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I have a program named go.exe, and I pass it a file name example so that it can make a log file named example_golog.txt.

The problem here is that I want to only call the executable without explicitly giving a filename or making a user have to give a file name.

My solution to this was to name a system variable called GO whose value is go.exe %~n0. What's wrong with this is instead of the %~n0 part getting the file name of the batch file that called it, my go.exe file just makes a text file called %~n0_golog.txt.

Is there any way around this so that %~n0 will do it's magic in the batch files that call it in go.exe %~n0?

EDIT:

My system variable: Name: GO Value: go %~n0

My test.bat file:

@echo on
%GO% 
pause

When I run test.bat, the %~n0 does not expand out.

So instead of test_golog.txt being made, %~n0_golog.txt is made

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  • That argument should always expand even if it was empty from shifting. Could please show us all the relevant code. Commented Nov 14, 2016 at 19:20
  • @Squashman added some more. Any idea? Commented Nov 14, 2016 at 19:20
  • If your environment variable %GO% worked as you want it to, how would it look being used in your batch file? Commented Nov 14, 2016 at 19:21
  • 1
    I see what you are saying now. You set it as a variable before you started the batch file. Why don't you just set it in the batch file? Commented Nov 14, 2016 at 19:22
  • @lyst %GO% would be go %~n0 which would expand out to go test if the batch file that ran it is named test.bat Commented Nov 14, 2016 at 19:24

1 Answer 1

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In your batch file, you can call it to dereference the variable.

echo %go% will report go %~n0.

call echo %go% will report go test (from a batch file named test).

You can use whatever other sets you need from there.

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3 Comments

This will not execute go.exe and expand the %~n0 to the batch file name. The CALL ECHO trick works because it is expanding the variables twice. But it will not expand %~n0 when removing the ECHO. You would need to put this into a FOR /F command to capture the output and then execute that macro variable.
@Squashman Thats not quite right, Call %go% will execute the content of the var Go with %~n0 expanded to the current batch file name, no need for for /f. But I agree the construct is a bit weird
@LotPings, I tested by setting set go=find.exe "%~n0" %0 and sure enough it works. I have no idea why! You never see %0 get expanded at all. Seriously confused by this one.

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