DOS batch: get last folder from relative path

Question

I have the following values in a DOS batch file (for example...):

..\Apple\Jones  
..\Banana\Smith  
..\Pear\Wilson

I need to extract the last name values ("Jones", "Smith", "Wilson") from each value. What one technique can I use that will always give me these substring values?

[Windows cmd is **not** DOS](https://superuser.com/q/451432/241386). DOS has no ability like `%~n0` — phuclv, Jun 20 '17 at 02:11

score 3 · Accepted Answer · edited May 23 '17 at 10:25

3

According to this topic : What is the best way to do a substring in a batch file?

I suggest you to use

%~n0

edited May 23 '17 at 10:25

Community

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answered Nov 30 '10 at 14:04

Nicolas

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I don't follow. That shows me the name of the batch file? How does that give me for what the question asks? – lance Nov 30 '10 at 14:10
2

Sorry for my bad explanation. %0 contains the path to your script. With %~n0 you extract the script name only. Here is a more explicit exemple : for /D %%i in ("..\Apple\Jones","..\Banana\Smith","..\Pear\Wilson") do echo %%~ni – Nicolas Nov 30 '10 at 14:25
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Delightful. Thank you. Note: I used echo %%~ni%%~xi, as my last folder (the real data) is a directory whose name includes a period. – lance Nov 30 '10 at 15:03
`%%~ni%%~xi` can be written as `%%~nxi` – Stephan Jun 20 '17 at 05:35

Frank Einstein · Answer 2 · 2023-01-27T21:37:07.723

I already wrote a function for that. You give it any path and it returns you only it's filename or pathname. Works for any path: Url, Windows path, Unix path, etc...

Copy this function at the end of your batch script: (Instructions below)

rem ===========================================================================

:Name_From_Path
SetLocal

set _TMP_FOLDERNAME=%1
for %%g in ("%_TMP_FOLDERNAME%") do set _TMP_FOLDERNAME=%%~nxg

EndLocal & set _Name_From_Path=%_TMP_FOLDERNAME%
goto :EOF

rem ===========================================================================

Usage:

CALL :Name_Of_Path ..\Apple\Jones
ECHO %_Name_From_Path%

Result: Jones

DOS batch: get last folder from relative path

2 Answers2