How to get the path of a batch script without the trailing backslash in a single command?

Question

Suppose I wish to get the absolute path of a batch script from within the batch script itself, but without a trailing backslash. Normally, I do it this way:

SET          


        

Answer 1

Instead of removing the trailing backslash, adding a trailing dot is semantically equivalent for many software.

C:\Windows is equivalent to C:\Windows\.

echo %dp0
>C:\Windows\

echo %dp0.
>C:\Windows\.

For example, robocopy accepts only directories without trailing spaces.

This errors out:

robocopy "C:\myDir" %~dp0 

This is successful:

robocopy "C:\myDir" %~dp0.

Answer 2

I'd like to point out that it is not safe to use the substring tricks on variables that contain file system paths, there are just too many symbols like !,^,% that are valid folder/file names and there is no way to properly escape them all

FOR /D seems to strip the trailing backslash, so here is a version that uses for:

setlocal enableextensions enabledelayedexpansion&set _CD=%CD%&cd /D "%~dp0"&(FOR /D %%a IN ("!CD!") DO ((cd /D !_CD!)&endlocal&set "BuildDir=%%~a"))

This requires Win2000 and will probably fail if the batch file is on a UNC path

Answer 3

Example script "c:\Temp\test.cmd":

@set BuildDir=%~dp0.
@echo Build directory: "%BuildDir%"

Run in console:

d:\> cmd /C c:\Temp\test.cmd
Build directory: "c:\Temp\."

Answer 4

The simplest solution that worked for me was

Instead of using : SET currentPath=%~dp0

USE : SET currentPath=%cd%

Answer 5

You can use the modifiers ability of the FOR variables.

for %%Q in ("%~dp0\.") DO set "BuildDir=%%~fQ"

The %%~fQ results to the required path without trailing backslash (nor \.)

And this creates still a valid absolute path for the case, when the batch file is in a root directory on any drive.

This solution returns D:\, instead of D: only by simply removing the trailing character.

Answer 6

Only with delayed expansion when you write both statements into the same line:

set BuildDir=%~dp0&&set BuildDir=!BuildDir:~0,-1!

But that kinda defies the purpose.