%~dp0 VS %cd%

rajeshkumar created the topic: %~dp0 VS %cd%

Use of %~dp0 and Use of %cd%

They are not equivalent.

%cd% is available either to a batch file or at the command prompt and expands to the drive letter and path of the current directory (which can change e.g. by using the CD command)

%~dp0 is only available within a batch file and expands to the drive letter and path in which that batch file is located (which cannot change). It is obtained from %0 which is the batch file’s name.

An experiment like the following shows the difference

Here is D:\dirshow.bat:

@echo off
echo this is %%cd%% %cd%
echo this is %%~dp0 %~dp0

Run it from C:\ and this is what you see

C:\>D:\dirshow.bat
this is %cd% C:\
this is %~dp0 D:\

Regards,
Rajesh Kumar
Twitt me @ twitter.com/RajeshKumarIn

Rajesh Kumar

I’m Rajesh Kumar, a DevOps, SRE, DevSecOps, Cloud, and Platform Engineering expert passionate about sharing practical knowledge, real-world experiences, and industry best practices. I have worked at Cotocus and regularly write about technology, travel, investing, health, product reviews, and digital marketing through my various platforms.

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