Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!bloom-beacon!gatech!ftg
From: ftg@gatech.edu (Gary Peterson)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: IBM DOS System Variables
Message-ID: <17029@gatech.edu>
Date: 28 Mar 88 14:42:28 GMT
References: <1501@ur-tut.UUCP> <17020@gatech.edu>
Distribution: na
Organization: School of Information and Computer Science, Georgia Tech, Atlanta
Lines: 57
Keywords: IBM, DOS, Directories, batch files
Summary: Correction to setting env. var. to path

In article <17020@gatech.edu>, ftg@gatech.edu (Gary Peterson) 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.
> 
> 
> Try something like the following:
Various stupid stuff deleted
>ftg@gatech

Who is this bozo? Sheesh what a dumb idea.

The following will do the job very simply:

Step 1: create the following one line file:

set pathname=

With NO trailing cr/lf or eof (^Z). If you don't know how to do
this with your editor then do the following in GWBASIC direct mode:

OPEN "PATHNAME.FOO" FOR OUTPUT AS #1
PRINT#1,"set pathname=";
CLOSE
SYSTEM

This creates the file PATHNAME.FOO with a trailing eof.
You get rid of it by a copy:

COPY PATHNAME.FOO /A PATHNAME.1ST /B

Put PATHNAME.1ST somewhere handy, for example your BIN directory
on drive C:. (Delete PATHNAME.FOO.)

Step 2: Create the following BAT file:

@ECHO OFF
COPY C:\BIN\PATHNAME.1ST PATHTEMP.BAT > NUL       (Or wherever you stored it.)
CD >> PATHTEMP.BAT
CALL PATHTEMP
DEL PATHTEMP.BAT

Save this as PATHNAME.BAT in, for example, your BIN directory
where PATHNAME.1ST is.

Step 3: Every time you want to set the Environment Variable
"PATHNAME" to the current path, just type PATHNAME.

Notes: You can remove the last DEL instruction by always
using the same PATHTEMP file, e.g., C:\BIN\PATHTEMP.BAT.
This allows PATHTEMP run as the last instruction of a BAT file
so that no CALL is needed. (For pre-3.3ers.)
You can also add more commands onto the end of PATHTEMP.BAT
using the >> append redirection and TYPE.

The alter ego of ftg@gatech