How do you avoid over-populating the PATH Environment Variable in Windows?

Question

I would like to know what are the approaches that you use to manage the executables in your system. For example I have almost everything accessible through the command line,

Answer 1

I wrote and use on a every-time basis a standard stream (stdin/stderr/stdout) & exit code PROXY program (called dispatcher https://github.com/131/dispatcher)

All CLI program i use (node, php, python, git, svn, rsync, plink ...) i'm using are actually the same exe file (around 10kb, that i just name differently), that i put in the same directory. A dummy static clear text file do the "proxy file name to real exe mapping".

Dispatcher use low level Process management win32 API to be absolutly transparent.

Using this software, i only do have ONE additionnal directory set in my PATH for all programs i might use.

Answer 2

Didn't try it, but will splitting PATH in parts work and joining them in final variable work?

Example initially let's say you have something like

PATH={LONGPATH1};{LONGPATH2};....{2048th char}....{LONGPATH_N-1};{LONGPATH_N}

Instead you create:

_PATH1 = {LONGPATH1};{LONGPATH2};....{2048 char}
_PATH2 = {2049th char}...{LONGPATH_N-1};{LONGPATH_N}
rem // may be more parts
PATH = %_PATH1%;%_PATH2%

Answer 3

In case anyone's interested...

I find I never really need all those paths at once, so I create a bunch of "initialization" batch files which modify the path accordingly.

For example, if I wanted to do some C++ development in Eclipse, I would do:

> initmingw
> initeclipse
> eclipse

This is also handy for avoiding conflicts between executables with the same name (such as the C++ and D compilers, which both have a make.exe).

My batch files typically look like this:

@echo off
set PATH=C:\Path\To\My\Stuff1;%PATH%
set PATH=C:\Path\To\My\Stuff2;%PATH%

I find this approach relatively clean and have yet to run into any problems with it.

Answer 4

I follow these steps to make the entries manageable:

1. Created different users for different combination of software packages usage. Example: (a) Created a user web for making available all the web development software; (b) Created a user database for making available all the database and data warehousing software packages. Remember some software may create more than one entry. Or sometime I break this into oracle specific and MSSQL specific and oracle specific users. I put MySQL/PostgreSQL, tomcat, wamp, xamp all into the user account webr.

2. If possible install common packages like office, photoshop, .. as system specific available for all users and special packages as user specific. Of course I had to log into different users and install them. Not all software may provide this option. If "install for this user only" option is not available, install it for the whole system.

3. I avoid installing programs in to the folder Program File (x86) or in to Program File. I always install into the base directory. For example MySQL 64 bit goes into "C:\mysql64" and MySQL 32 bit goes into "C:\mysql" folder. I always assume adding a suffix 64 only for 64bit software. If no suffix, then it is a 32 bit. I follow the same thing to Java and others. This way my path will be shorter, not including "C:\Program File (x86)". For some software the configuration file may need to be edited to show where exactly the .exe file is. Only program that demands to be installed into "C:\Program File (x86)" will be installed into that folder. Always I remember to shorten the names. I avoid version number like tomcat/release/version-2.5.0.3 such details. If I need to the know version, I create a file by name version and put it into the tomcat folder. In general shorten the link as much as possible.

4. Include any batch to replace abbreviated link to the path, if all the above steps passed the Windows limit.

Then Log into usage specific (mobile application, or database/data warehousing or web-development.. ..) user and do the relevant tasks.

You can also create virtual windows within windows. As long as you have one licensed OS copy, creating multiple virtual windows with same key is possible. You can put packages specific for a particular task in that machine. You have to launch separate VM each time. Some memory intensive packages like 3D animation movie makers all should be put into the main machine, not into VM as VM will have only a part of the RAM available for its use. It is a pain to boot each VM though.

Answer 5

This will parse your %PATH% environment variable and convert each directory to its shortname equivalent and then piece it all back together:

@echo off

SET MyPath=%PATH%
echo %MyPath%
echo --

setlocal EnableDelayedExpansion

SET TempPath="%MyPath:;=";"%"
SET var=
FOR %%a IN (%TempPath%) DO (
    IF exist %%~sa (
        SET "var=!var!;%%~sa"
    ) ELSE (
        echo %%a does not exist
    )
)

echo --
echo !var:~1!

Take the output and update the PATH variable in environment variables.

Answer 6

if you are using windows vista or higher, you can make a symbolic link to the folder. for example:

mklink /d C:\pf "C:\Program Files"

would make a link so c:\pf would be your program files folder. I shaved off 300 characters from my path by using this trick.