Re^2: true from (-e "") on Windoze

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Re^3: true from (-e "") on Windoze by BillKSmith (Monsignor) on Jul 03, 2012 at 03:46 UTC
Windows uses double quotes to solve a problem caused by file (or directory) names which contain spaces. `dir "C:\Program Files\"` Works as intended `dir C:\Program Files\` File not found `dir ""` Displays current directory	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re^3: true from (-e "") on Windoze by frozenwithjoy (Priest) on Jul 02, 2012 at 19:26 UTC
OK, how about this? (I've tested and it is working correctly for `$file = '""';` on OS X.) `for ($file) { say "nope (empty quotes)" when /""/; say "yep" when -e $file; default { say "nope (doesn't exist)"} }` [download]	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re^4: true from (-e "") on Windoze by CarolinaPerler (Acolyte) on Jul 02, 2012 at 19:33 UTC
Yeah, the odd behavior only occurs on Windoze. UNIX/Linux/Mac work just as you'd expect, returning false for the '-e' on a pair of empty double quotes.	[reply]
Re^5: true from (-e "") on Windoze by frozenwithjoy (Priest) on Jul 02, 2012 at 21:22 UTC
Did you get a chance to test this code? I think it might solve your problem since the first thing it does is look for a match to double quotes before checking whether the file exists.	[reply]
Re^3: true from (-e "") on Windoze by ww (Archbishop) on Jul 02, 2012 at 22:00 UTC
I think you're misinterpreting comments preceding Re^2: true from (-e "") on Windoze; I think the fact that the VALUE of $file is -- per se -- true is borking your expectations. I don't recall any version of windows accepting `""` or `'""'` or `""""` as a filename or filename element ...or any of the DOS/doze FS using "", et al, for anything.	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re^3: true from (-e "") on Windoze by frozenwithjoy (Priest) on Jul 02, 2012 at 19:21 UTC
Ya, I didn't catch that they were quotes within quotes. Out of curiosity, why/how is that happening?	[reply]
Re^4: true from (-e "") on Windoze by CarolinaPerler (Acolyte) on Jul 02, 2012 at 19:31 UTC
My code is being fed, so to speak, by another application over which I have no control. Every now and again, when the feeder is asked for a list of files, it returns one or more elements in the array that contains just a pair of empty double quotes. Oddly, at a Windows command prompt, you can do 'cd ""' and it does not complain. It doesn't go anywhere, but, it doesn't complain.	[reply]
Re^5: true from (-e "") on Windoze by afoken (Chancellor) on Jul 02, 2012 at 19:56 UTC
Oddly, at a Windows command prompt, you can do 'cd ""' and it does not complain. It doesn't go anywhere, but, it doesn't complain. Don't assume cmd.exe (or command.com) behave like a unix shell. Quite the opposite is true. 30 years of bug-compatible extensions give both a very unique smell. Whatever happens in those two dinosaurs has nearly nothing in common with the underlying APIs. Note that unquoting happens inside the application, not in the shell -- except when you call a shell buildin like cd/chdir. Now look at the fine differences: `Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7601] Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. C:\Users\alex>cd C:\Users\alex C:\Users\alex>cd "" C:\Users\alex C:\Users\alex>cd . C:\Users\alex>` [download] `cd ""` behaves like `cd` without arguments, i.e. it prints the current directory. `cd .` actually changes the current directory to drumroll the current directory! So it does not print anything. Alexander -- Today I will gladly share my knowledge and experience, for there are no sweeter words than "I told you so". ;-)	[reply] [d/l] [select]