Trouble using a Win32 file path in an array

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

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Re: Trouble using a Win32 file path in an array by ramlight (Friar) on Sep 25, 2009 at 14:17 UTC
Is there perhaps some code around this that you are not showing to us? I tried your example on Perl 5.10.0 and it ran fine for me: `>type \help\perlscripts\test2.dat C:\HELP\Docs\R2009\sp01\ >dir C:\HELP\Docs\R2009\sp01\ Volume in drive C has no label. Volume Serial Number is 74E6-4409 Directory of C:\HELP\Docs\R2009\sp01 09/25/2009 09:57 AM <DIR> . 09/25/2009 09:57 AM <DIR> .. 0 File(s) 0 bytes 2 Dir(s) 224,589,967,360 bytes free >perl pathq.pl Found C:\HELP\Docs\R2009\sp01\ >perl -v This is perl, v5.10.0 built for MSWin32-x86-multi-thread` [download]	[reply] [d/l]
Re^2: Trouble using a Win32 file path in an array by geo (Acolyte) on Sep 25, 2009 at 14:33 UTC
No there is no other code. After your response I recreated everything on a different system and it works fine. At least I know that I was on the right track with Perl, now all I have to do is figure out why it fails on the first system. Thank you for taking the time to look at this and to respond. -geo	[reply]
Re: Trouble using a Win32 file path in an array by kennethk (Abbot) on Sep 25, 2009 at 14:58 UTC
If you want to try to avoid this in the future, you might consider using File::Spec, one of Perl's core modules. Given a list of directories, it will assemble the complete path for you: `use File::Spec qw(catdir catpath); my $volume = 'C:\\'; my @directories = 'HELP', 'PerlScripts'; my $file = 'Test2.dat'; $directory = catdir( @directories ); my $datafile = catpath( $volume, $directory, $file );` [download]	[reply] [d/l]
Re: Trouble using a Win32 file path in an array by almut (Canon) on Sep 25, 2009 at 14:28 UTC
If you're sure the directories actually exist, print out `$path` using Devel::Peek (or Data::Dumper using `$Data::Dumper::Useqq = 1;`) to check if there are any unexpected chars in the string.	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re: Trouble using a Win32 file path in an array by Herkum (Parson) on Sep 25, 2009 at 14:27 UTC
Have you tried testing your directory path at each level? The reason I ask, is that what you have in the file may not match what you see in Explorer. The code should work fine, usually the mistake is a problem which the data does not matching exactly like you think it does.	[reply]
Re: Trouble using a Win32 file path in an array by ramlight (Friar) on Sep 25, 2009 at 14:30 UTC
And I tried this on a system with Perl 5.8.0 with similar success: `SEA32895-N2 c:\HELP\PerlScripts>perl pathq.pl Found C:\HELP\Docs\R2009\sp01\ SEA32895-N2 c:\HELP\PerlScripts>perl -v This is perl, v5.8.0 built for MSWin32-x86-multi-thread` [download] Is it possible that you do not have permission to read one of the directories in the path \HELP\Docs\R2009\sp01 and so are failing on permission rather than not seeing the directory?	[reply] [d/l]
Re: Trouble using a Win32 file path in an array by ikegami (Patriarch) on Sep 25, 2009 at 14:26 UTC
trailing spaces?	[reply]
Re: Trouble using a Win32 file path in an array by Marshall (Canon) on Sep 27, 2009 at 22:37 UTC
This doesn't appear to have been mentioned before so here is a Windows tidbit: Perl on windows can use "/" instead of the windows backslash in path names just fine. So when calling a Perl function on Windows, C:/dir/dir2 is just fine.A Perl function under Windows will also return forward slash names instead of backslash names. You need the backslash when you go to the windows shell (with backticks, etc), but otherwise use the forwardslash "/". The code is more portable and this solves some problems when running regex'es on pathnames since you don't have to worry about "escaping" the backslash with yet another backslash.	[reply]
Re^2: Trouble using a Win32 file path in an array by ikegami (Patriarch) on Sep 28, 2009 at 02:20 UTC
You need the backslash when you go to the windows shell Windows accepts both "\" and "/" as directory separators. The shell and many shell commands treat "/" as an option starter, but quoting usually removes that meaning: `>"c:\progs\perl5101\bin\perl" -le"print 'Hi!'" Hi! >"c:/progs/perl5101/bin/perl" -le"print 'Hi!'" Hi!` [download] `>echo foo > "/foo.txt" >move "/foo.txt" "./bar.txt" >type "c:/documents and settings/ikegami/bar.txt" foo >del "./bar.txt"` [download]	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re^3: Trouble using a Win32 file path in an array by Marshall (Canon) on Sep 28, 2009 at 18:14 UTC
Great info! On older versions of Windows, it didn't work that way, but you are correct on Win XP. Update: not quite right... `C:\PROJECTS\xyz2009>cd c:/projects The system cannot find the path specified. C:\PROJECTS\xyz009>cd c:\projects C:\PROJECTS>` [download] Another Update: Revising my post in response to ikegami's post. Apologize for being too cryptic. 1. First there are a whole lot of Windows things between Win 3.1 and Win XP: Win 98, WinNT, Win2K. I was thinking more about NT and 2K when I made the comment about previous versions of windows. At one time I had all 4 versions (98,NT,2K,XP) on my network for testing, but am down to just XP now. There are lots of quirks between these various versions. 2. I did some testing at the command prompt on XP and found: `C:\> C:\>cd projects/replyto C:\PROJECTS\replyto>` [download] That was a "WOW" moment as I hadn't expected that forward slash to work with the cd command! But it did! 3. Then I found out that there is something special about the Drive: root- the forward slash doesn't work in this situation: `C:\PROJECTS\replyto>cd c:/projects The system cannot find the path specified. (didn't work) C:\PROJECTS\replyto>cd c:\projects (does work) C:\PROJECTS>` [download] That little discovery is what prompted the update: "not quite right" comment. 4. More examples: `C:\PROJECTS>type testing/test.pl (doesn't work) The syntax of the command is incorrect. C:\PROJECTS>type "testing/test.pl" (doesn't work either) The system cannot find the file specified. C:\PROJECTS>type "testing\test.pl" (works) C:\PROJECTS>type testing\test.pl (works) C:\PROJECTS>cd ./testing (works) C:\PROJECTS\testing> C:\PROJECTS>cd /testing (works) C:\PROJECTS\testing>` [download] Evidently sometimes the "forwards slash" works at the command line and sometimes it doesn't. There appears to be something special about drive root and I suppose some of these commands like "type" can get confused between path and "/" options. 5. In an attempt to try and avoid confusion, when writing Perl, I always use forward slash. That works with all Perl functions even with a path like c:/projects. As long as you don't go the the shell with say a command('blah'), forward slash is the way to go.	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re^4: Trouble using a Win32 file path in an array by ikegami (Patriarch) on Sep 30, 2009 at 20:52 UTC
Re^5: Trouble using a Win32 file path in an array by Marshall (Canon) on Sep 30, 2009 at 23:22 UTC
Some notes below your chosen depth have not been shown here
Re^4: Trouble using a Win32 file path in an array by ikegami (Patriarch) on Sep 28, 2009 at 18:27 UTC
Re^5: Trouble using a Win32 file path in an array by Anonymous Monk on Sep 29, 2009 at 05:08 UTC
Re^2: Trouble using a Win32 file path in an array by Anonymous Monk on Sep 28, 2009 at 01:10 UTC
A Perl function under Windows will also return forward slash names instead of backslash names. Depends on the function.	[reply]