A :
colon has special meaning in CMD
environment variables if command extensions are enabled (Windows cmd
default), for instance
Hard to escape a :
colon in variable name, if possible at all. Here's a workaround: create variables with such names that :
colon is replaced by another character, e.g. _
Low Line (underscore):
@ECHO OFF
SETLOCAL EnableExtensions DisableDelayedExpansion
rem create sample variables
set "env:dev1=some thing!" value contains exclamation mark
set "env:dev2=some thing%%" value contains percent sign
set "an:other=some:thing3" another name containing colon
echo --- before ---
set env
set an
for /F "tokens=1* delims==" %%G in ('set') do (
set "auxName=%%G"
set "auxValue=%%H"
call :colons
)
echo --- after ---
set env
set an
rem
ENDLOCAL
goto :eof
:colons
if not "%auxName::=_%" == "%auxName%" set "%auxName::=_%=%auxValue%"
goto :eof
Output:
==> d:\bat\so\37973141.bat
--- before ---
env:dev1=some thing!
env:dev2=some thing%
an:other=some:thing3
--- after ---
env:dev1=some thing!
env:dev2=some thing%
env_dev1=some thing!
env_dev2=some thing%
an:other=some:thing3
an_other=some:thing3
==>
Edit: for the sake of completeness:
@ECHO OFF
SETLOCAL EnableExtensions DisableDelayedExpansion
rem create sample variables
set "env:dev1=some thing!" value contains exclamation mark
set "env:dev2=some thing%%" value contains percent sign
set "an:other=some:thing3" another name containing colon
rem use sample variables
SETLOCAL DisableExtensions
echo Disabled Extensions %env:dev1% / %env:dev2% / %an:other%
ENDLOCAL
Be aware of disabling command extensions impact, read cmd /?
:
The command extensions involve changes and/or additions to the
following commands:
DEL or ERASE
COLOR
CD or CHDIR
MD or MKDIR
PROMPT
PUSHD
POPD
SET
SETLOCAL
ENDLOCAL
IF
FOR
CALL
SHIFT
GOTO
START (also includes changes to external command invocation)
ASSOC
FTYPE
To get specific details, type commandname /? to view the specifics.