Use batch file to run script in current folder

Question

I am using a windows batch file to run a python script. The code is below;

start pythonw "C:\Users\XXX\Workplace\python_script.py"

This is undesirable because the path of the python script is absolute. Suppose I put the batch file and the python script in the same folder. How to write the batch file to somehow detect the current folder and run the python script which is in the same folder?

Thank you.

Answer 1

You can use %~dp0 to get the path to the foldet in which the bat file is located.

The code will look like this;

start pythonw "%~dp0\python_script.py"

Answer 2

Since you can run pythonw without specifying its directory, then pythonw must be located on the path .

If you then place yourbatch.bat in the same directory, then it follows that yourbatch.bat is also on the path, so all you'd need to do is execute yourbatch and your batch will run.

The directory from which your batch is executed is not relevant. If you change your batch to

start "Window title" pythonw "python_script.py"

and place that in your path then yourbatch will run pythonw using parameter "python_script.py" from the current directory.

Note: the start command appreciates a "window title" as its first quoted argument. You don't want a window title? Just use "" .

If you have your python script in the same directory as yourbatch.bat then

start "Window title" pythonw "%~dp0\python_script.py"

should run that script wherever it is.

and for a really flexible approach

start "Window title" pythonw "%~1.py"

Would start the script somename.py if you execute

yourbatch somename

where somename may be quoted and may contain any path you like (like "c:\\my development\\area\\latest_script" for instance)