batch-file variable %CD% adding a backslash when run from drive root

Question

I have a problem with the variable %CD% in a batch-file. It adds a backslash if the script is run from the root of a drive.

as an example: updatedir=%CD%\Update & echo %updatedir% will return something like

From a folder E:\New Folder\Update
From a drive root E:\\Update

Is there any way to get rid of the extra backslash if run from root?

Although cosmetically terrible, the extra backslash does not harm... — aschipfl, May 17 '16 at 22:42
@aschipfl I didn't know that, but I just confirmed it. Good to know... — Wes Larson, May 18 '16 at 16:55

score 4 · Answer 1 · answered May 18 '16 at 22:49

4

Yes %CD% only has a trailing \ if the current directory is the root. You could get rid of any trailing backslash that might be there. But there is a simpler solution.

Use the undocumented %__CD__% instead, which always appends the trailing backslash. This makes it easy to build a clean path, regardless of the current directory.

set "updatedir=%__CD__%Update

answered May 18 '16 at 22:49

dbenham

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Holy cow! How do you even know that?! If this isn't in the _official_ documentation, is it at least documented _somewhere_? (I see that this works, but can you also point to a source?) – Wes Larson May 19 '16 at 18:46
1

@WesLarson - I think I first saw `%__CD__%` on a DosTips post by jeb, but I don't remember what the topic was. There is some unofficial documentation at http://ss64.com/nt/syntax-variables.html. You may be interested in http://stackoverflow.com/q/20156490/1012053. – dbenham May 20 '16 at 00:55
Looks like [WINE](https://winehq.org/) (`wineconsole`) doesn't support that undocumented variable. – palswim Nov 14 '19 at 21:24
@palswim - I think I would be surprised if it did. – dbenham Nov 14 '19 at 22:58

score 3 · Answer 2 · edited May 23 '17 at 12:08

You can do something like this:

set "CurrentDir=%CD%"
if "%CD:~-1%"=="\" set "CurrentDir=%CD:~0,-1%"

Since you don't want to go changing the system variable %CD%, this sets a new variable %CurrentDir% to the current value of %CD%. Then, it checks to see if the last character in %CD% is a \, and if it is, sets %CurrentDir% to the value of %CD%, minus the last character.

This question/answer has more information on using substrings in batch files.

score 3 · Answer 3 · answered May 19 '16 at 06:11

3

replace every occurence of \\ with \.

echo %updatedir:\\=\%

answered May 19 '16 at 06:11

Stephan

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batch-file variable %CD% adding a backslash when run from drive root

3 Answers3