Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!bbn!rochester!ur-tut!sunybcs!boulder!murillo
From: murillo@sigi.Colorado.EDU (Rodrigo Murillo)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: IBM DOS System Variables
Message-ID: <5074@sigi.Colorado.EDU>
Date: 25 Mar 88 16:53:21 GMT
References: <1501@ur-tut.UUCP> <1286@silver.bacs.indiana.edu>
Reply-To: murillo@boulder.Colorado.EDU (Rodrigo Murillo)
Distribution: na
Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder
Lines: 53
Keywords: IBM, DOS, Directories, batch files

In <1286@silver.bacs.indiana.edu> creps@silver.UUCP (Steve Creps) writes

>In article <1501@ur-tut.UUCP> nsto@ur-tut (Natalie Stone) writes:
>>Is there a way to assign a variable from within a batch file to be
>>equal to the current directory name so it can then be used in
>>the batch file.
>
>   Not really with just MS-DOS batch files.
>   [ references to pushdir/popdir and sugestions to try a high level language]
Who said it could not be done??
 
Yes folks, batch files are fun!  I devised a way to store the current
directory and return to it from a DOS batch file. It isn't particularly
pretty, but it is handy if you don't have things like popdir/pushdir yet.
 
It also uses some handy features of DOS like redirection and file
concats, and redirection to the NUL: device.
 
Redirection of the CD command to a text file is the key.  CD by itself
returns the current directory. That file is then appended to a 3 character
text file that has the string "CD " in it, WITHOUT a return.  The
resultant file is given a batch extention, and then run to return to
the directory.
 
   create the DOS command file somewhere handy, (no CR)
 
   C:\>copy con \tools\cd.dos
   cd ^Z
     1 File(s) copied
 
   Here is a batch file that goes to the root, then returns
   to whatever directory it started in.
 
   ==> foobar.bat
    echo off
    REM * Redirect the output of cd to a temp file
    cd >\tools\cd.txt
    cd\
    REM * Verify thet we are now in the root
    echo Hello from the root!
    cd
    pause
    REM * Create the go.bat file that will exec the cd\[old directory]
    copy \tools\cd.dos + \tools\cd.txt  go.bat >nul:
    REM * Call the batch file, but return back here.
    REM * DOS 3.3 users can CALL go.
    command/c go
    REM * Drop out of the batch file here, or add more features.
-- 
_______________________________________________________________________________
 Rodrigo Murillo, University of Colorado - Boulder  (303) 761-0410 
 murillo@boulder.colorado.edu | ..{hao|nbires}!boulder!murillo
 ( Machines have less problems.  I'd like to be a machine. -- Andy Warhol )