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I'm trying to add a watcher for a folder, once file is created, start a program

$script= "C:\test.py"
$watcher.Path ="e:\my folder\test folder\dropbox"    

Start-Process cmd -Argument "/k python $script $path"

Problem is that, this will always get me error saying e:\my no such file

I know this is an issue with space, but I tried the following, still get same error 

Start-Process cmd -Argument "/k python $script '$path'"

does anyone know how to fix this?

many thanks

ikel
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2 Answers2

1

You need to use escaped embedded double quotes with Start-Process:

$script= "C:\test.py"
$path = "e:\my folder\test folder\dropbox"    

Start-Process cmd -Argument "/k python $script `"$path`""

Without that, the spaces in the $path value break the path into multiple arguments when cmd receives the arguments.

`" embeds a verbatim " inside a "..." string.

As an aside:

  • If your intent is to run a command asynchronously, in a new window (on Windows), as your command suggests, Start-Process is indeed the right tool.

  • By contrast, do not use Start-Process if you want to run other console applications (such as cmd) synchronously, in the same window; in that event, just invoke the console application directly - see this answer for more.

mklement0
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0

I was trying to run a powershell cmd to parse the input, specifically to get the version of chrome running on the server.

     String version = null;
     String command = "powershell.exe (Get-Item \"C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Google\\Chrome\\Application\\chrome.exe\").VersionInfo";
     Process process = Runtime.getRuntime().exec(command);
     process.getOutputStream().close();
     BufferedReader reader = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(process.getInputStream()));       
     String line = reader.readLine();
     while(line!=null){
         if(line.matches("[0-9]{2,3}\\.[0-9]{1,2}\\..*")){
             version = line.substring(0, line.indexOf("."));
         }             
         line = reader.readLine();                
     }

This failed with the error indicating that the command was split at the spaces in the path.

I replaced the escaped double quotes with single quotes and it worked:

String command = "powershell.exe (Get-Item 'C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Google\\Chrome\\Application\\chrome.exe').VersionInfo";
Benjamin James
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