How to use an environment variable in PowerShell console?

Question

I have an environment variable named GOPATH. In old style command shell I could run the command %GOPATH%\bin\hello like this:

Is there an equivalently simple command in Windows PowerShell?

EDIT

I am not trying to print the environment variable. I am trying to USE it.

The variable is set correctly:

C:\WINDOWS\system32> echo $env:gopath
C:\per\go

Now I want to actually use this in a command line call, and it fails:

C:\WINDOWS\system32> $env:gopath\bin\hello
At line:1 char:12
+ $env:gopath\bin\hello
+            ~~~~~~~~~~
Unexpected token '\bin\hello' in expression or statement.
    + CategoryInfo          : ParserError: (:) [],        ParentContainsErrorRecordException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : UnexpectedToken

Possible duplicate of How to print environment variables to console in Powershell? — user6811411
– user6811411, Commented Dec 28, 2018 at 17:02
Not a duplicate. I am not trying to PRINT. I am trying to USE. — David
– David, Commented Dec 28, 2018 at 17:55

Jansen McEntee · Accepted Answer · 2018-12-28 21:44:45Z

41

Use $env:[Variablename]

For example:

$env:Appdata

or

$env:COMPUTERNAME

using your example:

$env:GOPATH

To use this to execute a script use

& "$env:GOPATH\bin\hello"

edited Dec 28, 2018 at 21:44

answered Dec 28, 2018 at 17:03

Jansen McEntee

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Comments

li ki · Accepted Answer · 2021-09-16 17:56:37Z

8

Using an environment variable in a path to invoke a command would require either dot notation or the call operator. The quotation marks expand the variable and the call operator invokes the path.

Dot Notation

. "$env:M2_Home\bin\mvn.cmd"

Call Operator

& "$env:M2_Home\bin\mvn.cmd"

edited Sep 16, 2021 at 17:56

li ki

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answered Dec 28, 2018 at 22:33

Dejulia489

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1 Comment

Ansgar Wiechers Over a year ago

The call operator had already been suggested. Using the dot-sourcing operator would work too, but that is only incidental. The operator is for running (PowerShell) scripts in the current context as opposed to running them in a child context via the call operator, but external commands are running in a separate process anyway, so there's no advantage in using . over &.

David · Accepted Answer · 2018-12-28 18:50:46Z

0

One solution is to use start-process -NoNewWindow to run it.

C:\windows\system32> start-process -nonewwindow $env:gopath\bin\hello.exe
C:\windows\system32Hello, Go examples!
>

This is much more verbose obviously and puts the command prompt at an odd looking prompt: >. But it does work.

answered Dec 28, 2018 at 18:50

David

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