How to get the Users HomePath

[xxgeek]

This topic was discussed in an earlier thread, but needs revisiting since some testing has proved a better way.

When first trying to get the users home path I wrote a Visual basic script to get the job done.


'Title - Get_User_Home_Dir_Path
'Author - xxgeek (code always free to use for ANY purpose)
'write a vbs script to get the user Home path (creates a temp file userHomePath.vbs - same dir as code is run from)
userHomePath$ = "userHomePath.vbs"
open userHomePath$ for output as #1
q$ = chr$(34) 'used for quotes in text when writing to file
#1, "Set WshShell = CreateObject(";q$;"WScript.Shell";q$;")"
#1, "strHomeFolder = WshShell.ExpandEnvironmentStrings(";q$;"%USERPROFILE%";q$;")"
#1, "Dim filesys, filetxt,  path"
#1, "Set filesys = CreateObject(";q$;"Scripting.FileSystemObject";q$;")"
#1, "Set filetxt = filesys.CreateTextFile(";q$;"UserHomePath.txt";q$;", True)"
#1, "path = filesys.GetAbsolutePathName(";q$;"UserHomePath.txt";q$;")"
#1, "filetxt.WriteLine(strHomeFolder)"
#1, "filetxt.Close"
#1, "Wscript.Sleep(200)"
close #1
'run the vbs script created (it creates a temp file UserHomePath.txt in same dir as this code is run)
run "wscript ";userHomePath$'loop until file UserHomePath.txt is verified saved to disk
do
res = fileExists(DefaultDir$,"UserHomePath.txt")
 'if res then exit do
  scan
loop until res
'get the line of text from UserHomePath.txt with the path to user Home dir
userHomeDir$ = "UserHomePath.txt"
open userHomeDir$ for input as #1
 line input #1, line$(x)
 upath$ = line$(x) 'text stating path of user Home Dir
 if upath$ = "" then notice "Sorry, can't find user path "
 print "upath$ = ";upath$
close #1

'Verify file existence function
 function fileExists(path$, filename$)
       dim fileExistsInfo$(0,0)
       files path$, filename$, fileExistsInfo$()
       fileExists = val(fileExistsInfo$(0, 0)) 'non zero is true
 end function

At the time tsh73 came back with another method.
Instead of using a VB script, tsh73 used CMD.exe to pipe to the clip board the %userprofile%


call getUserPath

end

sub getUserPath
    cursor hourglass
    run "cmd.exe /c echo %userprofile% |clip", HIDE
 call pause 600
    open "GetUserPath" for text as #1
    #1 "!paste"
    #1 "!contents? upath$"
    upath$ = trim$(upath$)
    close  #1
print upath$
  cursor normal
end sub

sub pause mil
   t=time$("ms")+mil
   while time$("ms")<t
       scan
   wend
end sub



This code worked well too, but there was a pause to allow Windows clip.exe time to copy the %userprofile% to the clipboard. Depending on the users Hardware, the pause could be a second or more.
Since I was using this in some of my programs, and needed the users home path to get things done, it was necessary to get the users home path immediately when the program starts. This caused the program to take a second or more before loading.

Today, I revisited this code to do some testing and found a better, faster and more solid way, with no pause needed, without using clip.exe or the clipboard.
Still using cmd.exe , but piping to a file, instead of the clipboard.
Then looping until the file existence is verified. (which is far faster than waiting for clip.exe.)
Then, I took out the verifying of the file's existence, and it still works. No pause needed either.
Then for kicks, I took out the echo in the line:
run "cmd.exe /c echo %userprofile% |UserHomePath.txt", HIDE

It still works, but an interesting find happened.
With nomainwin being used, I was surprised when a window opened with a line of text (the text was the users home path)
I thought it was the mainwin, so checked my code, and sure enough nomainwin was there.
After a second look, it was Notepad that had opened with the users homepath written in the first, and only, line.

So, it appears that when cmd.exe is used to pipe to a file, it also opens notepad to the file. (if echo is in the line with the CMD command)
Without 'echo' notepad doesn't open.
The users home path still resides in upath$ as expected

Learning something new everyday.
Thought it would be a good idea to share this info.
I will use this new method from now on when running CMD commands that pipe to files.


call getUserPath

end

sub getUserPath
    cursor hourglass
    run "cmd.exe /c %userprofile% |UserHomePath.txt", HIDE
    'do
         'res = fileExists(DefaultDir$,"UserHomePath.txt")
         'if res then exit do
         'scan
    'loop until res
'get the line of text from UserHomePath.txt with the path to user Home dir
     userHomeDir$ = "UserHomePath.txt"
     open userHomeDir$ for input as #1
     line input #1, line$(x)
     upath$ = line$(x) 'text stating path of user Home Dir
     if upath$ = "" then notice "Sorry, can't find user path "
   close #1
   cursor normal
end sub

[tsh73]

Try using redirect (>) instead of pipe (|)
run "cmd.exe /c echo %userprofile% > UserHomePath.txt", HIDE
This eliminates Notepad for me

Also, for me it does not work without ECHO (though it might be Win XP thing)

[xxgeek]

Thanks tsh73, good to know.
Some days I learn more than one thing.

I'll use that line with echo, and > that way all the 'poor lost souls' still using XP will can stay in the loop.

Hey, just kidding around ts.
I used XP on a home built 600 mhz CPU, and 760 (I believe) MB of ram for over 15 years. It took some tweaking of the OS to run smooth after a few years, but it worked quite well for everything I needed it for.

Appreciate the comebacks tsh73. Without your posts at times, I wouldn't know what's happening on other PC's, thanks.

[tsh73]

Just tested in Win 10 64
Without ECHO and without ">" it doesn't work for me.

[Rod]

I have always used a .bat file for this kind of thing. Windows seems to cope well and I have never had to check for file existence Windows seems to cache it all in the correct sequence.

Just to add. On my system the user directory path is displayed truncated, so I get user\rodbi\ not the full path. But it does not matter since Windows is happy to use the truncated path.

'all of these files will be created in DefaultDir$
open "test.bat" for output as #test
#test "echo %USERPROFILE% > test.txt"
close #test
run "test.bat /q" ,hide
open "test.txt" for input as #test
line input #test, path$
close #test
path$=trim$(path$)+"\"
print path$
print DefaultDir$

'now put a new folder and file in the userprofile
result = mkdir( path$;"test")
open path$;"test\test.dat" for output as #1
#1 "hello"
close #1
open path$;"test\test.dat" for input as #1
i$=input$(#1,lof(#1))
print i$
close #1
end



[xxgeek]

Username in Windows always gets truncated to 5 characters.
Why? Who knows?

Rod your code doesn't work here until second run.
"Can't find test.txt". I assume it works for you because you have an existing text.txt. If I put a pause before it tries to open test.txt then it works.

What we have now with:
run "cmd.exe /c echo %userprofile% > UserHomePath.txt", HIDE
works well here and with tsh73. Does it not work with your setup?

If you delete DefaultDir$ \ test.txt and try again, does it work on first run?

[Rod]

Open obliterates any previous file so pre existing should not matter. It works for me even on my iMac which never had any files stored. Not sure what the problem is.

[xxgeek]

I made a mistake, same as Rod's and left the txt file intact on exit.
this fooled me into thinking it worked, but it didn't on first run after deleting the txt file.
Also need a slight pause before trying to open the txt file.
You may need to increase this pause depending on your hardware

Here's what works here on an i7 using SSD drives - 100 ms pause.


call getUserPath

end


sub getUserPath
    cursor hourglass
    run "cmd.exe /c echo %userprofile% >UserHomePath.txt", HIDE
call pause 100
'get the line of text from UserHomePath.txt with the path to user Home dir
     open "UserHomePath.txt" for input as #1
     while not(eof(#1))
         line input #1, line$(x)
     wend
     upath$ = line$(x)'text stating path of user Home Dir
     if upath$ = "" then notice "Sorry, can't find user path "
   close #1
   print upath$
   kill "UserHomePath.txt"
   cursor normal
end sub

'sub to  create pauses in program
sub pause mil
   t=time$("ms")+mil
   while time$("ms")<t
       scan
   wend
end sub


[xxgeek]

Dec 2, 2022 18:11:39 GMT Rod said:

Open obliterates any previous file so pre existing should not matter. It works for me even on my iMac which never had any files stored. Not sure what the problem is.

ok, right. No need to delete the txt file.

The problem here with your code, and mine was trying to open the txt file before cmd created it.

Ends up, we both need a pause, before trying to open the txt file.
At least on my PC anyway.

[Rod]

Ok, now had time to test and you are correct, it needs time to create file. I was confused by my use of .bat .dat and .txt files.

A beep holds Just BASIC back long enough?

'all of these files will be created in DefaultDir$
open "test.bat" for output as #test
#test "echo %USERPROFILE% > test.txt"
close #test
run "test.bat /q" ,hide
playwave "beep"
open "test.txt" for input as #test
line input #test, path$
close #test
path$=trim$(path$)+"\"
print path$
print DefaultDir$

'now put a new folder and file in the userprofile
result = mkdir( path$;"test")
open path$;"test\test.dat" for output as #1
#1 "hello"
close #1
open path$;"test\test.dat" for input as #1
i$=input$(#1,lof(#1))
print i$
close #1
end