Program files environmental variables

Program files environmental variables

[john doe]

Cygwins,

Is there a way to get the value of PROGRAMFILES(x86) and PROGRAMW6432 in
Bash:

$ echo $PROGRAMFILES; echo "$PROGRAMFILES(x86)"; echo $PROGGRAMW6432
C:\Program Files
C:\Program Files(x86)

$ cmd.exe /C "echo %PROGRAMFILES% %PROGRAMFILES(x86)% %PROGRAMW6432%"
C:\Program Files C:\Program Files (x86) C:\Program Files


PROGRAMFILES works in Bash but not the other two.

I could not find anything relevent in the archive or when googling.

--
John Doe

Re: Program files environmental variables

[Csaba Raduly]

On Tue, 23 Nov 2021 at 10:02, john doe via Cygwin <cygwin@cygwin.com> wrote:
>
> Cygwins,
>
> Is there a way to get the value of PROGRAMFILES(x86) and PROGRAMW6432 in
> Bash:
>

$ env | grep PROGRAMFILES
COMMONPROGRAMFILES=C:\Program Files\Common Files
PROGRAMFILES=C:\Program Files

These are the environment variables visible in my Cygwin environment.

echo "$PROGRAMFILES(x86)" is the equivalent of echo
"${PROGRAMFILES}(x86)" i.e. the value of $PROGRAMFILES, followed by
the fixed string "(x86)"

I tried

$ echo "${PROGRAMFILES(x86)}"
$ echo "${PROGRAMFILES\(x86\)}"

and bash outright refused them ("bad substitution"). So it may not be
possible to have an environment variable with ()s in its name.

Csaba
-- 
You can get very substantial performance improvements
by not doing the right thing. - Scott Meyers, An Effective C++11/14 Sampler
So if you're looking for a completely portable, 100% standards-conformant way
to get the wrong information: this is what you want. - Scott Meyers (C++TDaWYK)

Re: Program files environmental variables

[Lemures Lemniscati]

On Tue, 23 Nov 2021 10:52:18 +0100, Csaba Raduly via Cygwin
> On Tue, 23 Nov 2021 at 10:02, john doe via Cygwin <cygwin@cygwin.com> wrote:
> >
> > Cygwins,
> >
> > Is there a way to get the value of PROGRAMFILES(x86) and PROGRAMW6432 in
> > Bash:
> >
> 
> $ env | grep PROGRAMFILES
> COMMONPROGRAMFILES=C:\Program Files\Common Files
> PROGRAMFILES=C:\Program Files
> 
> These are the environment variables visible in my Cygwin environment.
> 
> echo "$PROGRAMFILES(x86)" is the equivalent of echo
> "${PROGRAMFILES}(x86)" i.e. the value of $PROGRAMFILES, followed by
> the fixed string "(x86)"
> 
> I tried
> 
> $ echo "${PROGRAMFILES(x86)}"
> $ echo "${PROGRAMFILES\(x86\)}"
> 
> and bash outright refused them ("bad substitution"). So it may not be
> possible to have an environment variable with ()s in its name.


/usr/bin/printenv 'ProgramFiles(x86)'

Lem

Re: Program files environmental variables

[Eliot Moss]

On 11/23/2021 4:02 AM, john doe via Cygwin wrote:
 > Cygwins,
 >
 > Is there a way to get the value of PROGRAMFILES(x86) and PROGRAMW6432 in
 > Bash:
 >
 > $ echo $PROGRAMFILES; echo "$PROGRAMFILES(x86)"; echo $PROGGRAMW6432
 > C:\Program Files
 > C:\Program Files(x86)
 >
 > $ cmd.exe /C "echo %PROGRAMFILES% %PROGRAMFILES(x86)% %PROGRAMW6432%"
 > C:\Program Files C:\Program Files (x86) C:\Program Files
 >
 >
 > PROGRAMFILES works in Bash but not the other two.

PROGRAMW6432 exists in my Cygwin bash, and I know I did not set it
explicitly.  As for the x86 one, parentheses are not allowed in
bash variable names.  In principle one could set up, say,
PROGRAMFILESx86, however no path of that kind is around in my
bash.  It would be possible to read it out and setup the variable.
I found, for example, that this prints out the setting of the
variable (but with other gorp you'd have to edit out):

echo "echo %PROGRAMFILES(x86)%; exit" | cmd

I forget where these are set up - I think in the Cygwin code.
I'm sure someone else will point that out!

Best - Eliot

Re: Program files environmental variables

[john doe]

On 11/23/2021 10:37 AM, Daniel Abrahamsson wrote:
> John Doe wrote:
>
>> Cygwins,
>>
>> Is there a way to get the value of PROGRAMFILES(x86) and PROGRAMW6432 in
>> Bash:
>>
>> $ echo $PROGRAMFILES; echo "$PROGRAMFILES(x86)"; echo $PROGGRAMW6432
>> C:\Program Files
>> C:\Program Files(x86)
>>
>> $ cmd.exe /C "echo %PROGRAMFILES% %PROGRAMFILES(x86)% %PROGRAMW6432%"
>> C:\Program Files C:\Program Files (x86) C:\Program Files
>>
>>
>> PROGRAMFILES works in Bash but not the other two.
>>
>> I could not find anything relevent in the archive or when googling.
>>
>> --
>> John Doe
>
> We have a script where we use this workaround:
>
> PROGRAMFILES86=$(env | sed -ne 's/^ProgramFiles(x86)=//p' )
>

I never thought using env like this, an alternative using awk:

$ env | awk -F= '/^ProgramFiles\(x86\)/{print $2}'
C:\Program Files (x86)


printenv is even better! :)

Thanks all for your input much appreciated.

--
John Doe

Re: Program files environmental variables

[john doe]

On 11/23/2021 2:10 PM, Eliot Moss wrote:
> On 11/23/2021 4:02 AM, john doe via Cygwin wrote:
>  > Cygwins,
>  >
>  > Is there a way to get the value of PROGRAMFILES(x86) and PROGRAMW6432 in
>  > Bash:
>  >
>  > $ echo $PROGRAMFILES; echo "$PROGRAMFILES(x86)"; echo $PROGGRAMW6432
>  > C:\Program Files
>  > C:\Program Files(x86)
>  >
>  > $ cmd.exe /C "echo %PROGRAMFILES% %PROGRAMFILES(x86)% %PROGRAMW6432%"
>  > C:\Program Files C:\Program Files (x86) C:\Program Files
>  >
>  >
>  > PROGRAMFILES works in Bash but not the other two.
>
> PROGRAMW6432 exists in my Cygwin bash, and I know I did not set it

What version of Cygwin bash are you using?

> explicitly.  As for the x86 one, parentheses are not allowed in
> bash variable names.  In principle one could set up, say,
> PROGRAMFILESx86, however no path of that kind is around in my
> bash.  It would be possible to read it out and setup the variable.
> I found, for example, that this prints out the setting of the
> variable (but with other gorp you'd have to edit out):
>
> echo "echo %PROGRAMFILES(x86)%; exit" | cmd
>

Thank you.

--
John Doe

Re: Program files environmental variables

[Eliot Moss]

On 11/23/2021 10:15 AM, john doe via Cygwin wrote:
> On 11/23/2021 2:10 PM, Eliot Moss wrote:
>> On 11/23/2021 4:02 AM, john doe via Cygwin wrote:
>>  > Cygwins,
>>  >
>>  > Is there a way to get the value of PROGRAMFILES(x86) and PROGRAMW6432 in
>>  > Bash:
>>  >
>>  > $ echo $PROGRAMFILES; echo "$PROGRAMFILES(x86)"; echo $PROGGRAMW6432
>>  > C:\Program Files
>>  > C:\Program Files(x86)
>>  >
>>  > $ cmd.exe /C "echo %PROGRAMFILES% %PROGRAMFILES(x86)% %PROGRAMW6432%"
>>  > C:\Program Files C:\Program Files (x86) C:\Program Files
>>  >
>>  >
>>  > PROGRAMFILES works in Bash but not the other two.
>>
>> PROGRAMW6432 exists in my Cygwin bash, and I know I did not set it
> 
> What version of Cygwin bash are you using?

4.4.12(3)

Yes, printenv is a much more elegant solution than mine!

Cheers - EM

Re: Program files environmental variables

[Brian Inglis]

On 2021-11-23 02:02, john doe via Cygwin wrote:
> Cygwins,
> 
> Is there a way to get the value of PROGRAMFILES(x86) and PROGRAMW6432 in
> Bash:
> 
> $ echo $PROGRAMFILES; echo "$PROGRAMFILES(x86)"; echo $PROGGRAMW6432
> C:\Program Files
> C:\Program Files(x86)
> 
> $ cmd.exe /C "echo %PROGRAMFILES% %PROGRAMFILES(x86)% %PROGRAMW6432%"
> C:\Program Files C:\Program Files (x86) C:\Program Files
> 
> 
> PROGRAMFILES works in Bash but not the other two.
> 
> I could not find anything relevent in the archive or when googling.

On my system under only the following Program... variables are exposed:

$ echo $ProgramData $PROGRAMFILES $ProgramW6432	# x64
C:\ProgramData C:\Program Files C:\Program Files
$ echo $ProgramData $PROGRAMFILES $ProgramW6432	# x86
C:\ProgramData C:\Program Files (x86) C:\Program Files

It is often a better idea to use cygpath options or Windows folder ids:

"System information:
-A, --allusers        use `All Users' instead of current user for -D, -P
-D, --desktop         `Desktop' directory
-H, --homeroot        `Profiles' directory (home root)
-O, --mydocs          `My Documents' directory
-P, --smprograms      Start Menu `Programs' directory
-S, --sysdir          system directory
-W, --windir          `Windows' directory
-F, --folder ID       special folder with numeric ID"

$ for f in {0..64}; do
     p=`cygpath -UF $f 2> /dev/null` && [ -n "$p" ] && echo $f $p
   done # sanitized
  0 $HOME/Desktop
  2 $HOME/AppData/Roaming/Microsoft/Windows/Start Menu/Programs
  5 $HOME/Documents
  6 $HOME/Favorites
  7 $HOME/AppData/Roaming/Microsoft/Windows/Start Menu/Programs/Startup
  8 $HOME/AppData/Roaming/Microsoft/Windows/Recent
  9 $HOME/AppData/Roaming/Microsoft/Windows/SendTo
11 $HOME/AppData/Roaming/Microsoft/Windows/Start Menu
13 $HOME/Music
14 $HOME/Videos
16 $HOME/Desktop
19 $HOME/AppData/Roaming/Microsoft/Windows/Network Shortcuts
20 /proc/cygdrive/c/Windows/Fonts
21 $HOME/AppData/Roaming/Microsoft/Windows/Templates
22 /proc/cygdrive/c/ProgramData/Microsoft/Windows/Start Menu
23 /proc/cygdrive/c/ProgramData/Microsoft/Windows/Start Menu/Programs
24 /proc/cygdrive/c/ProgramData/Microsoft/Windows/Start 
Menu/Programs/StartUp
25 /home/Public/Desktop
26 $HOME/AppData/Roaming
27 $HOME/AppData/Roaming/Microsoft/Windows/Printer Shortcuts
28 $HOME/AppData/Local
29 $HOME/AppData/Roaming/Microsoft/Windows/Start Menu/Programs/Startup
30 /proc/cygdrive/c/ProgramData/Microsoft/Windows/Start 
Menu/Programs/StartUp
31 $HOME/Favorites
32 $HOME/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/INetCache
33 $HOME/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/INetCookies
34 $HOME/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/History
35 /proc/cygdrive/c/ProgramData
36 /proc/cygdrive/c/Windows
37 /proc/cygdrive/c/Windows/System32
38 /proc/cygdrive/c/Program Files
39 $HOME/Pictures
40 $HOME
41 /proc/cygdrive/c/Windows/SysWOW64
42 /proc/cygdrive/c/Program Files (x86)
43 /proc/cygdrive/c/Program Files/Common Files
44 /proc/cygdrive/c/Program Files (x86)/Common Files
45 /proc/cygdrive/c/ProgramData/Microsoft/Windows/Templates
46 /home/Public/Documents
47 /proc/cygdrive/c/ProgramData/Microsoft/Windows/Start 
Menu/Programs/Administrative Tools
48 $HOME/AppData/Roaming/Microsoft/Windows/Start 
Menu/Programs/Administrative Tools
53 /home/Public/Music
54 /home/Public/Pictures
55 /home/Public/Videos
56 /proc/cygdrive/c/Windows/Resources
59 $HOME/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/Burn/Burn

These output nothing:

$ printenv 'Program Files (x86)'
$ printenv 'ProgramFiles(x86)'

-- 
Take care. Thanks, Brian Inglis, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

This email may be disturbing to some readers as it contains
too much technical detail. Reader discretion is advised.
[Data in binary units and prefixes, physical quantities in SI.]