welle has asked for the wisdom of the Perl Monks concerning the following question:

Dear monks

It's a trivial question that was already discussed in the past...but unfortunatelly I am not able to make it work. I just want to open in Windows a folder knowing the path and its name. I usually do it with system("start $dir_to_open"). This just works fine exept if the folder name has spaces. I've tried with:

$folder_name="AA BB";
my $dir_to_open = "files\\data\\$folder_name\"; or
my $dir_to_open = "files\\data\\\"$folder_name\""; or
my $dir_to_open = "files/data/\"$folder_name\""; 
system("start $dir_to_open");

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Windows just prompts an error message (path not found). What I am doing wrong?

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re: MS system open file with space
by BrowserUk (Patriarch) on Feb 20, 2013 at 19:14 UTC

    Use: $path = "c:\\program files"; system qq[ start "" "$path" ];

    With the rise and rise of 'Social' network sites: 'Computers are making people easier to use everyday'
    Examine what is said, not who speaks -- Silence betokens consent -- Love the truth but pardon error.
    "Science is about questioning the status quo. Questioning authority".
    In the absence of evidence, opinion is indistinguishable from prejudice.
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[d/l]
Re: MS system open file with space
by SuicideJunkie (Vicar) on Feb 20, 2013 at 19:17 UTC
    Under XP: 
    c:\> start c:\

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    (Pops explorer window showing c:\) 
    c:\> start "c:\program files"

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    (Pops useless command prompt window at default directory) 
    c:\> start explorer "c:\program files"

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    (Pops explorer window at c:\program files)
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[d/l]
[select]
      c:\> start "c:\program files" (Pops useless command prompt window at default directory)

      That's because the optional first argument to start is a window title.

      If the first argument begins with ", then it is taken as a title -- take a look at the titlebar of that useless command prompt window.

      To disable that effect, prefix the directory with a dummy title:start "" "c:\program files"

      With the rise and rise of 'Social' network sites: 'Computers are making people easier to use everyday'
      Examine what is said, not who speaks -- Silence betokens consent -- Love the truth but pardon error.
      "Science is about questioning the status quo. Questioning authority".
      In the absence of evidence, opinion is indistinguishable from prejudice.
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[d/l]
Re: MS system open file with space
by Dallaylaen (Chaplain) on Feb 21, 2013 at 07:12 UTC
    Writing this without a Windows machine at hand, but what about using list form of system instead? It should escape the arguments for you. 
    system ('start', $dir_to_open);

    [download]
    Does this solve the problem?
[reply]
[d/l]
      When a pathname includes spaces, windows requires double quotes around the entire path, as BrowserUK has already shown.
      Bill
[reply]

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