CODEWITHSUNDEEP
rsystem
user969113
user969113

Reputation: 2429

Open windows explorer with specific path using system command

I found out that it is possible to open the windows explorer with a predefined path via the cmd.exe program using the following command: 

explorer PATH

Back in R using the following command opens up the windows explorer: 

system("explorer", intern=TRUE)

However, when I specify a path R returns the following warning message and does not open the explorer at the specified path: 

> system("explorer C:\\Users\\xxx", intern=TRUE) 
character(0) 
attr(,"status") 
[1] 1 
Warning message: 
running command 'explorer C:\Users\xxx' had status 1

I quoted the \ otherwise R complained about not recognising \U from \Users.

However, when the command is executed as we would expect the double \ are replaced by only one .

When I copy paste the explorer C:\Users\xxx bit from the R warning message into the cmd.exe program the explorer is opened up at the specified path.

Does anybody have any idea why that fails?

Upvotes: 3

Views: 4853

Answers (2)

garcesj
garcesj

Reputation: 589

I've created this simple function... I hope it'll be useful!

wopen <- function(x){
  y <- getwd()
  y <- gsub("/", "\\\\", y)
  shell(paste0("explorer ", y), intern = TRUE) 
}

Briefly: it takes the current directory, changes the slash direction and call to cmd.exe to open it. Regards.

Upvotes: 2

shhhhimhuntingrabbits
shhhhimhuntingrabbits

Reputation: 7475

try 

shell("explorer C:\\Users\\xxx", intern=TRUE)

Upvotes: 11

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