Hopefully "ScriptingTipsAndTricks" helps you with your batch file or vbscript scripting :-)\IntroductionTransfering (PIPING) Data Between Programs

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Transfering (PIPING) Data Between Programs

What a pipe allows you to do is connect STDOUT and/or STDERR streams from one program into STDIN of another.

First of all what are these streams?:

• STDOUT
  stdout is the an output steam from command line programs (handle 1) to which data can be written.

  The "ECHO" command can be used to display text to stdout.

• STDERR
  stderr is the an output steam from command line programs (handle 2) to which data can be written.

  As its name implies its typically used when outputting error related information.

• STDIN
  Standard input, often abbreviated stdin, is the source of input data for command line programs.

The "|" (vertical bar) special character is used to perform the piping as demonstrated here:

type SomeFile.txt 2>&1 | sort.exe > SortedContents.txt

When the input is a file (not process output) you can also use redirection as demonstrated here (the example about shows the "TYPE" command being used):

sort.exe < SomeFile.txt > SortedContents.txt 2>&1

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