing rem with :: in the following example and see how it works out:
if 1==1 (
rem comment line 1
echo 1 equals 1
rem comment line 2
)
You should also keep in mind that rem is a command, so you can't just bang it at the end of a line like the # in bash. It has to go where a command would go. For example, only the second of these two will echo the single word hello:
echo hello rem a comment.
echo hello & rem a comment.
Solution 2 - Windows
A comment is produced using the REM command which is short for "Remark".
REM Comment here...
Solution 3 - Windows
Sometimes, it is convenient to add a comment to a command line. For that, you can use "&REM misc comment text" or, now that I know about it, "&:: misc comment text". For example:
REM SET Token="4C6F72656D20697073756D20646F6C6F" &REM This token is for localhost
SET Token="722073697420616D65742C20636F6E73" &REM This token is for production
This makes it easy to keep track of multiple sets of values when doing exploration, tests of concept, etc. This approach works because '&' introduces a new command on the same line.
Solution 4 - Windows
It's "REM".
Example:
REM This is a comment
Solution 5 - Windows
: this is one way to comment
As a result:
:: this will also work
:; so will this
:! and this
: ***** and so on ***** :
: // even this \\ :
Above styles work outside codeblocks, otherwise:
REM is another way to comment.
Solution 6 - Windows
Lines starting with "rem" (from the word remarks) are comments:
rem comment here
echo "hello"
Solution 7 - Windows
Powershell
For powershell, use #:
PS C:\> echo foo # This is a comment
foo
Solution 8 - Windows
-
A single colon without a space after it is enough
-
Just don't leave comments at the last line in block
Finally, this works:
if 1==1 (
:comment line 1
echo 1 equals 1
)