I am new at this so forgive my ugly batch script (it's just plain old windows batch scripting language) . I am trying to normalize user input so that directory path entered by user would end up without quotes if it was entered with quotes: e.g.: user input: "C:\Documents and Settings" becomes C:\Documents and settings And the path that doesn't have spaces and is entered without quotes will stay without quotes: e.g.: E:\Testing\BatchScripts stays E:\Testing\BatchScripts The reason I need this is so that when I pass back the string to the script I can add quotes. Otherwise, if I add quotes and the string already has quotes I'll get the quotes twice and the path will be invalid. Or if I don't have the script add quotes and I get a path without quotes, the path will be invalid too. How do you remove quotes from user input and do nothing if they are not there. Or may be I am going at it from a totally wrong angle and there is another way to take care of this problem? Thanks Here's my batch: ------------------------------------ REM User input -- directory to be processed set /p FILEDIR=Enter directory path for files to be examined: REM user input -- output directory set /p OUTPUTPATH_FILENAME=Enter desired output path and filename: REM if file exists go to alreadyexist If exist %OUTPUTPATH_FILENAME% goto alreadyexist REM need to change drives here because I am on drive E and fits.bat is on drive C CD /D "C:Program files" for %%f in ("%FILEDIR%\*.*") do fits -i "%%f" >> "%OUTPUTPATH_FILENAME%" REM if output file exists ask to append or overwrite :alreadyexist set /p FILEEXISTS=This file already exists. Append or delete? Enter 'a' for append and 'd' for delete: IF '%FILEEXISTS%'=='d' DEL "%OUTPUTPATH_FILENAME%" CD /D "C:Program files" for %%f in ("%FILEDIR%\*.*") do fits -i "%%f" >> "%OUTPUTPATH_FILENAME%" :END

"C:\Documents and Settings" becomes C:\Documents and settings and directory I don't know how, but I'll stay tuned. ===================================== If at first you don't succeed, you're about average. M2

oops -- I meant "C:\Documents and Settings" becomes C:\Documents and settings

To remove double quotes from user's command tail parameters refer to them in the script body as %~1 or %~2 and so on. I.e. the variable modifier ~ removes the double quotes embracing the parameter if they are. It is just aimed to the normalization you need. E.G mybatch "C:\Documents and Settings" Hello generates C:\Documents and Settings Hello if referenced as %~1 %~2

Thank you IVO. It works on command line but I can't get it to work as part of a batch. I tried to add %~ to %OUTPUTPATH_FILENAME% as in %~OUTPUTPATH_FILENAME% but it's not working.

Try something like this (untested): for %%f in (%OUTPUTPATH_FILENAME%) do set OUTPUTPATH_FILENAME=%%~f (PS I like the fact this forum allows you to vote your own entry as a "great answer"! Please disregard the "great answer" vote, it was just me testing.)

What I suggested does not work for environment variables (the variables you set up by the SET command and refer as %VAR%). To strip away double quotes from those vars use klint's hint or the substring manipulation statement set MyVar=%MyVar:"=%