preserving exclamation marks in variable between setlocals batch -

trying preserve exclamation marks in variables. simplified, illustrative script below:

    echo off     set testvar="c:\windows\testofillegals[!]"     echo pre-enablede: %testvar%      setlocal enableextensions enabledelayedexpansion     echo post-enablede: %testvar%      setlocal disabledelayedexpansion     echo ssetlocal sub-instance...     echo testvar after re-disablede: %testvar%     set modtestvar=%testvar%     echo testvar new var, modtestvar: %modtestvar%     endlocal & set "retvar2=%modtestvar%"      echo modtestvar in main script: %retvar2%      setlocal disabledelayedexpansion     echo modtestvar, main script in setlocal diasblede instance: %retvar2%     endlocal      pause     exit /b 

this produces output:

    pre-enablede: "c:\windows\testofillegals[!]"     post-enablede: "c:\windows\testofillegals[]"     ssetlocal sub-instance...     testvar after re-disablede: "c:\windows\testofillegals[!]"     testvar new var, modtestvar: "c:\windows\testofillegals[!]"     modtestvar in main script: "c:\windows\testofillegals[]"     modtestvar, main script in setlocal diasblede instance: "c:\windows\testofillegals[]" 

why isn't exclamation mark being preserved in modtestvar? there way this?

(i know people have said before "post full script" - rather long , represents core issue. however, happy post if helpful).

thanks

it's preserved in variable, need use delayed expansion.

when used percent expansion in delayed expansion mode variable expanded , content, exclamation marks parsed parsed later, , single exclamation mark removed.

echo off set testvar="c:\windows\testofillegals[!]" echo pre-enablede: %testvar%  setlocal enableextensions enabledelayedexpansion echo post-enablede: !testvar!  setlocal disabledelayedexpansion echo ssetlocal sub-instance... echo testvar after re-disablede: %testvar% set modtestvar=%testvar% echo testvar new var, modtestvar: %modtestvar% endlocal & set "retvar2=%modtestvar%"  echo modtestvar in main script: !retvar2!  setlocal disabledelayedexpansion echo modtestvar, main script in setlocal diasblede instance: %retvar2% endlocal  pause 

the other/only problem when try transfer variable on endlocal barrier (like endlocal & set "retvar2=%modtestvar%").
not trivial.

this batch macro this, used %endlocal% modtestvar

setlocal disabledelayedexpansion set lf=^   set ^"\n=^^^%lf%%lf%^%lf%%lf%^^" %=   use ede enabledelayeexpansion , dde disabledelayedexpansion =% set ^"endlocal=for %%# in (1 2) if %%#==2 (%\n%    setlocal enabledelayedexpansion%\n%  %=       take variable names varname array       =%%\n%    set varname_count=0%\n%    %%c in (!args!) set "varname[!varname_count!]=%%~c" ^& set /a varname_count+=1%\n%  %= build 1 variable list of set statements each variable delimited newlines =%%\n%  %= lists looks --> set result1=mycontent\n"set result1=mycontent1"\nset result2=content2\nset result2=content2\n     =%%\n%  %= each result exists 2 times, first case returning dde, second ede =%%\n%  %= correct line detected (missing) enclosing quotes  =%%\n%    set "retcontent=1!lf!"%\n%    /l %%n in (0 1 !varname_count!) (%\n%       /f "delims=" %%c in ("!varname[%%n]!") (%\n%          set "content=!%%c!"%\n%          set "retcontent=!retcontent!"set !varname[%%n]!=!content!"!lf!"%\n%          if defined content (%\n%  %=      complex block replacing '!' '^!'      =%%\n%  %=    first replacing   '"'->'""q'   '^'->'^^' =%%\n%          set ^"content_ede=!content:"=""q!"%\n%          set "content_ede=!content_ede:^=^^!"%\n%  %= it's poosible use call set , replace '!'->'""e!' =%%\n%          call set "content_ede=%%content_ede:^!=""e^!%%"%\n%          %= it's possible replace '""e' '^', effectivly '!' -> '^!'  =%%\n%          set "content_ede=!content_ede:""e=^!"%\n%          %= restore quotes  =%%\n%          set ^"content_ede=!content_ede:""q="!"%\n%          ) else set "content_ede="%\n%          set "retcontent=!retcontent!set "!varname[%%n]!=!content_ede!"!lf!"%\n%       )%\n%    )%\n%  %= return variables retcontent on barrier =%%\n%    /f "delims=" %%v in ("!retcontent!") (%\n%  %= first line can contain single 1 =%%\n%       if "%%v"=="1" (%\n%  %= need call endlocal twice, there 1 more setlocal in macro =%%\n%          endlocal%\n%          endlocal%\n%       ) else (%\n%  %= true in ede             =%%\n%          if "!"=="" (%\n%             if %%v==%%~v (%\n%                %%v !%\n%             )%\n%          ) else if not %%v==%%~v (%\n%             %%~v%\n%          )%\n%       )%\n%    )%\n%  ) else set args="