[SOLVED] bat game. Adding a timer with set /p

bat game. Adding a timer with set /p

Im making a .bat game, and currently when putting in a command the code is

set /p command=

What i want to know is if you can somehow have a time limit for inputting the commands. For example if your fighting a guard, and you haven't put a command in for say 5 seconds, the guard attacks.

This is not something of dire need, I am just wondering more about the limitations im bound to, and i think i know the anawer anyway (the answer being that you cant)

Thanks

Solution

It can also be done with batch only.

You can create a second thread (in the same window) with start /b.
If this thread wait with set /p for user input, the main thread is not affected.
This sample will wait for 5 seconds for userinput, if the user inputs text it is moved into a file, so the first thread can access it.

@echo off
setlocal EnableDelayedExpansion
if "%1" NEQ "" goto %1

del enter.tmp 2>nul >nul
start /b cmd /c %0 :secondThread

:FirstThread
set n=0
echo Enter Text (5 seconds timeout):

:loop
set /a n+=1
ping -n 2 localhost > nul
if !n! LSS 5 (
    if not exist entER.tmp goto :loop
    < Enter.tmp (
        set /p input=
    )
    echo !input!
) ELSE (
    echo Timeout for input
)

exit /b

:secondThread
set /p var=
> enter.tmp echo !var!
exit /b