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I need to call a batch file with a command I want it to execute. This command contains the %cd% pseudo-variable, which expands to the current directory. Say, I want to run test "echo %cd%". The problem is that %cd% expands before test is called.
Normally, you can escape a variable by doubling the percent signs, but this does not seem to apply to pseudo-variables. For instance, echo %%ProgramFiles%% will print %ProgramFiles%, but echo %%errorlevel%% will print %0%. What do I do?
The general-purpose escape character in Windows Command Prompt — the analog of \ in the rest of the universe — is caret (^). Try “^%cd^%”.
(Edit)
… and then,
echo %1 > temp.bat call temp.bat del temp.bat
Yes, it’s terribly ugly, and there really ought to be a better way. Well, I can’t find it.
test "echo ^%cd^%" prints %cd% instead of the current directory. What I need is for the pseudo-variable to be preserved when I pass it to the script, but expanded inside.
I'm not having much luck without getting CALL involved, either. With this test.bat:
@%*
invoking test.bat call echo ^%cd^% works as expected. Or, putting the CALL inside test.bat:
@CALL %*
and invoking test.bat echo ^%cd^% works. (This is safer anyhow, since if test.bat is getting called from another script, then passing a script to it won't run the risk of exiting prematurely.)
I suppose which works better for you (or if either can be made to work at all) depends on the specifics of your scenario.
