Script Tips
Scripting to the Core
In the next series of columns, we'll cover some core scripting techniques. First up: concatenation.
For the next few columns,
I’m going
to focus on some core techniques that are often confusing for both
new and experienced scripters, and I’ll try and give you some tips
for making them easier.
This time, I want to focus
on
concatenation. Let’s say you need to display a phrase like The
domain name is “domain” from within a script. Those double
quotes can make it hard, because VBScript uses those as a string
delimiter. In other words, you can’t just run WScript.Echo
"The domain name is "domain"" because
VBScript will get confused. There are two easy ways to get it right.
First, type exactly what
you want
displayed into your script:
The
domain name is "domain"
Then, add double quotes to
the
beginning and end of the phrase, marking the phrase as a string
literal:
"The
domain name is "domain""
Next, double-up any double
quotes apart
from the first and last one:
"The
domain name is ""domain"""
Looks confusing, but works
great. An
alternative is to use Chr(34), which produces a double quotation
mark, and concatenate it with your other string literals. Start with:
The
domain name is "domain"
And convert to:
"The
domain name is " & Chr(34) & "domain" &
Chr(34)
Everywhere you see Chr(34),
VBScript
will spit out a double quotation mark. Again, might look a bit
confusing, but practice makes perfect, and these two techniques will
help make dealing with his confusing issue just a bit easier.
About the Author
Don Jones is a multiple-year recipient of Microsoft’s MVP Award, and is Curriculum Director for IT Pro Content for video training company Pluralsight. Don is also a co-founder and President of PowerShell.org, a community dedicated to Microsoft’s Windows PowerShell technology. Don has more than two decades of experience in the IT industry, and specializes in the Microsoft business technology platform. He’s the author of more than 50 technology books, an accomplished IT journalist, and a sought-after speaker and instructor at conferences worldwide. Reach Don on Twitter at @concentratedDon, or on Facebook at Facebook.com/ConcentratedDon.