Batch command to get the file path only, from a string

Question

I've searched and found several examples on this, but I don't seem to get anything to work... I'm writing a simple Windows batch script to unzip files. In my batch script I have a variable, zipfile, that is dynamically assigned as the most recent Zip file in folder and subfolders:

for /f "tokens=*" %%a in ('dir d:\temp\*.zip /s /b /od') do set zipfile=%%a

To simplify, considering the value:

set zipfile=d:\temp\mysubfolder\myfile.zip

How can I get the full path, "d:\temp\mysubfolder\" ? Thank you!

Monacraft · Accepted Answer · 2013-10-24 22:21:44Z

3

Easy:

for /f "tokens=*" %%a in ("%zipfile%") do (set fullpath=%%~dpa)
Echo %fullpath%

Done! Make sure %zipfile% does not have surrounding quotes.

Mona

answered Oct 24, 2013 at 22:21

Monacraft

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5 Comments

mahiro Over a year ago

Thank you! Got my %fullpath% variable as I needed to proceed.

Endoro Over a year ago

@mahiro shorter with the same result: for %%a in ("%zipfile%") do set "fullpath=%%~dpa"

Monacraft Over a year ago

@Endoro But that doesn't include for spaces

foxidrive Over a year ago

Why do you think it doesn't handle spaces?

Monacraft Over a year ago

Wait whoops, I thought it was /f.

Okkenator · Accepted Answer · 2013-10-25 00:22:55Z

2

See the call /? for how to use labels inside a batch file. It also explains how to extract the drive, path, and filename from a parameter.

set zipfile=d:\temp\mysubfolder\myfile.zip
call :SETZIPPATH %zipfile%
goto:eof 

:SETZIPPATH
set zippath=%~dp1

You can also do the call from inside the for loop.

answered Oct 25, 2013 at 0:22

Okkenator

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4 Comments

mahiro Over a year ago

Thank you! Went with the line of code above for my batch script, but appreciate the tip! I didn't know about these labels for batch files before, so it's something I learned for a next time.

Okkenator Over a year ago

Great. I'm glad you learned something and I hope it makes it easier for you to batch something in the future.

npocmaka Over a year ago

+1 but a call is slower than for /f --> dostips.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=10681

Okkenator Over a year ago

Is it though? I was able to run a crude test including 20 for loops vs. 20 label calls with echo %time% before and after. I understand that part of the measurement is the set command, but they are identical in both cases. It measured ~740ms for the for loop and ~670ms for the call. I am not convinced that a for loop is quicker than the local call. Again, I understand my measurement method is quite crude.

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