How do I transform the working directory into a 8.3 short file name using batch?

Question

I'm writing a build script, and if the directory the user's building the script contains spaces, everything falls apart. To go around that, I thought of using 8.3 filenames so that drive:\Documents and setttings\whatever becomes drive:\Docume~1\whatever . The current directory can be found by querying the environment variable %CD%.

How do I transform %CD% into a short file path?

score 20 · Accepted Answer · edited Jan 08 '13 at 23:11

20

for %f in ("%cd%") do @echo %~sf

Edit: don't forget to use %% if you are using it in batch file. like this

for %%f in ("%cd%") do @echo %%~sf

On my machine:

C:\Users\preet>cd "\Program Files"
C:\Program Files>for %f in ("%cd%") do @echo %~sf
C:\PROGRA~1

Other options:

In addition, substitution of FOR variable references has been enhanced. You can now use the following optional syntax:

    %~I         - expands %I removing any surrounding quotes (")
    %~fI        - expands %I to a fully qualified path name
    %~dI        - expands %I to a drive letter only
    %~pI        - expands %I to a path only
    %~nI        - expands %I to a file name only
    %~xI        - expands %I to a file extension only
    %~sI        - expanded path contains short names only
    %~aI        - expands %I to file attributes of file
    %~tI        - expands %I to date/time of file
    %~zI        - expands %I to size of file
    %~$PATH:I   - searches the directories listed in the PATH
                   environment variable and expands %I to the
                   fully qualified name of the first one found.
                   If the environment variable name is not
                   defined or the file is not found by the
                   search, then this modifier expands to the
                   empty string

The modifiers can be combined to get compound results:

    %~dpI       - expands %I to a drive letter and path only
    %~nxI       - expands %I to a file name and extension only
    %~fsI       - expands %I to a full path name with short names only
    %~dp$PATH:I - searches the directories listed in the PATH
                   environment variable for %I and expands to the
                   drive letter and path of the first one found.
    %~ftzaI     - expands %I to a DIR like output line

edited Jan 08 '13 at 23:11

iraSenthil

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answered Aug 26 '09 at 10:07

Preet Sangha

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1

was looking for this myself - you'd be surprised how hard googling for 'for' and command prompt is. Escape the %s to %% if in a batchfile. – Will Aug 26 '09 at 10:12
1

I get this as an error message: cd~sf was unexpected at this time. – Geo Aug 26 '09 at 10:12
cheers will. I keep forgetting to do this. – Preet Sangha Aug 26 '09 at 10:17
@geo: have you run from the command line or from a batch file? – Preet Sangha Aug 26 '09 at 10:17
I added the extra % in the batch file and it worked. Thanks! – Geo Aug 26 '09 at 10:26
2

@Will `for /?`. Simples. – GKFX Aug 28 '13 at 18:20
@GKFX you deserve all the rep. – Griffork Mar 29 '15 at 22:03
why this method only works on `c:` but not on `d:` ? check this : `for %f in ("d:/Program Files/") do set H=%~sf` , the end result of H is `d:\Program Files\ ` while the desired result is `d:\PROGRA~1\ ` ok i know why now ... http://stackoverflow.com/questions/24068756/short-names-only-works-on-c-drive – Shuman Aug 12 '15 at 03:42

score -3 · Answer 2 · answered Aug 26 '09 at 10:03

-3

Better: use quote characters (") around all your paths.

answered Aug 26 '09 at 10:03

Bombe

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it's hard to explain, but this is not an option. – Geo Aug 26 '09 at 10:11
1

Doesn't answer OP's question, doesn't explain why this is better in the situations where it works, and doesn't always work. – T.Rob Dec 16 '13 at 18:27

How do I transform the working directory into a 8.3 short file name using batch?

2 Answers2