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XML Project

The core technical documentation for sHEL's literal-safe data handling system. This project addresses the fundamental problem of storing and transmitting data that contains cmd.exe special characters without triggering unwanted interpretation by the command-line parser.

The original project

PowerShell
set "var=["'I am a hater of XML'"]" && echo %var%| clip
<# ["'I am a hater of XML </s>'"] <--- added to clipboard.

What is the use case?

XML can store a large sum of data. This project was initially justified due to being able to consecutively use basic dos shell, clip, and markdown, to store an insane amount of data as an alternative to SQL databasing. - Why not store a dumb amount of stuff into variables and keep things only in temporary memory, where it's assumed clipboard history is disabled? clip is powerful. So is echo.

Here is an example of databasing:

PowerShell
set "x=[""]"
set "y=['']"
set "z=["''"]"
set "0aaa=<111somehtml line 1>"
set "0aab=<222somehtml this is line 2>"
set "0aac=<333somehtml with </a> extras>"

PowerShell
set '0aad=%x:~0,2%%0aaa%%x:~2%'&set '0aae=%x:~0,2%%0aab%%x:~2%'&set '0aaf=%x:~0,2%%0aac%%x:~2%'&set "0aba=%y:~0,2%%0aaa%%y:~2%"&set "0abb=%y:~0,2%%0aab%%y:~2%"&set "0abc=%y:~0,2%%0aac%%y:~2%"&set 0abd=%z:~0,3%%0aaa%%z:~3%&set 0abe=%z:~0,3%%0aab%%z:~3%&set 0abf=%z:~0,3%%0aac%%z:~3%
PowerShell
<# This is the same as:
set '0aad=%x:~0,2%%0aaa%%x:~2%' <-- Sets ["<html>"] for string searching
set '0aae=%x:~0,2%%0aab%%x:~2%'
set '0aaf=%x:~0,2%%0aac%%x:~2%'
set "0aba=%y:~0,2%%0aaa%%y:~2%" <-- Sets ['<html>'] for delimiting
set "0abb=%y:~0,2%%0aab%%y:~2%"
set "0abc=%y:~0,2%%0aac%%y:~2%"
set 0abd=%z:~0,3%%0aaa%%z:~3% <-- Sets ["'<html>'"] for storage --> (see %0abd:~3,-3% for extracting previous data, and compatibility with all but delimitation)
set 0abe=%z:~0,3%%0aab%%z:~3%
set 0abf=%z:~0,3%%0aac%%z:~3%
#>

Tokenize, Search, and Run Logic:

PowerShell
set "search=for /f "tokens= delims=[" %A in ("") do @for /f "tokens=1 delims=]" %B in ("%A") do @echo %B"
set tok=%search:~0,15%
set aa=%search:~15,19%
set bb=%search:~34%
PowerShell
%search:~0,15%  [Enter Tokens to Dig]  %search:~15,19%  [Paste Large Block to Delimit nth value]  %search:~34%
# OR:
%tok%  [Enter Tokens to Dig]  %aa%  [Paste Large Block to Delimit nth value]  %bb%

Example

Searching for second list item (tok=3 == item 2):

PowerShell
%tok%3%aa%(echo ['<jibberish 1>']&echo ['<wtf ! /2>']&echo ['69 86 <64????/> <third value>']&echo ['249 86 64 ^*!?<this is the fourth line, etc.></a>'])| clip%bb%
this prints: ['<wtf ! /2>']

Note

  • +1 needs to be added to the search. 0 returns nothing. 1 returns everything prior to the list. tok=2 returns first. tok=3 returns second, etc.
  • Secondly, x and z format work for simple lists but have limitations. y formatting [''] works all the time, but lacks searchable strings.
Searchable strings

PowerShell
(echo ["'<somehtml>'"]&echo ["'"%date%,%time:~0,8%"... is actually the time <testhtml>'"]&echo ["'<somehtml> #3'"]) | findstr "3"
prints ["'<somehtml> #3'"]

PowerShell
(echo ["'<somehtml>'"]&echo ["'"%date%,%time:~0,8%"... is actually the time <testhtml>'"]&echo ["'<somehtml> #3'"]) | findstr "time"
prints ["'"%date%,%time:~0,8%"... is actually the time <testhtml>'"]

Note

This only works for long echo strings, and usually fails if searching a piped or mega-one-liner clip command.

Boolean cmd — Click to Expand

Now that we have the basics, why not add if/then functionality to dos shell by being clever?

PowerShell
echo "text to search" | find /I "needle" >nul && echo true || echo false
Removing /I allows for a case-sensitive variant. Now, run all the macros you like! We can paste a large multi-line list with clip, search a string out of it, if it exists, pipe to clip something else.

Possibility when running macros? Run a dummy "about:blank" paste instead of a URL if something is not found, then, add to clipboard large, multiline table that is markdown friendly (containing html elements) — your database.

PowerShell
echo "text to search" | find /I "needle" >nul && (echo Great Success! & (echo ["| <a href="https://example.com" title="this is sparta, no, this is a generic T icon"><img src="data:image/png;  base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAABAAAAAQCAYAAAAf8/9hAAACpUlEQVR4nGxTz0tVQRg937z79Hnx0SLNcvEMXBRFq4x+UEKE9EsXbWoR/XLxKqhFEfUHtMpthSiBYUG0kqiNKBFqmBBBWtSiLF9l+CsR7Jm+e+frzL2KL2gud+bemXPOfN+Z   +TywKSASDewuYh+Hc/yp52RGA/ 4tIMfvPqxBh9xGfzFHsNy0Cb7NoMWIZJE0SVgDFBRakYFsPQhMjADvBwrw0I4crstT5B1PnNLEKfjr0uiSMjRw2uoiLEIkUODi5fuwu8643QK5e8jgY7dRJHom58JjVQ+Q91wYYTluiU/yHJaQTnvY0ehJ9TZVy/    j5mqFO1Z2nPWw5bDHUvSTrpaEyJAe4JHoeu5GUPoYrqN4k9uqAkfKKyBCJc41GCRZVWxtFhnstUi5wVUZY71lB1njMrIAAGhjz9ZXq4EORzfuBPc2QzrOA58P+GhXz7rmilHpWLZLwGFyWntH1gGoejP78LHqnSbT3MZCfgVJZh7uA35OQk/    egR66J5imQSBh6pI7rBDK0TKKXeClJQvwEd03FodfyVC88cU4BP0YgxMDaGE+ut5Kj6+KcNQYzyuikZ74AH3qhn17AvOwGKikehMskwBCfi/pVympjZkhXMSwDGXsDLTdMn2Y7vIn2yhli  +nnijmeNm1LVmL0stXYjpCwNzH6DGKvGrTMJx3FcQ1I7DQmijFB8ehon9JYmTjONuhPKK+0M1AhLjuMaacOgDdGGFDXVCYmFg2jI3sAcvanYfhyYnyKZOyurg1jHcVzjrvLUPG7oH/    TARwkoLSkKvX5E0rTqgSuis98VI88cESgNSxw24hR7Np6FvyGJFn6ymPgsMIGqWqCmDjLKApwdd5YXLMOeYDFVrxTT/8qZoGaTkL283jWuoCg3xgrt5/l3SOu/5fwXAAD//5rxYZkAAAAGSURBVAMAkjI5uqP0pJcAAAAASUVORK5CYII=" alt="An     image on the screen displays a generic 'T', This part is read by accessibilty screen readers" style="width:24px;height:24px;"></a><br><span style="font-size:13px; color:#666;">Figure 1 —  Example icon footer</span> | Test | Three |"]&echo ["|---|---|---|"]&echo ["| aaa | bbb | ccc |"]&echo ["| ddd | eee | fff |"]&echo ["#### Example title"])| clip) || (set "var=This element     does not exist" & echo %var% & echo %var%| clip)
Adds the following to clipboard... (renderable as markdown plaintext, delimited with [" and "] due to html elements—find and replace these easily).

An image on the screen displays a generic 'T', This part is read by accessibilty screen readers
Figure 1 - Example icon footer		 Test Three
aaa bbb ccc
ddd eee fff

Example title

blank line

If there is no needle. The command prints and clips custom text. Note, echo off | clip will clear the clipboard.

Here is a plaintext rendering of the output after removing delimiters:

Text Only
| <html blob> | Test | Three |
|---|---|---|
| aaa | bbb | ccc |
| ddd | eee | fff |
#### Example title
[Blank Line] <---

A reproducable structure (step-by-step):

Set your database:

PowerShell
set "x=[""]"
set "y=['']"
set "z=["''"]"
set "0aaa=Title: Task 1 DB: My Datasheet"
set "0aab=| Index | TodoCount | ThinkCount | TermCount | PyCount | BufferVar |"
set "0aac=|-|-|-|-|-|-|"
set "0aad=| 1aaa # | 0aaa # | 0aab # | 0aac # | 0aad # | 0aae # |"
One line variant:
PowerShell
set "x=[""]"&set "y=['']"&set "z=["''"]"&set "0aaa=Title: Task 1 DB: My Datasheet"&set "0aab=| Index | TodoCount | ThinkCount | TermCount | PyCount | BufferVar |"&set "0aac=|-|-|-|-|-|-|"&set "0aad=| 1aaa # | 0aaa # | 0aab # | 0aac # | 0aad # | 0aae # |"
Append to structure (X,Y,Z):
PowerShell
set 0aba=%x:~0,2%%0aaa%%x:~2%&set 0abb=%x:~0,2%%0aab%%x:~2%&set 0abc=%x:~0,2%%0aac%%x:~2%&set 0abd=%x:~0,2%%0aad%%x:~2%&set "0aca=%y:~0,2%%0aaa%%y:~2%"&set "0acb=%y:~0,2%%0aab%%y:~2%"&set "0acc=%y:~0,2%%0aac%%y:~2%"&set "0acd=%y:~0,2%%0aad%%y:~2%"&set 0ada=%z:~0,3%%0aaa%%z:~3%&set 0adb=%z:~0,3%%0aab%%z:~3%&set 0adc=%z:~0,3%%0aac%%z:~3%&set 0add=%z:~0,3%%0aad%%z:~3%
Optionally, build a second database:
PowerShell
set "0baa=Title: Task 1 DB: My Second Datasheet"
set "0bab=| Index | TodoCount | ThinkCount | TermCount | PyCount | BufferVar |"
set "0bac=|-|-|-|-|-|-|"
set "0bad=| 1aaa # | 0aaa # | 0aab # | 0aac # | 0aad # | 0aae # |"
One line variant:
PowerShell
set "0baa=Title: Task 1 DB: My Second Datasheet"&set "0bab=| Index | TodoCount | ThinkCount | TermCount | PyCount | BufferVar |"&set "0bac=|-|-|-|-|-|-|"&set "0bad=| 1aaa # | 0aaa # | 0aab # | 0aac # | 0aad # | 0aae # |"
Append to structure:
PowerShell
set '0bba=%x:~0,2%%0baa%%x:~2%'&set '0bbb=%x:~0,2%%0bab%%x:~2%'&set '0bbc=%x:~0,2%%0bac%%x:~2%'&set '0bbd=%x:~0,2%%0bad%%x:~2%'&set "0bca=%y:~0,2%%0baa%%y:~2%"&set "0bcb=%y:~0,2%%0bab%%y:~2%"&set "0bcc=%y:~0,2%%0bac%%y:~2%"&set "0bcd=%y:~0,2%%0bad%%y:~2%"&set 0bda=%z:~0,3%%0baa%%z:~3%&set 0bdb=%z:~0,3%%0bab%%z:~3%&set 0bdc=%z:~0,3%%0bac%%z:~3%&set 0bdd=%z:~0,3%%0bad%%z:~3%

Expand to show — “What you just did”
PowerShell
set 0bba=%x:~0,2%%0baa%%x:~2% # <-- Sets ["<html>"] for string searching
set 0bbb=%x:~0,2%%0bab%%x:~2%
set 0bbc=%x:~0,2%%0bac%%x:~2%
set 0bbd=%x:~0,2%%0bad%%x:~2%
set "0bca=%y:~0,2%%0baa%%y:~2%" # <-- Sets ['<html>'] for delimiting
set "0bcb=%y:~0,2%%0bab%%y:~2%" # <-- c can always be piped to clip
set "0bcc=%y:~0,2%%0bac%%y:~2%"
set "0bcd=%y:~0,2%%0bad%%y:~2%" # <-- c can be nested echo " " --> See: # echo "(echo %0aca%&echo %0acb%&echo%0acc%&echo%0acd%)"
set 0bda=%z:~0,3%%0baa%%z:~3% # <-- Sets ["'<html>'"] for storage --> %0abd:~3,-3% for extracting previous data, and compatibility with   all but delimitation)
set 0bdb=%z:~0,3%%0bab%%z:~3%
set 0bdc=%z:~0,3%%0bac%%z:~3%  # <-- d can be nested echo "" "" (See: echo ""(echo %0bba%&echo %0bbb%&echo%0bbc%&echo%0bbd%)""
set 0bdd=%z:~0,3%%0bad%%z:~3%  # <-- d by itself can be piped to findstr (See: (echo %0bda%&echo %0bdb%&echo%0bdc%&echo%0bdd%) | findstr  "index"
...
(echo %0bba%&echo %0bbb%&echo%0bbc%&echo%0bbd%)| clip
(echo %0bca%&echo %0bcb%&echo%0bcc%&echo%0bcd%)| clip
(echo %0bda%&echo %0bdb%&echo%0bdc%&echo%0bdd%)| clip
PowerShell
set 0aba=%x:~0,2%%0aaa%%x:~2% # <-- Sets ["<html>"] for string searching
set 0abb=%x:~0,2%%0aab%%x:~2%
set 0abc=%x:~0,2%%0aac%%x:~2% # <-- b can be nested echo "" "" (See: echo ""(echo %0aba%&echo %0abb%&echo %0abc%&echo %0abd%)"" # <-- will  expand (4 lines will be echoed), encapsulated in double quote ""<start ---- end>""
set 0abd=%x:~0,2%%0aad%%x:~2%
set "0aca=%y:~0,2%%0aaa%%y:~2%" # <-- Sets ['<html>'] for delimiting
set "0acb=%y:~0,2%%0aab%%y:~2%" # <-- c can be delimited (walked), but sometimes has string issues.
set "0acc=%y:~0,2%%0aac%%y:~2%" # <-- c can be nested echo " " --> See: # echo "(echo %0aca%&echo %0acb%&echo %0acc%&echo %0acd%)" # <--    will be echoed as a single oneliner block. Compresses html to single line string.
set "0acd=%y:~0,2%%0aad%%y:~2%"
set 0ada=%z:~0,3%%0aaa%%z:~3% # <-- Sets ["'<html>'"] for storage --> %0abd:~3,-3% for extracting previous data, and compatibility with   all but delimitation)
set 0adb=%z:~0,3%%0aab%%z:~3%  # <-- d by itself is almost always safe, but b is better.. (See: (echo %0ada%&echo %0adb%&echo %0adc%&echo     %0add%) | findstr "index"
set 0adc=%z:~0,3%%0aac%%z:~3%  # <-- d can be nested echo "" "" (See: echo ""(echo %0ada%&echo %0adb%&echo %0adc%&echo %0add%)"" # <-- will     expand (4 lines will be echoed), encapsulated in double quote ""<start ---- end>""
set 0add=%z:~0,3%%0aad%%z:~3%  
...
(echo %0aba%&echo %0abb%&echo %0abc%&echo %0abd%) # <--almost always perfect, cant delimit
(echo %0aca%&echo %0acb%&echo %0acc%&echo %0acd%) # <--almost always perfect, can't echo
(echo %0ada%&echo %0adb%&echo %0adc%&echo %0add%) # <--almost always perfect, can't delimit

Create delimit function:

PowerShell
set "search=for /f "tokens= delims=[" %A in ("") do @for /f "tokens=1 delims=]" %B in ("%A") do @echo [%B] && @set "code=%B" && @set "cbuf=[%B]" && @set dbuf=["%B"] && @echo ["%B"]| clip"
Set p:
PowerShell
set "p=%"
Make grabbing b possible:
PowerShell
set "grabb=echo ["%p%code:~1,-1%p%"]| clip && @echo ["%p%code:~1,-1%p%"]| for /f "delims=" %A in ('more') do @set "bbuf=%A""
Tokenize parts of the command:
PowerShell
set tok=%search:~0,15%
PowerShell
set aa=%search:~15,19%
PowerShell
set bb=%search:~34%

Example

PowerShell
%tok%5%aa%(echo %0aca%&echo %0acb%&echo %0acc%&echo %0acd%)| clip%bb%
PowerShell
%grabb%

This works with c

b and d cannot delimit due to strings

Expand to show — “Why do this?”
PowerShell
# Default: Just echo 'result':
set "search=for /f "tokens= delims=[" %A in ("") do @for /f "tokens=1 delims=]" %B in ("%A") do @echo %B"

# v2.0: Just perform echo of compat(d), store diggable(c), as well as store/clip compat(d) :
set "search=for /f "tokens= delims=[" %A in ("") do @for /f "tokens=1 delims=]" %B in ("%A") do @echo [%B] && @set "code=%B" && @set "cbuf=[%B]" && @set dbuf=["%B"] && @echo ["%B"]| clip"
# Bonus :
set "p=%"
set "grabb=echo ["%p%code:~1,-1%p%"]| clip && @echo ["%p%code:~1,-1%p%"]| for /f "delims=" %A in ('more') do @set "bbuf=%A""
<#
Now running %grabb% adds searchable(b) to library.
Now we have:
bbuf = ["result"]
cbuf = ['result']
dbuf = ["'result'"]
clipboard = ["result"] --> or ["'result'"] if %bbuf% is never run to grab (b).
#>
PowerShell
# "Search" :

for /f "tokens= delims=[" %A in ("") do @for /f "tokens=1 delims=]" %B in ("%A") do @echo [%B] && @set "code=%B" && @set "cbuf=[%B]" && @set dbuf=["%B"] && @echo ["%B"]| clip

# "B Extraction" :

echo ["%p%code:~1,-1%p%"]| clip && @echo ["%p%code:~1,-1%p%"]| for /f "delims=" %A in ('more') do @set "bbuf=%A"
PowerShell
%tok%  [Enter Tokens to Dig]  %aa%  [Paste Large Block to Delimit nth value]  %bb%

#Generic Example: <-- Prints and clips delimitation (in this case, second value) <-- bbuf grabs and saves extra buffer zone
#For cmdlet oneliner : (echo ['<jibberish 1>']&echo ['<wtf ! /2>']&echo ['69 86 <64????/> <third value>']&echo ['249 86 64 ^*!?<this is the fourth line, etc.></a>'])| clip
#Run :
%tok%3%aa%_______%bb%
%bbuf%
#Like:
%tok%3%aa%(echo ['<jibberish 1>']&echo ['<wtf ! /2>']&echo ['69 86 <64????/> <third value>']&echo ['249 86 64 ^*!?<this is the fourth line, etc.></a>'])| clip%bb%
%grabb%
<#
Prints (tok=3 : 2nd delimitation):
['<wtf ! /2>']
Stores:
["<wtf ! /2>"]   <-- %bbuf%
['<wtf ! /2>']   <-- %cbuf%
["'<wtf ! /2>'"] <-- %dbuf%

["<wtf ! /2>"]   <-- clipboard (b) after %grabb% , else clipboard is temporarily %dbuf%


Working Example: <-- Delimits 4th line of html (**normally un-echoable!**)#>

#A:
%tok%5%aa%(echo %0aca%&echo %0acb%&echo %0acc%&echo %0acd%)| clip%bb%
#B:
%tok%5%aa%(echo %0bca%&echo %0bcb%&echo %0bcc%&echo %0bcd%)| clip%bb%

Create search function:

PowerShell
() | findstr /I ""
It's not worthwhile to save, since it's not a hard command
PowerShell
( [ Echo to Search ] ) | findstr /I "text"

Example

PowerShell
# From the first database:
(echo %0ada%&echo %0adb%&echo %0adc%&echo %0add%) | findstr /I "aaa"
(echo %0ada%&echo %0adb%&echo %0adc%&echo %0add%) | findstr "aaa"
PowerShell
# From the second database
(echo %0bda%&echo %0bdb%&echo %0bdc%&echo %0bdd%) | findstr /I "aaa"
(echo %0bda%&echo %0bdb%&echo %0bdc%&echo %0bdd%) | findstr "aaa"

This works with (b/d)

c has serious issues

Expand to show — “Why do this?”
PowerShell
# How to Search (b/d):
( [ Echo to Search ] ) | findstr /I "text" <-- /I is case insensitive :

() | findstr /I ""
() | findstr ""

# Generic Example:
(echo ["'<somehtml>'"]&echo ["'"%date%,%time:~0,8%"... is actually the time <testhtml>'"]&echo ["'<somehtml> #3'"]) | findstr "3"

# Generic Example 2 -> pipes to clip:
((echo ["'<somehtml>'"]&echo ["'"%date%,%time:~0,8%"... is actually the time <testhtml>'"]&echo ["'<somehtml> #3'"]) | findstr "3")| clip
PowerShell
# Case in-sensitive :

() | findstr /I ""

# Case sensitive :

() | findstr ""

# Clip it (case in-sensitive) :

(() | findstr /I "")| clip

Create booling function:

PowerShell
set "bool=echo "" | find /I "needle" >nul && (echo Great Success! & ()| clip) || (set "buffer=about:blank" & echo This element does not exist! & echo %buffer%| clip)"
Create if/then/else :
PowerShell
set aif=%bool:~0,6%
PowerShell
set ahas=%bool:~6,13%
PowerShell
set "ahas0=%bool:~7,12%"
PowerShell
set athen=%bool:~25,33%
PowerShell
set "cc=%bool:~60,17%"
PowerShell
set "cc0=%bool:~66,11%"
PowerShell
set "cc1=%bool:~60,16%"
PowerShell
set "cc2=%bool:~66,10%"
PowerShell
set dd=%bool:~95,40%
PowerShell
set dd0=%bool:~96,39%
PowerShell
set "ee=%bool:~-7%"

Expand to show — “What you just did”
PowerShell
# "if (it has this) then print ..., else print ..."

%aif% [ Text to Search ] %ahas% [ needle ] %athen% [ echo to clip ] %cc% [ foo=anything ] %dd% [ (custom error clip) ] %ee%

%aif%_______%ahas%_______%athen%(echo trueclip)%cc%buffer=error%dd%(echo falseclip)%ee%
PowerShell
# Debug is shown on the right. (Echo partial commands safely)
# i.e. echo "%aif%" for echoing the command { <-- " "} vs { <-- "" ""}
set aif=%bool:~0,6% <-- " "
(6-19th)
set ahas=%bool:~6,13% <-- "" "" <-- i.e: echo ""%ahas%""
set "ahas0=%bool:~7,12%" <-- " "
(25-58th)
set athen=%bool:~25,33% <-- "" ""
(60-77th)
# Else: choose buffer..
set "cc=%bool:~60,17%"  <-- " " (inside) # always clipped
set "cc0=%bool:~66,11%" <-- " " (inside)| clip # use for custom pipe (success)
set "cc1=%bool:~60,16%" <-- " " # (used for non-string buffers)
set "cc2=%bool:~66,10%" <-- " " # (used for non-string buffers)
(95-135th) (ee is literally just "| clip") <-- # leave out for custom pipe (fail)
# Else
set dd=%bool:~95,40%    <-- "" ""
# "Else" modified for non-string buffers
set dd0=%bool:~96,39%   <-- " "
# and copy with ee.. (within is paste as failure pipe)
set "ee=%bool:~-7%"     <-- " "
PowerShell
<#   %bool%   --> #>echo "" | find /I "needle" >nul && (echo Great Success! & ()| clip) || (set "buffer=about:blank" & echo This element does not exist! & echo %buffer%| clip)
#    echo "...
set aif=%bool:~0,6%
# ..." | find /I "...
set ahas=%bool:~6,13%
# ... | find /I "...
set "ahas0=%bool:~7,12%"
# ..." >nul && (echo Great Success! & ...
set athen=%bool:~25,33%
# ...| clip) || (set "...
set "cc=%bool:~60,17%"
# ...) || (set "...
set "cc0=%bool:~66,11%"
# ...| clip) || (set ...
set "cc1=%bool:~60,16%"
# ...) || (set ...
set "cc2=%bool:~66,10%"
# ..." & echo This element does not exist! & ...
set dd=%bool:~95,40%
# ... & echo This element does not exist! & ...
set "dd0=%bool:~96,39%"
# ...| clip)
set "ee=%bool:~-7%"
PowerShell
<#   %bool%   --> #>echo "" | find /I "needle" >nul && (echo Great Success! & ()| clip) || (set "buffer=about:blank" & echo This element does not exist! & echo %buffer%| clip)
#    echo "...
%aif%this thing...%ahas%this specific text...
# ..." | find /I "...
echo "this specific element%ahas0%        "<------ahas0 completes a quote, too
# ... | find /I "...
echo "this specific element"%ahas%
# ..." >nul && (echo Great Success! & ...
...%ahas/ahas0%the text im searching!!!%athen%
# ...| clip) || (set "...
...%athen%(echo "I've found it!")%cc% #(clips it)
# ...) || (set "...
...%athen%(echo "I've found it!")| clip%cc0% # or, clip it manually / allows to run some loop
#
#
#
#
# ..." & echo This element does not exist! & ...
...%cc/cc0%myerrorvar=true%dd%(echo "my clipboard failure line (#1)"&echo "line2"...))
# ... & echo This element does not exist! & ...
...%c1/cc2%/a count+=1%dd0%(echo my special counter can be found typing "%p%count%p%"))
# ...| clip) <---literal clip pipe, optional:
...%cc/cc0%myerrorvar=true%dd%(echo "my clipboard failure line (#1)"&echo "line2"...)%ee%

We must truly understand those nested echo rules..

b can be nested echo "" "" See:

PowerShell
echo ""(echo %0aba%&echo %0abb%&echo %0abc%&echo %0abd%)""
This will expand (4 lines will be echoed), encapsulated in double quote ""<start ---- end>""

But what about c?

c can be nested echo " " See:

PowerShell
echo "(echo %0aca%&echo %0acb%&echo %0acc%&echo %0acd%)"
It behaves THE OPPOSITE. This will be echoed as a single oneliner block.

This compresses html to single line string.

now it makes sense... understanding "d is almost always perfect, cant delimit" ...

There is nothing to delimit...

So now... ahas and ahas0 have clear purpose!

c must use %aif%-INNER-%ahas% :

PowerShell
%aif%(echo %0aca%&echo %0acb%&echo %0acc%&echo %0acd%)%ahas%sometext%athen%echo trueclip%cc%buffer=bufferran%dd%(echo falseclip)%ee%
b/d must use INNER-%ahas0% :
PowerShell
# B:

(echo %0aba%&echo %0abb%&echo %0abc%&echo %0abd%)%ahas0%sometext%athen%echo trueclip%cc%buffer=bufferran%dd%(echo falseclip)%ee%

# D:

(echo %0ada%&echo %0adb%&echo %0adc%&echo %0add%)%ahas0%sometext%athen%echo trueclip%cc%buffer=bufferran%dd%(echo falseclip)%ee%

at a glance

With nested echos for b/d, there is one key "weirdness" we solve :

PowerShell
(echo (echo %0aba%&echo %0abb%&echo %0abc%&echo %0abd%))%ahas0%aaa%athen%echo trueclip%cc%buffer=bufferran%dd%(echo falseclip)%ee%
...works, however, not just are all lines are physically echoed. Only the final one is searched (%0abd%)

therefore, it is cannon for b/d to cut out that first echo

INNER-%ahas0%

So what are the final commands?

Just one.

Search database for any specific (all lines)

PowerShell
%aif%(echo %0aca%&echo %0acb%&echo %0acc%&echo %0acd%)%ahas%
You must use c for input. b for output.

Original Example

PowerShell
echo "text to search" | find /I "needle" >nul && (echo Great Success! & (echo ["| <a href="https://example.com" title="this is sparta, no, this is a generic T icon"><img src="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAABAAAAAQCAYAAAAf8/9hAAACpUlEQVR4nGxTz0tVQRg937z79Hnx0SLNcvEMXBRFq4x+UEKE9EsXbWoR/XLxKqhFEfUHtMpthSiBYUG0kqiNKBFqmBBBWtSiLF9l+CsR7Jm+e+frzL2KL2gud+bemXPOfN+Z+TywKSASDewuYh+Hc/yp52RGA/ 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" alt="An image on the screen displays a generic 'T', This part is read by accessibilty screen readers" style="width:24px;height:24px;"></a><br><span style="font-size:13px; color:#666;">Figure 1 — Example icon footer</span> | Test | Three |"]&echo ["|---|---|---|"]&echo ["| aaa | bbb | ccc |"]&echo ["| ddd | eee | fff |"]&echo ["#### Holy guacamole"])| clip) || (set "buffer=about:blank" & echo This element does not exist! & echo %buffer%| clip)
Try it in the database:
PowerShell
set "0aaa=| <a href="https://example.com" title="this is sparta, no, this is a generic T icon"><img src="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAABAAAAAQCAYAAAAf8/9hAAACpUlEQVR4nGxTz0tVQRg937z79Hnx0SLNcvEMXBRFq4x+UEKE9EsXbWoR/XLxKqhFEfUHtMpthSiBYUG0kqiNKBFqmBBBWtSiLF9l+CsR7Jm+e+frzL2KL2gud+bemXPOfN+Z+TywKSASDewuYh+Hc/yp52RGA/ 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" alt="An image on the screen displays a generic 'T', This part is read by accessibilty screen readers" style="width:24px;height:24px;"></a><br><span style="font-size:13px; color:#666;">Figure 1 — Example icon footer</span> | Test | Three |"
set "0aab=|---|---|---|"
set "0aac=|-|-|-|-|-|-|"
set "0aad=| aaa | bbb | ccc |"
One line copy:
PowerShell
set "0aaa=| <a href="https://example.com" title="this is sparta, no, this is a generic T icon"><img src="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAABAAAAAQCAYAAAAf8/9hAAACpUlEQVR4nGxTz0tVQRg937z79Hnx0SLNcvEMXBRFq4x+UEKE9EsXbWoR/XLxKqhFEfUHtMpthSiBYUG0kqiNKBFqmBBBWtSiLF9l+CsR7Jm+e+frzL2KL2gud+bemXPOfN+Z+TywKSASDewuYh+Hc/yp52RGA/ 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" alt="An image on the screen displays a generic 'T', This part is read by accessibilty screen readers" style="width:24px;height:24px;"></a><br><span style="font-size:13px; color:#666;">Figure 1 — Example icon footer</span> | Test | Three |"&set "0aab=|---|---|---|"&set "0aac=|-|-|-|-|-|-|"&set "0aad=| aaa | bbb | ccc |"
Append to structure (b/c/d):
PowerShell
set 0aba=%x:~0,2%%0aaa%%x:~2%&set 0abb=%x:~0,2%%0aab%%x:~2%&set 0abc=%x:~0,2%%0aac%%x:~2%&set 0abd=%x:~0,2%%0aad%%x:~2%&set "0aca=%y:~0,2%%0aaa%%y:~2%"&set "0acb=%y:~0,2%%0aab%%y:~2%"&set "0acc=%y:~0,2%%0aac%%y:~2%"&set "0acd=%y:~0,2%%0aad%%y:~2%"&set 0ada=%z:~0,3%%0aaa%%z:~3%&set 0adb=%z:~0,3%%0aab%%z:~3%&set 0adc=%z:~0,3%%0aac%%z:~3%&set 0add=%z:~0,3%%0aad%%z:~3%
Then run bool (check c, print as b) → (C=INPUT, B=OUTPUT) :
PowerShell
%aif%(echo %0aca%&echo %0acb%&echo %0acc%&echo %0acd%)%ahas%needle%athen%(echo %0aba%&echo %0abb%&echo %0abc%&echo %0abd%)%cc%buffer=about:blank%dd%echo %buffer%%ee%
This one is true (check for the word generic instead of needle):
PowerShell
%aif%(echo %0aca%&echo %0acb%&echo %0acc%&echo %0acd%)%ahas%generic%athen%(echo %0aba%&echo %0abb%&echo %0abc%&echo %0abd%)%cc%buffer=about:blank%dd%echo %buffer%%ee%

Example: Basic

PowerShell
%aif%text%ahas%needle%athen%echo string%cc%buffer=foo%dd%(echo string2)%ee%
PowerShell
# cc0 allows performing custom pipe at "true" clip area) : echo "text"| mypipe
%aif%text%ahas%needle%athen%(echo string2)| clip%cc0%buffer=bar%dd%(echo string3)%ee%

what?..

(ee is literally just "| clip")

Perform no clips:

PowerShell
%aif%text%ahas%needle%athen%echo string3%cc0%buffer=foo%dd%(echo string2))

Example: HTML in input

Set your failure counter:

PowerShell
set count=0
Searches for "needle" in database (spam this command, paste over and over)
PowerShell
%aif%(echo %0aca%&echo %0acb%&echo %0acc%&echo %0acd%)%ahas%needle%athen%echo true%cc1%/a count+=1 & echo ..%dd0%(echo ⇡ my precious failure counter))
Eventually, after pasting a bit, use the following: (appends %ee% for clip)
PowerShell
%aif%(echo %0aca%&echo %0acb%&echo %0acc%&echo %0acd%)%ahas%needle%athen%echo true%cc1%/a count+=1 & echo  ⇠ my precious failure counter%dd0%(echo [check clipboard]) & (echo "Num-fails-so-far (-1): %count%")%ee%

Example: HTML in output

Always false:

PowerShell
%aif%the quick brown fox%ahas%a dog%athen%(echo %0aba%&echo %0abb%&echo %0abc%&echo %0abd%)%cc%buffer=about:blank%dd%echo %buffer%%ee%
Always true:
PowerShell
%aif%the quick brown fox%ahas%wolf|fox%athen%(echo %0aba%&echo %0abb%&echo %0abc%&echo %0abd%)%cc%buffer=about:blank%dd%echo %buffer%%ee%
You can clear the clipboard with echo off | clip btw :
PowerShell
%aif%the quick brown fox%ahas%a dog%athen%(echo %0aba%&echo %0abb%&echo %0abc%&echo %0abd%)%cc%buffer=about:blank%dd%echo off%ee%
Search both wolves and foxes :
PowerShell
%aif%the quick brown fox" | (findstr /I "wolf fox" >nul) && (echo Great Success! & (echo %0aba%&echo %0abb%&echo %0abc%&echo %0abd%)%cc%buffer=about:blank%dd%echo %buffer%%ee%

Need False Variant?
PowerShell
%aif%the quick brown fox%ahas%some kind of koala%athen%(echo succeeded unsuccessfully)%cc%buffer=about:blank%dd%(echo %0aba%&echo %0abb%&echo %0abc%&echo %0abd%)%ee%

Info

Flip %athen%____%cc% output with %dd%____%ee% spot

That's it.

PowerShell
%aif%               #echo
(c block)
%ahas%              #find
____
%athen%
(echo trueclip)     #if html, must be 'b block'
%cc%                #set (if else)
buffer=error
%dd%                #'else'
(echo falseclip)    #if html, must be 'b block'
%ee%                #clip

Neat tricks (click to expand)

Have a whole html file you'd like to set?

GRAB B # Replace "set with set | Replace " with nothing

PowerShell
set count=0 && ((for /f "tokens=2" %A in ('findstr /R "^.*" myfile.html') do @set /a count+=1 && @echo -0=["%A"]) | for /f "delims=" %B in ('more') do (@echo "set aa%B"&@echo "set bb%B")) | findstr /R "^.*" | clip
Grab D # Replace "set with set | Replace " with nothing
PowerShell
set count=0 && ((for /f "tokens=2" %A in ('findstr /R "^.*" myfile.html') do @set /a count+=1 && @echo -0=["'%A'"]) | for /f "delims=" %B in ('more') do (@echo "set aa%B"&@echo "set bb%B")) | findstr /R "^.*" | clip
GRAB C # Replace "-0 with -0 instead of set | Replace" " with nothing
PowerShell
set count=0 && ((for /f "tokens=2" %A in ('findstr /R "^.*" myfile.html') do @set /a count+=1 && @echo "-0=['%A']") | for /f "delims=" %B in ('more') do (@echo set "aa%B"&@echo set "bb%B")) | findstr /R "^.*" | clip

Where I left off in this project

Error handling...

PowerShell
b=[""]
c=['']
d=["''"]

str(1)          set "a=blank"
realstr(2)      set a="blank"
literal(4)      set a='test'
actual(5)       set a=blank
realrealstr(3)  set "a="blank""

# Any failures mean you just need another variant appended. Grab the line you need:
# c and b succeed together on (1) and (3) concurrently. 
# To tell c and b apart, c will succeed & b will fail on (2)

# Modify the replacements (these are defaults):

# B: "Replace "set with set  |  Replace `    "  ` with nothing"
# C: "Replace "-0 with -0 instead of set  |  Replace `"    "  ` with nothing"
# D: "Replace "set with set  |  Replace `    "  ` with nothing"

Why is this even cool?

"The Snipping Tool will now scan for text and extract it, which can now copy. You can copy all text using the option visible or you can specifically copy part of text from the image, by selecting it."

— Microsoft Learnlink

Win+Shift+T , alternatively, with Microsoft Powertoys

Click to load preview

Overview

What this page covers

This page serves as the index for the XML Project, documenting literal-safe data handling in cmd.exe:

  • The Problem — cmd.exe special characters and parser behavior
  • The Solution — Layered encoding system: Base64, delayed expansion, FOR/F, findstr, clipboard
  • Media Embedding — Base64 data URIs for HTML elements
  • Safety Comparison — Unsafe vs delayed expansion vs Base64 approaches

For detailed component documentation, see the sections below.

The Problem

cmd.exe interprets certain characters as control operators at parse time:

flowchart TD
    subgraph Special["cmd.exe Special Characters"]
        direction LR
        AMP["&<br/>Command separator"]
        PIPE["|<br/>Pipe"]
        LT["<<<br/>Input redirect"]
        GT["><br/>Output redirect"]
        CARET["^<br/>Escape"]
        PCT["%<br/>Variable expansion"]
        QUOT["“<br/>Quote toggle"]
    end

    subgraph Effect["Effect"]
        direction TB
        E1["Parser interprets<br/>at parse time"]
        E2["NOT string delimiters"]
        E3["Quote toggles state flag"]
    end

    Special --> Effect
Character Behavior
& Command separator
\| Pipe
< Input redirect
> Output redirect
^ Escape character
% Variable expansion
" Quote-state toggle

The double-quote character in cmd.exe is not a string delimiter. It toggles the parser's quote-state flag. A " at the end of a line may leave the parser in quoted mode for subsequent lines within a parenthesized block. This is why "delims=^"" requires careful construction.

The Solution: Literal-Safe Encoding

flowchart TD
    DATA["Raw Data<br/>(contains & | < > ^ %)"] --> B64["1. Base64 Encode<br/>(binary-safe text)"]
    B64 --> TRANSPORT["2. Transport Through<br/>cmd.exe pipeline"]
    TRANSPORT --> DELAY["3. Delayed Expansion<br/>(!var! syntax)"]
    DELAY --> FORF["4. FOR /F Parsing<br/>(structured extraction)"]
    FORF --> FINDSTR["5. findstr Filtering<br/>(pattern selection)"]
    FINDSTR --> CLIP["6. Clipboard Integration<br/>(clip / Get-Clipboard)"]
    CLIP --> DECODE["7. Base64 Decode<br/>(recover original data)"]

    style B64 fill:#4a90d9
    style DELAY fill:#7ed321
    style DECODE fill:#4a90d9

The sHEL approach uses a layered system:

  1. Base64 encoding — Binary-safe transport of any data through text pipelines
  2. Delayed expansion — cmd /v /c with !var! syntax for safe variable handling
  3. FOR /F parsing — Structured data extraction from command output
  4. findstr filtering — Pattern matching for data selection
  5. Clipboard integration — Bidirectional data transfer via clip and Get-Clipboard

Sections

Tabular Echo: Base64 in Media Elements

The following table shows the exact echo command patterns for embedding Base64-encoded media in HTML, accounting for cmd.exe special character handling:

Media Type MIME Type HTML Element src Format
PNG image image/png <img> data:image/png;base64,...
JPEG image image/jpeg <img> data:image/jpeg;base64,...
SVG image image/svg+xml <img> data:image/svg+xml;base64,...
MP3 audio audio/mpeg <audio> data:audio/mpeg;base64,...
WAV audio audio/wav <audio> data:audio/wav;base64,...
OGG audio audio/ogg <audio> data:audio/ogg;base64,...
MP4 video video/mp4 <video> data:video/mp4;base64,...
WebM video video/webm <video> data:video/webm;base64,...
ICO icon image/x-icon <link rel="icon"> data:image/x-icon;base64,...

SVG to Base64 Efficiency

SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) encoded as Base64 is more space-efficient than raster equivalents for geometric imagery. SVG source is XML text, which compresses well and has no binary overhead. The recommended workflow:

  1. Optimize SVG with svgo (remove metadata, simplify paths)
  2. Minify to single-line XML
  3. Encode as Base64
  4. Embed as data:image/svg+xml;base64,...
Bash
# Optimize SVG
svgo input.svg -o output.svg --pretty=false --multipass

# Encode as Base64 (Linux/macOS)
base64 -i output.svg -o output.svg.b64

# Encode as Base64 (PowerShell)
[Convert]::ToBase64String([IO.File]::ReadAllBytes("output.svg"))

Compared to PNG for the same icon:

Format Original Base64 Overhead
SVG (simple icon) 500 bytes ~670 bytes 34%
PNG (same icon) 2,000 bytes ~2,670 bytes 34%

SVG maintains crisp scaling at any resolution; raster images require higher resolution (and larger file size) for equivalent visual quality.

Quick Example: Safe vs Unsafe

Batchfile
REM This FAILS if data contains & | < > ^ %
set "data=Some & value | pipe"
echo %data%
Batchfile
REM Handles any character safely
cmd /v /c "set ""data=Some & value | pipe<>^%%"" & echo !data!"
Batchfile
REM Data is Base64-encoded, decoded at use time
set "b64=U29tZSAmIHZhbHVlIHwgcGlwZTw+XiU="
for /f "delims=" %%A in (
    'powershell -NoP -C "[Text.Encoding]::UTF8.GetString([Convert]::FromBase64String('%b64%'))"'
) do set "data=%%A"
echo %data%