CODEWITHSUNDEEP
windowsbatch-filecmdenvironment-variablesecho
Learning Spirit
Learning Spirit

Reputation: 83

How to print/echo windows environment variables such as PATH without interpreting variables?

Say for example in Control Panel\System and Security\System > Advanced System Settings > System Properties > Advanced Tab > Environment variables...

I have the following PATH:

Value 1:

PATH=%JAVA_HOME%\bin;e:\Groovy\GROOVY~1.0\bin;E:\Python;C:\Users\MyName\AppData\Local\GitHubDesktop\bin;%PYTHON3_HOME%;%GROOVY_HOME%\bin;

when in cmd, I do:

echo %PATH%

then I get:

Value 2:

E:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.8.0_151\bin;e:\Groovy\GROOVY~1.0\bin;C:\Users\MyName\AppData\Local\GitHubDesktop\bin;E:\Program Files\Python\Python36-32;E:\Program Files (x86)\Groovy\Groovy-2.6.0\bin;

Then what command in cmd will be able to print out same exact PATH values with variable names (%JAVA_HOME% etc.) as from the System Properties (Value 1)?

Upvotes: 4

Views: 43245

Answers (2)

Bk01
Bk01

Reputation: 11

From cmd, try this :

powershell gci env:<name_variable>

Example : powershell gci env:Path

If you want all variables name starting (or finishing) with Path just add * after (or before) your variable name.

Example : powershell gci env:*Path*

:-)

Upvotes: 1

jeb
jeb

Reputation: 82307

The set <variableName> command shows variables without interpreting the content.
Or you can ise delayed expansion for that, too.

setlocal EnableDelayedExpansion
echo !path!

but in your case, the expansion in echo %path% will not expand any further percent parts in the content of PATH (you get only problems with other characters like &|<>)

The content is already expanded after you set the path with set PATH=%JAVA_HOME%\bin.

When you set the percent part instead of the expanded version, then the PATH searching doesn't work anymore, as cmd.exe would try to search in the literal path of %JAVA_HOME%

To get the definition of the PATH from the System Properties can be retrieved from the registry via REG QUERY.

User variables with 

reg query HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Environment /v path

And the system variables with

reg query "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Environment" /v path

Upvotes: 3

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