How is it possible to parse command-line arguments that are to be interpreted as paths? args[] contains strings that are automatically joined if they are quoted, e.g.:
example.exe one two “three four”
args[0] = one
args[1] = two
args[2] = three four
However, args[] will not property parse “C:\Example\” as an argument. Rather, it will supply the argument as “C:\Example”” (with the extra quote included.) This is due to the backslash in the path being treated as an escape character and thus the end quotation that the user supplied on the command-line becomes part of the argument.
.e.g:
example.exe one “C:\InputFolder” “C:\OutuptFolder\”
args[0] = one
args[1] = C:\InputFolder"
args[2] = C:\OutputFolder"
An easy kludge might be:
_path = args[i].Replace("\"", @"\");
However, I’m sure there is a best-practice for this. How might one correctly parse a command line that inlcudes paths, preventing the args[] array from improperly being populated with stings that have been parsed for escape characters?
NOTE: I would not like to include an entire command-line parsing library in my project! I need only to handle quoted paths and wish to do so in a “manual” fashion. Please do not reccomend NConsoler, Mono, or any other large “kitchen sink” command-line parsing library.
ALSO NOTE: As far as I can tell, this is not a duplicate question. While other questions focus on generic command-line parsing, this question is specific to the problem that paths introduce when parts of them are interpreted as escape sequences.
Not an answer, but here’s some background and explanation from Jeffrey Tan, Microsoft Online Community Support (12/7/2006):
Also makes reference to the FX method Environment.GetCommandLineArgs for further explanation of the slash handling behavior.
Personally I think this is a drag, and I’m surprised I haven’t been bit by it before. Or maybe I have and don’t know it? Blind replacement of quotes with slashes doesn’t strike me as a solution, though. I’m voting the question up, because it was an eye opener.