command detail for (for /f "delims=: tokens=1" %%i in ("%~

[shk86]

any body plz guide me for this command for use in windows post installer.

(for /f "delims=: tokens=1" %%i in ("%~dp0") do set drive=%%i:)

I M RUNNING IT ON WPI.CMD AND SUCCESFULLY RUNNING WPI AFTER WINDOWS INSTALLATION.

BUT I HAVE COPIED IT THROUGH A FORUM.

I NEED TO UNDERSTAND IT PROPERLY HOW IT WORKS

WHAT DOES (/F) (DELIMS= (TOKENS=1) %%i (%~dp0) stands for .

plz help maintaing my knowledge

thanks

[uid0]

for /f "delims=: tokens=1" %%i in ("%~dp0") do set drive=%%i:

delims is short for delimiters, these divide the output into tokens (pieces).

tokens=1 means we only want the first token.

%%i is the variable that gets set to the first token.

%~dp0 is the drive and path of the currently running script.

What the line does is to set the variable %drive% to be just the letter of the drive that the current script is running from, which could probably be simplified to just

set drive=%~d0

For more info try typing

for /?

set /?

call /?

at a command prompt, or try this site.

[firefox99]

can we use this short command set drive=%~d0

instead of it??

how to run wpi after windows installation through a batch and auto run file

[shk86]

thxx 4 ur reply..i have understood it clearly bt u havnt tell what /f stands for ..and will the cd drive will be automatically recognize through this command or we had to add some more text.?? plzzz do reply thxx

[Guest]

I don't see why not, firefox99.

The optical drive should be recognized automatically, shk86. I'm not certain what the /f stands for, but third-party documentation does exist.

Edited March 23, 2010 by 5eraph

[jaclaz]

Read here:

FOR

Windows NT 4/2000/XP Syntax

http://www.robvanderwoude.com/ntfor.php

FOR /F

tokens and delims

Step by step

http://www.robvanderwoude.com/ntfortokens.php

jaclaz

[firefox99]

for f/ is to Loop through items in a text file and to Loop through the output of a command.

[shk86]

thxx alot uido,5eraph,jaclaz,for ur support and od course firefox99 but i realy didnt understand it clearly yet.ill b thankfull if u explain a little more...thxxx guyzz.

[jaclaz]

Let's try playing the game the other way round.

You originally asked about this:

for /f "delims=: tokens=1" %%i in ("%~dp0") do set drive=%%i:

Try putting it, slightly modified in a batch like this and sabe the batch as C:\Batches\forf.cmd:

@ECHO OFF
for /f "tokens=1,2,3 delims=:\" %%i in ("%~dp0") do (
ECHO this is "i" i.e. token #1 "%%i"
ECHO this is "j" i.e. token #2 "%%j"
ECHO this is "k" i.e. token #3 "%%k"
ECHO this is parameter 0, i.e. the command line that started the batch "%0"
ECHO this is parameter ~d0, i.e. the Drive of command line that started the batch "%~d0"
ECHO this is parameter ~dp0, i.e. the Drive and Path of command line that started the batch "%~dp0"
set drive=%%i:

)
SET drive

and run it:

C:\batches>forf
this is "i" i.e. token #1 "C"
this is "j" i.e. token #2 "batches"
this is "k" i.e. token #3 ""
this is parameter 0, i.e. the command line that started the batch "forf"
this is parameter ~d0, i.e. the Drive of command line that started the batch "C:
"
this is parameter ~dp0, i.e. the Drive and Path of command line that started the
 batch "C:\batches\"
drive=C:

C:\batches>

Now, you should have understood, and you can change the original snippet to:

for /f %%i in ("%~d0") do set drive=%%i

which is a simplified version, or go all the way and use:

SET drive=%~d0

which is the normal way to find out the drive from which a batch is started.

In other words, the original problem posted needs not the use of FOR or of FOR /F.

jaclaz

[firefox99]

o u rock jaclaz i understood it clearly .many regards to u...i have 1 more thing to ask suppose i have a folder on desktop "wpi" containing wpi.hta in it and $oem$ folder beside wpi folder containing runwpi batch file. could the same command will b used for opening the wpi.hta.

for /f "delims=: tokens=1" %%i in ("%~dp0") do set drive=%%i:

set wpipath=%drive%\wpi

SET KEY=HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnceEx

REG ADD %KEY%\999 /V 1 /D "%wpipath%\WPI.hta" /f

i m using this to run it from a cd but its not working on a desktop what changes should b applied plzzzzzz help me out a little more.thxxx.May God Bless u.

[shk86]

hats off to u guyz.thanks alot for helping..nice understandable script.many appriciations.

[jaclaz]

for /f "delims=: tokens=1" %%i in ("%~dp0") do set drive=%%i:

set wpipath=%drive%\wpi

If you have it on desktop, it is likely to return something like:

C:\Documents and Settings\User\Desktop\\wpi

which BTW has an additional problem, i.e. contains a space, not a problem in itself but may become one further in the script.

Please also understand that BESIDES THE FACT THAT THERE IS NO NEED WHATSOEVER to use a FOR /F loop to get %~dp0, as already said, the result of

Set drive=%~dp0

which is the recommended way, as well as the overcomplex one you chose, will be a path with a trailing backslash, which, consequently, will result in something like:

drive=C:\whatever\

wpipath=C:\whatever\\wpi

which is invalid.

Of course if the batch is in a folder called wpi on desktop, the result of

Set drive=%~dp0

will be:

drive=C:\whatever\wpi

and

wpipath=C:\whatever\wpi\\wpi

jaclaz

[Yzöwl]

o u rock jaclaz i understood it clearly .many regards to u...i have 1 more thing to ask suppose i have a folder on desktop "wpi" containing wpi.hta in it and $oem$ folder beside wpi folder containing runwpi batch file. could the same command will b used for opening the wpi.hta.

In order to do that all you need is a batch file containing this:

@"%~dp0..\wpi\wpi.hta"

[firefox99]

understood sir jacloz..thxx..yzowl realy easy to handle command i dont have to do any thing to it.it workss i wonder if i could use this to execute wpi.hta from cd drive.will it work ??

[shk86]

hizzz yzowl .can u explain what these 2 dot after dp0 in thiz command represents? @"%~dp0..\wpi\wpi.hta" and plz explain the function of this command.ill b realy grateful.