Re: Re: Re: Re: Unexpected file test (-f) result on Windows

Browser I dont have a wintel box handy right now, can you try this:

C:
cd c:\
dir "<c:\test\.bak"
[download]

my gut fealling tells me that what you are really doing is echoing a list of .bak extention filenames to dir. just like the shorthand for dir *.bak (dir .bak) does in many versions of dos.

-Waswas

Comment on Re: Re: Re: Re: Unexpected file test (-f) result on Windows Download Code

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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Unexpected file test (-f) result on Windows by BrowserUk (Patriarch) on Sep 19, 2003 at 16:35 UTC
T'was a good thought, but not so `P:\>dir "<P:\test\.bak" The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect.` [download] As this shows, '<' is acting exactly the same way as '*' P:\test>dir "<.<" Volume in drive P is Winnt Volume Serial Number is D822-5AE5 Directory of P:\test 19/09/03 13:29 <DIR> . 19/09/03 13:29 <DIR> .. 20/04/03 19:48 1,193 237671.pl8 20/04/03 19:28 729 242776.pl8 20/04/03 19:33 624 243366.pl8 21/04/03 03:13 456 250383.pl8 20/04/03 19:56 1,574 250495.pl8 ... P:\test>dir "2<.bak" Volume in drive P is Winnt Volume Serial Number is D822-5AE5 Directory of P:\test 27/08/03 00:47 608 286744.pl8.bak 28/08/03 20:20 801 287272.pl8.bak 31/08/03 12:42 729 287900-2.pl8.bak 31/08/03 09:58 1,056 287900.pl8.bak 05/09/03 15:37 2,015 289016-2.pl8.bak 05/09/03 09:56 1,092 289106.pl8.bak 05/09/03 17:26 1,165 289250.pl8.bak 7 File(s) 7,466 bytes 978,853,888 bytes free [download] This behaviour is completely undocumented in both the latest XP CMD docs and the online API docs for FindFirstFile/FindNextFile, which are also affected. Even a fairly extensive google has failed to turn up any trace of it as either a bug or a feature, which amazes me even more. Could be that DaveH has found a completely new bug that affects Win32 going all the way back to something like 1995 and has gone undiscovered? Seems unlikely but... Examine what is said, not who speaks. "Efficiency is intelligent laziness." -David Dunham "When I'm working on a problem, I never think about beauty. I think only how to solve the problem. But when I have finished, if the solution is not beautiful, I know it is wrong." -Richard Buckminster Fuller If I understand your problem, I can solve it! Of course, the same can be said for you.	[reply] [d/l] [select]

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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Unexpected file test (-f) result on Windows
by BrowserUk (Patriarch) on Sep 19, 2003 at 16:35 UTC

T'was a good thought, but not so

P:\>dir "<P:\test\.bak"
The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect.
[download]

As this shows, '<' is acting exactly the same way as '*'

P:\test>dir "<.<"
 Volume in drive P is Winnt
 Volume Serial Number is D822-5AE5

 Directory of P:\test

19/09/03  13:29         <DIR>          .
19/09/03  13:29         <DIR>          ..
20/04/03  19:48                  1,193 237671.pl8
20/04/03  19:28                    729 242776.pl8
20/04/03  19:33                    624 243366.pl8
21/04/03  03:13                    456 250383.pl8
20/04/03  19:56                  1,574 250495.pl8
...

P:\test>dir "2<.bak"
 Volume in drive P is Winnt
 Volume Serial Number is D822-5AE5

 Directory of P:\test

27/08/03  00:47                    608 286744.pl8.bak
28/08/03  20:20                    801 287272.pl8.bak
31/08/03  12:42                    729 287900-2.pl8.bak
31/08/03  09:58                  1,056 287900.pl8.bak
05/09/03  15:37                  2,015 289016-2.pl8.bak
05/09/03  09:56                  1,092 289106.pl8.bak
05/09/03  17:26                  1,165 289250.pl8.bak
               7 File(s)          7,466 bytes
                            978,853,888 bytes free
[download]

This behaviour is completely undocumented in both the latest XP CMD docs and the online API docs for FindFirstFile/FindNextFile, which are also affected.

Even a fairly extensive google has failed to turn up any trace of it as either a bug or a feature, which amazes me even more. Could be that DaveH has found a completely new bug that affects Win32 going all the way back to something like 1995 and has gone undiscovered? Seems unlikely but...

Examine what is said, not who speaks.

"Efficiency is intelligent laziness." -David Dunham
"When I'm working on a problem, I never think about beauty. I think only how to solve the problem. But when I have finished, if the solution is not beautiful, I know it is wrong." -Richard Buckminster Fuller
If I understand your problem, I can solve it! Of course, the same can be said for you.

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[select]