In Linux (Bash), there's a way to use a command as a parameter for another command, using back-ticks:
> echo ===== `time` =====
This would print:
===== The current time is: 12:22:34.68 =====
Is there a way to do this in cmd.exe on WIndows ?
asked May 27, 2011 at 9:25
3 Answers
Try this:
echo. ===== %time% =====
I know this may not be what you want, because you mentioned command substitution... So this may be it:
for /f "usebackq tokens=*" %i in (`date/time/t`) do @echo. ===== %i =====
For more details about the usage of usebackq try this command:
for /?
answered Jun 6, 2011 at 21:18
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4Yep,
for /fis what I was looking for. Thanks! On a side note: It's so kludgy and hard to remember (compared to the bash way). I should give up "bat programming" and learn something more productive - PowerShell maybe? Jul 7, 2011 at 20:10 -
@CristianDiaconescu Why not just use Linux? It's a much superior OS to Windows, especially for devs.– Jack GJul 18, 2020 at 21:36
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I am seeing errors that
& was unexpected at this timerunning your commands. OS: windows 10. Are you sure this is the correct way?– jdhaoFeb 20, 2021 at 2:47
In Windows the '( )' operator has a similar behavior as the Bash command substitution.
This Linux script:
my_linux_variable=$(ls)
my_alternate_linux_variable=`ls`
echo $my_linux_command=$(ls)
echo $my_alternate_linux_command=`ls`
gives a similar result as Windows PowerShell:
$my_windowsPS_variable = (dir)
$my_windowsPS_variable
and as Windows CMD:
set my_windowsCMD_variable=(dir)
%my_windowsCMD_variable%
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14Windows CMD example is wrong. Parens in cmd shell just execute a command in a subshell. The env var is set to "(dir)" and it is executed on the second line (when the env var is surrounded by %) - not really the substitution you want.– davidbakMar 2, 2017 at 17:41
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4
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1This is powershell, whereas the question is about cmd.exe Jul 25, 2019 at 8:37
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neat trick; it's like passing by reference instead of by value: ie. the value of dir is actually processed/calculated in 2nd line, and the variable is storing the command, not the result of the command; similar to
doskey– ZimbaAug 26, 2021 at 17:39 -
In Windows the '( )' operator has a similar behavior as the Bash command substitution.this is absolutely wrong. Windows isn't a shell like bash, and cmd doesn't work that way. It should be In powershell the '( )' operator...– phuclvJul 17, 2022 at 5:22
No, but here is the workaround:
D:\>time /t
08:18 PM
D:\>time /t > time.tmp
D:\>set /p time=<time.tmp
D:\>echo == %time% ==
== 08:18 PM ==
See also: Batch equivalent of Bash backticks.
timedoes on Windows...