From: address@not.available   
      
   JJ,   
      
   > AFAIK, FOR variables are expanded *after* the command line   
   > has been parsed. ... normal variables in the command line   
   > are expanded *before* the command line is parsed.   
      
   That was my conclusion too.   But I see that my question was imprecise.  The   
   "why" was aimed more at "why does it happen in two different ways".   
      
   Though I just now remembered having recently read that the batch scripting   
   language has evolved over time, and with evolution lots of weird things can   
   happen.   
      
   > DelayedExpansion can be used, but escape character may need   
   > to be specified twice when it's needed. Adding complexity for   
   > normal variables usage. It may cause a problem which is unsolvable   
   > instead.   
      
   Argh!   
      
   > For non-DelayedExpansion normal variables, we'd have to use FOR   
   > variable to display it. e.g.   
      
   :-) Yep, as I included in my initial post (the "but doesn't when done   
   indirectly" example).   
      
   Regards,   
   Rudy Wieser   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)