Why does this not work

Try3 · 07 Jul 2020

Edwin,

Thanks. I had not noticed that.

Denis

Ztruker · 01 Oct 2020

Old thread, spinning wheels:

Trying to get rid of a .reg file and instead use REG in a batch file to add registry data.

set batchfile=%userprofile%\GenFileList.bat
(REG Add "HKCR\AllFilesystemObjects\shell\printDir" /V "Create File List" /T REG_SZ /F)
(REG Add "HKCR\AllFilesystemObjects\shell\printDir\Command" /VE /D "%batchfile%" "%%V" /F)

First line works, second line fails with a syntax error.

Code:

aaa

C:\Users\ztruk>set batchfile=C:\Users\ztruk\GenFileList.bat

C:\Users\ztruk>(REG Add "HKCR\AllFilesystemObjects\shell\printDir" /V "Create File List" /T REG_EXPAND_SZ /F )
The operation completed successfully.

C:\Users\ztruk>(REG Add "HKCR\AllFilesystemObjects\shell\printDir\Command" /VE /D "C:\Users\ztruk\GenFileList.bat" "%V" /F )
ERROR: Invalid syntax.
Type "REG ADD /?" for usage.

Ztruker · 01 Oct 2020

There's two, but when it runs you only see one. Look at the source code above it.

Try3 · 01 Oct 2020

Rich,

"%%V" seems out of place. There is no variable called V and there is no For loop to require %%.

Denis

mngerhold · 01 Oct 2020

I don't know what the problem is, but he sends %%V in order to get %V in the output (and succeeds).

Matthew Wai · 01 Oct 2020

Ztruker said:

First line works, second line fails with a syntax error.

The following line contains no syntax error.

Code:

(REG Add "HKCR\AllFilesystemObjects\shell\printDir\Command" /VE /D """"%batchfile%""" """%%V"""" /F)

See the output below:

Code:

Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.18362.1016]
(c) 2019 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\Windows\system32>set batchfile=%userprofile%\GenFileList.bat

C:\Windows\system32>(REG Add "HKCR\AllFilesystemObjects\shell\printDir\Command" /VE /D """"%batchfile%""" """%%V"""" /F)
The operation completed successfully.

C:\Windows\system32>

Ztruker · 01 Oct 2020

Thank you Matthew, that works.

Now Create File List from the File Explorer context menu works correctly as well.

Denis, %V is valid, same as %1: Windows Extension Specific Context Menu Modification

Edit: Okay, the new batch file is in-place, works great. Thanks again Matthew.

Ztruker · 01 Oct 2020

I don't understand how all the quotes get handled in this:

/D """"%batchfile%""" """%%V"""" /F

Is this what actually gets passed to REG?

/D ""C:\Users\ztruk\GenFileList.bat"" ""%V"" /F

Matthew Wai · 02 Oct 2020

""""%batchfile%""" """%V""""

My understanding is that the first and last quotation marks (shown in red) will be ignored.

A group of three quotation marks (shown in blue above) will be counted as a single quotation mark (shown in blue below) to be written into Registry.

"C:\Users\Matthew_Wai\GenFileList.bat" "%V"

Ztruker · 02 Oct 2020

That's is what ends up in the registry. I never have any luck trying to match up double quotes in batch file processing. I seem to always end up with too many or not enough.

Thank you.

Is there anywhere that describes this behavior?