MCCABE@MTUS5.BITNET (Jim McCabe) (05/03/90)
I'm sure this is a simple question, but I've only recently started writing
batch programs that had any complexity at all. I would have avoided it
if possible, but my job demands it. :(
Is there any way to find out what the current directory (and current drive
for that matter) is from within a batch file? I am working on a program
that changes directories all over the place, and it would be very nice
to be able to place the user back in the original directory before terminating.
In Unix there is an environment variable that always holds the current
working directory, but the manual doesn't seem to say anything about it.
Can anyone help me out at all on this one? I'd rather keep it all
within a single program, if possible. We're using DOS 3.30 here.
Thanks!
Jim McCabe
MCCABE @ MTUS5.BITNETlubkt@vax1.cc.lehigh.edu (05/04/90)
In article <90122.175401MCCABE@MTUS5.BITNET>, MCCABE@MTUS5.BITNET (Jim McCabe) writes: > I'm sure this is a simple question, but I've only recently started writing > batch programs that had any complexity at all. I would have avoided it > if possible, but my job demands it. :( > > Is there any way to find out what the current directory (and current drive > for that matter) is from within a batch file? I am working on a program > that changes directories all over the place, and it would be very nice > to be able to place the user back in the original directory before > terminating. > > In Unix there is an environment variable that always holds the current > working directory, but the manual doesn't seem to say anything about it. > Can anyone help me out at all on this one? I'd rather keep it all > within a single program, if possible. We're using DOS 3.30 here. > > Thanks! > Jim McCabe > MCCABE @ MTUS5.BITNET You can use the "apply" command. I know for sure that "apply" is available on MS-DOS V3.2 and V3.21, but as I recall it is no longer supported. I might be mistaken, so check it out. The syntax of "apply" is apply <filename> "command" [/S] If an input file, say INPUT.FIL, contains the text "C:\DOSDIR", the following command will execute the command equivalent to typing "cd c:\dosdir": apply input.fil "cd %" If you are including the above command in a batch-file, you have to put and extra `%' character, as is shown below for the above command: apply input.fil "cd %%" You can use the "cd > input.fil" or the "cd d: > input.fil" command to store the path name in input.fil. P.S.: If your version does not have the "apply" command, try getting it from somewhere. It is an external command and does not complain too much about versions. -Binod. ------------------- Binod Taterway, User Consultant, Lehigh University Computing Center BT00@lehigh.BITNET Bethlehem, PA 18015 LUBKT@vax1.cc.lehigh.EDU (Internet) Disclaimer: I disclaim nothing; I think I ought to be responsible for whatever I say.
grimlok@hubcap.clemson.edu (Mike Percy) (05/04/90)
From article <90122.175401MCCABE@MTUS5.BITNET>, by MCCABE@MTUS5.BITNET (Jim McCabe): > Is there any way to find out what the current directory (and current drive > for that matter) is from within a batch file? I am working on a program > that changes directories all over the place, and it would be very nice > to be able to place the user back in the original directory before terminating. I am assuming you want to do something like cd \somedir\someotherdir program.exe go back to first directory? There are the pushdir and popdir functions I have seen on the net and in various DOS utility books (e.g. PC World's Power DOS Tools), which work well: pushdir /* save current dir */ cd \dir\dir program.exe popdir /* go back */ But the pushdir/popdir functions I have seen are either TSR's or use a file somewher to store the directory stack. I'd rather not do either. DOS has a function worth thinking about - subst subst t: \dir\dir t: program.exe c: subst t: This works well for me, since I use c: as my "home" directory, and I seldom would have a pushdir stack more than one level deep. Mike Percy
cca10@cl.cam.ac.uk (Christopher Anderton) (05/05/90)
The solution I use for this is as follows ...
PATH >c:\savepath.bat
...
... code here
...
call c:\savepath
del c:\savepath.bat
I use DOS V4.00 on PS2/50Zs.
Chris Anderton
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Chris Anderton :: CCA10@UK.AC.CAM.PHX "Meaningless, Meaningless", said the
:: CCA10@UK.AC.CAM.CL Teacher. "Utterly Meaningless! Everything
The above are JANET addresses. is Meaningless."sun@me.utoronto.ca (Andy Sun Anu-guest) (05/07/90)
In article <1873@gannet.cl.cam.ac.uk> cca10@cl.cam.ac.uk (Christopher Anderton) writes: >The solution I use for this is as follows ... > >PATH >c:\savepath.bat >... >... code here >... >call c:\savepath >del c:\savepath.bat > >I use DOS V4.00 on PS2/50Zs. > >Chris Anderton >-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- >Chris Anderton :: CCA10@UK.AC.CAM.PHX "Meaningless, Meaningless", said the > :: CCA10@UK.AC.CAM.CL Teacher. "Utterly Meaningless! Everything >The above are JANET addresses. is Meaningless." I thought the above will only reset the path, but will not bring you back to the right directory, regardless of your hardware and software. I thought what the original poster asked was: (1) say, you are in C:\DIR1 (2) you execute a batch file which have a lot of CDs so that at the end of the batch file, you end up in, say, C:\DIR2\DIR3\DIR4. (3) upon terminate of the batch file, you need to go back to C:\DIR1 automatically. I don't think what you said above can accomplish this task. I couldn't think of any combination of genuine DOS commands that can accomplish that task. However, if you have one of those public domain PC U*IX "pwd" and "sed" programs handy, then you can do something similar to the above, like: pwd | sed -s 's/^/cd /' > c:\savedir.bat ... ... code here ... c:\savedir.bat del c:\savedir.bat I don't like this either because it's like I am talking about a different operating system (someone might say, if you use pwd and sed, why not use pushd and popd...). If the original poster doesn't mind a bit of programming, a few (< 10) lines of C code can get the current directory and construct and echo the string "CD <current path and directory>". Say, if you call it SHOWDIR.COM, in your batch file, you can simply do showdir > c:\savedir.bat ... ... code here ... c:\savedir.bat del c:\savedir.bat If you will change to directories in a different drive, then the above won't work either. You'll have to grab and display the drive name in your program also, something like: <drive name>: CD <current path and directory> Hope this helps and sorry for this long message. Andy
raymond@pepto-bismol.berkeley.edu (Raymond Chen) (05/08/90)
In article <90May7.072047edt.19230@me.utoronto.ca> sun@me.utoronto.ca (Andy Sun Anu-guest) writes: >I couldn't think of any combination of genuine DOS commands that can >accomplish that task. Closing my eyes and thinking real hard, I came up with this: Create a file that contains three characters. "c" "d" <space>. No trailing CR+LF! Put it in \usr\lib\cdspace Your batch file does this: copy \usr\lib\cdspace \tmp\cdspace.bat cd >>\tmp\cdspace.bat ... do whatever you want ... \tmp\cdspace Doesn't use the "call" command, so should even work on DOS 2.0. If you're clever, you can even teach cdspace.bat to erase itself when it's done, but it's no big deal leaving it in the \tmp directory, since everybody has a "del \tmp\*.*" in their autoexec.bat, right? :-)
sun@me.utoronto.ca (Andy Sun Anu-guest) (05/08/90)
In article <1990May8.003238.6922@agate.berkeley.edu> raymond@pepto-bismol.UUCP (Raymond Chen) writes: >In article <90May7.072047edt.19230@me.utoronto.ca> sun@me.utoronto.ca (Andy Sun Anu-guest) writes: >>I couldn't think of any combination of genuine DOS commands that can >>accomplish that task. > >Closing my eyes and thinking real hard, I came up with this: > >Create a file that contains three characters. "c" "d" <space>. >No trailing CR+LF! Put it in \usr\lib\cdspace > >Your batch file does this: > > copy \usr\lib\cdspace \tmp\cdspace.bat > cd >>\tmp\cdspace.bat > ... do whatever you want ... > \tmp\cdspace > >Doesn't use the "call" command, so should even work on DOS 2.0. >If you're clever, you can even teach cdspace.bat to erase itself when >it's done, but it's no big deal leaving it in the \tmp directory, >since everybody has a "del \tmp\*.*" in their autoexec.bat, right? :-) You've told half of the story, but what about the other half? I am interested in how you create that \usr\lib\cdspace file. I don't know of any smart way to get this done except by a line of C code: main() {printf("cd ");} Is there editor/word processor out there that can kill CR+LF? BTW, "cd>>\tmp\cdspace.bat" was neat. I didn't know you can do it this way before. Andy
dmurdoch@watstat.uwaterloo.ca (Duncan Murdoch) (05/08/90)
In article <90May7.215707edt.19841@me.utoronto.ca> sun@me.utoronto.ca (Andy Sun Anu-guest) writes: > >You've told half of the story, but what about the other half? I am >interested in how you create that \usr\lib\cdspace file. I don't know >of any smart way to get this done except by a line of C code: > > main() {printf("cd ");} It's occasionally handy (as here) to be able to echo text without appending a CR/LF, so a few years ago I wrote a tiny 23 byte assembler program to do it. The .DOC file is attached below. Duncan Murdoch ----------------------------- EchoN - Echo command line without going to a new line. by D.J. Murdoch, 13 Nov 1987 This handy little program works like ECHO, but doesn't do a new line at the end. I use it in batch files to save a directory: ECHON cd >\olddir.bat CD >>\olddir.bat This puts the "cd " into the file olddir.bat in the root directory, then lists the current directory into that file on the same line. Executing OLDDIR any time after that puts you back into the original directory. Unlike PUSHDIR and POPDIR, this lasts after you reboot your computer. Here's source code, that could be assembled using DEBUG if ECHON.COM is missing: MOV CL,[0080] ; Put line length into CL SUB CX,+01 ; Subtract 1 to get rid of initial blank JL 0115 ; Quit if there were no characters MOV BX,0001 ; Output to Standard Output... MOV DX,0082 ; from command line, starting at the 2nd char... MOV AH,40 ; using the write service... INT 21 ; do it! INT 20 ; quit
richard@calvin.spp.cornell.edu (Richard Brittain) (05/08/90)
In article <90May7.215707edt.19841@me.utoronto.ca> sun@me.utoronto.ca (Andy Sun Anu-guest) writes: > >You've told half of the story, but what about the other half? I am >interested in how you create that \usr\lib\cdspace file. I don't know >of any smart way to get this done except by a line of C code: > > main() {printf("cd ");} Freemacs has no problem creating files with no trailing CRLF. Richard Brittain, School of Elect. Eng., Upson Hall Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 ARPA: richard@calvin.spp.cornell.edu UUCP: {uunet,uw-beaver,rochester,cmcl2}!cornell!calvin!richard
wilber@nunki.usc.edu (John Wilber) (05/08/90)
In article <90May7.215707edt.19841@me.utoronto.ca> sun@me.utoronto.ca (Andy Sun Anu-guest) writes: >Is there editor/word processor out there that can kill CR+LF? Sure. Piece of cake. I would suggest the Epsilon text editor by Lugaru Software, the Norton Editor by Peter Norton Computing, or any disk sector editor, like the Norton Utilities (look at the sector with the file on it, and change the C-LF sequence to spaces, or delete them). /***********************************************************************\ * John J. Wilber * "Im Himmel gibts kein Bier zum trinken wir * * wilber@nunki.usc.edu * es hier" -German Proverb * * Student, partier, beer * "In heaven there's no beer, so we might as * * drinker, fun-loving guy. * well drink it here" -Translation * ************************************************************************* * "I woke up this morning and I got myself a beer" -The Doors * \***********************************************************************/ >Andy
draper@cpsin1.uucp (Patrick J Draper) (05/08/90)
>You've told half of the story, but what about the other half? I am >interested in how you create that \usr\lib\cdspace file. I don't know >of any smart way to get this done except by a line of C code: > > main() {printf("cd ");} > >Is there editor/word processor out there that can kill CR+LF? > >BTW, "cd>>\tmp\cdspace.bat" was neat. I didn't know you can do it this way >before. > >Andy I noticed that some others suggested using Norton's editor or some other package, but if you don't have those, you can use the dos copy con: command. I tried this and it didn't put a CR+LF into the file. ex. -> copy con: testfile.txt -> cd <press F6 key here, don't press return> I got a file with a length of 3, with cd <space>. Patrick Draper --- Michigan State University
tjh@lance.hss.bu.oz.au (Tim Hudson) (05/09/90)
In article <90May7.072047edt.19230@me.utoronto.ca> sun@me.utoronto.ca (Andy Sun Anu-guest) writes: >I thought what the original poster asked was: >(1) say, you are in C:\DIR1 >(2) you execute a batch file which have a lot of CDs so that at the end > of the batch file, you end up in, say, C:\DIR2\DIR3\DIR4. >(3) upon terminate of the batch file, you need to go back to C:\DIR1 > automatically. >I couldn't think of any combination of genuine DOS commands that can >accomplish that task. Well, how about this sort of trick: 1. Have a file with just a "cd " in it - NO newline on the end (must make sure of this) call this file \cd.dat 2. in your batch file do the following copy \cd.dat \tmpname.bat cd >> \tmpname.bat . . do all your other things . . \tmpname That works perfectly under MS-DOS 3.30 at least. Basically, cd with no args gives current working directory - make a batchfile that will take you back there - hence need a cd with no newline. The files should be in a fixed location as you need to know where they are. Similar things can be done to save the path etc. Using this you can have a one level pushdir and popdir written as batchfiles. Tim Hudson -- Language Centre internet : tjh@lance.hss.bu.oz{.au} Bond University JANET : tjh%lance.hss.bu.oz@uk.ac.ukc Gold Coast, Qld 4229 ARPA, bitnet: tjh%lance.hss.bu.oz.au@uunet.uu.net Australia UUCP : ..!uunet!munnari!lance.hss.bu.oz!tjh --
svirsky@ttidca.TTI.COM (Bill Svirsky) (05/09/90)
In article <90May7.072047edt.19230@me.utoronto.ca> sun@me.utoronto.ca (Andy Sun Anu-guest) writes:
+I thought what the original poster asked was:
+
+(1) say, you are in C:\DIR1
+(2) you execute a batch file which have a lot of CDs so that at the end
+ of the batch file, you end up in, say, C:\DIR2\DIR3\DIR4.
+(3) upon terminate of the batch file, you need to go back to C:\DIR1
+ automatically.
+
+I couldn't think of any combination of genuine DOS commands that can
+accomplish that task.
Suppose you have a file, call it 'cd.cmd', that contains just 'cd ' (no
end-of-line). Then you could do something like:
copy c:\cd.cmd c:\savedir.bat
cd >> c:\savedir.bat
...
... batch commands here
...
c:\savedir.bat
To get a file, such as 'cd.cmd', that doesn't contain an end-of-line, use:
copy con c:\cd.cmd
cd ^Z<enter>
--
Bill Svirsky, Citicorp+TTI, 3100 Ocean Park Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90405
Work phone: 213-450-9111 x2597
svirsky@ttidca.tti.com | ...!{csun,psivax,rdlvax,retix}!ttidca!svirskybwilliam%peruvian.utah.edu@cs.utah.edu (Bruce Williams) (05/10/90)
There have been many postings of how to do this using simple,
unadulteraed DOS. Well, as clever as they have been, I personally
believe in getting the right tools for the job.
There's a program (actually, there are several around) which lets you
"push" the current directory on a stack and pop it off when you want to
return to it again... many nested levels are allowed. Here's an
example:
[Batch file] pushd // push current path
cd c:\games // go elsewhere...
. // run whatever..
.
popd // return to original path
The version I have is called "push-pop"--about 16K zipped--
written by Paul Roub who includes the C sources and asks no money.
If this can't be found archived somewhere, I'd be glad to email
to any intersted party, (or post it if needed).
----
Bruce R. Williams "Computer Science is not about computers,
University of Utah any more than astronomy is about telescopes"
Salt Lake City - Edgar Dijkstra