Windows – Which special variables are available when writing a shell command for a context menu

command linewindowswindows 7windows-registry

When extending the Windows' shell context menu (e.g. for adding an 'Open command here' prompt on directories), a 'command' key needs to be created in the registry.

The value of this 'command' key apparently can be any valid command line.

I want to know which 'special variables' are available for use inside this command line.

For example, I use following command for opening a cmd window from within a directory's context menu (*):

cmd.exe /e:on /f:on /s /k pushd "%V"

I cannot find any reference to what %V actually means or what the full list of such variables is.

(*)
Following registry keys are created for this:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Directory\shell\cmdshell]
@=Open Command Prompt Here"

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Directory\shell\cmdshell\command]
@="cmd.exe /e:on /f:on /s /k pushd \"%V\""

Best Answer

A comment by Chris Guzak on the Extending Shortcut Menus MSDN article lists the various "command line variables" that are available:

%* – Replace with all parameters.

%~ – Replace with all parameters starting with and following the second parameter.

%0 or %1 – The first file parameter. For example "C:\Users\Eric\Desktop\New Text Document.txt". Generally this should be in quotes and the applications command line parsing should accept quotes to disambiguate files with spaces in the name and different command line parameters (this is a security best practice and I believe mentioned in MSDN).

%<n> (where <n> is 2-9) – Replace with the n^th parameter.

%s – Show command.

%h – Hotkey value.

%i – IDList stored in a shared memory handle is passed here.

%l – Long file name form of the first parameter. Note that Win32/64 applications will be passed the long file name, whereas Win16 applications get the short file name. Specifying %l is preferred as it avoids the need to probe for the application type.

%d – Desktop absolute parsing name of the first parameter (for items that don't have file system paths).

%v – For verbs that are none implies all. If there is no parameter passed this is the working directory.

%w – The working directory.

So %L or %l should be preferred.

Also see http://www.robvanderwoude.com/ntstart.php

Related Solutions

Windows – Modify “Open command window here” context menu call

Observe next registry key: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\cmd; exporting it from regedit gives next output:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\cmd]
@="@shell32.dll,-8506"
"NoWorkingDirectory"=""
"Extended"=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\cmd\command]
@="cmd.exe /s /k pushd \"%V\""

Try next changes in the exported file and then import it (i.e. Merge from right-click context menu) with elevated privileges (it will add Open CMDER here functionality to your file explorer, supposing right path to cmder.exe in the last line); if you want to replace the Open command window here functionality, then change the last line only:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\cmder]
@="Open CMDER here"
"NoWorkingDirectory"=""
"Extended"=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\cmder\command]
;;; @="cmd.exe /s /k pushd \"%V\""
@="cmd.exe /s /d /c pushd \"%V\"&start \"\" cmder.exe"

Edit

cmd.exe command line parameters:
- /s Strip quote characters from the command_line;
- /d Ignore registry AutoRun commands;
- /c Run Command and then terminate;
- pushd "%V" Change the current directory/folder and store the previous folder/path for use by the POPD command;
- & Run command before and then run command after;
start "" cmder.exe launches your application;
all " are escaped here with \;
- to add full path to cmder.exe, e.g. "C:\bin\cmder.exe", escape all \ as well.

If last statement is the case, then use syntax as follows:

@="cmd.exe /s /d /c pushd \"%V\"&start \"\" \"C:\\bin\\cmder.exe\""

Best Answer

Related Solutions

Windows – Modify “Open command window here” context menu call

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