DOS BAT file equivalent to Unix basename command?

Question

Is there an easy way to get to the basename (file name without extension) of a DOS file name using the DOS BAT command language?

I agree: format c:\\ is

Answer 1

DOS 6.22 does not support %~nI in for batch statements. here's a workaround to the problem I presented in my original question about isql's 4.10 bcheck utility requiring only a basename whereas in isql 2.10 bcheck utility worked with star.star as an argument. I created the following QBASIC program to solve bcheck 4.10 now requiring only a basename to work:

BatFile$ = "CHKFILE.BAT"
        IF INSTR(COMMAND$, "?") > 0 THEN
          PRINT
          PRINT "This program generates a batch file to check Informix files"
          PRINT "  -b  BBBB.BAT    this option is used to change the batch file name"
          PRINT "                  by default the batch file name is CHKFILE.BAT"
          PRINT
          SYSTEM
        END IF
        IF INSTR(COMMAND$, "-B") > 0 THEN
          BatFile$ = LTRIM$(MID$(COMMAND$, INSTR(COMMAND$, "-B") + 2)) + "  "
          BatFile$ = LEFT$(BatFile$, INSTR(BatFile$, " ") - 1)
        END IF

        OPEN BatFile$ FOR OUTPUT AS #2


        filename$ = DIR$("*.dat")
        IF LEN(filename$) = 0 THEN SYSTEM
        DO WHILE LEN(filename$) > 0
          PRINT #2, "bcheck -y", filename$
          filename$ = DIR$
        LOOP
        CLOSE
        SYSTEM

OR, one can write an ACE program to extract the basename from systables.dirpath and PRINT "BCHECK -y ",systables.dirpath

Answer 2

I understand that the answer "you can't" is not good enough. So, if it really /has/ to be done in Real Mode DOS, then get the 4DOS command shell and accompanying programs and use it instead of COMMAND.COM

http://www.4dos.info/v4dos.htm

I haven't used it in years, but it was always /far/ better than COMMAND.COM If you search this page: http://www.4dos.info/4batfaq.htm for "basename" you will see there is a Real Mode DOS answer to your problem if using 4DOS /instead/ of COMMAND.COM

The only other solution path I can think of is to find or write a Real Mode .exe that performs basename.

COMMAND.COM, even in DOS 6.22 with all its supporting external commands, was always an incredibly crippled system for scripts/batch files. Note that the MinGW32 command line progs will be of no help. All that stuff is for Protected Mode (32 bit Windows). If you try it in DOS you'll just get the cryptic "This program cannot be run in DOS mode." or something similar.