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Index > DOS > Get filename of itself / current running file AKA argv[0]

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SonOfEarth



Joined: 26 Feb 2009
Posts: 3
SonOfEarth 26 Feb 2009, 09:29
Hello,
I've tried to get the filename of the current running file. (I want to change a specific byte in the current file. for example to get the number of execution of the program; or to save data without external files/dbs.)

I've tried to get the filename via GetCommandLine-synonym. Therefor I've read the threat here (http://board.flatassembler.net/topic.php?t=838). But unfortunatly that example codes just give the arguments argv[1...n], but not argv[0]; even in C and Win32 API GetCommandLine it returns the filename as 0th argument.

Can anybody tell me how to find the filename of the current running file?
thank you!

EDIT by DOS386 : enhanced subject
Post 26 Feb 2009, 09:29
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Tomasz Grysztar



Joined: 16 Jun 2003
Posts: 8356
Location: Kraków, Poland
Tomasz Grysztar 26 Feb 2009, 09:32
You can find it in the program's environment segment. After all the environment variables, there comes a 16-bit value determning number of additional strings that follow, and the first of those string is the full pathname of the program's file.
Post 26 Feb 2009, 09:32
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SonOfEarth



Joined: 26 Feb 2009
Posts: 3
SonOfEarth 26 Feb 2009, 15:45
Tomasz Grysztar wrote:
You can find it in the program's environment segment. After all the environment variables, there comes a 16-bit value determning number of additional strings that follow, and the first of those string is the full pathname of the program's file.


Thank you Tomasz for your fast answere. That helped me to know, where I should know for the filename.

Well, I presume that you've meant the PSP (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Program_Segment_Prefix)?
If yes: I've read the infos at wikipedia and compiled the program - but see at screen-shot - this just gives me the arguments, not the pathname+filename.

Could you please give me some further hint how to find a solution - for example a link to a description of my problem or a source to a com-file, which gets its own filename.

kind regards,
SOE


Description: Screen-Shot of the compiled and executed code from wikipedia about PSP
Filesize: 17.8 KB
Viewed: 9057 Time(s)

screen.PNG


Post 26 Feb 2009, 15:45
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Tomasz Grysztar



Joined: 16 Jun 2003
Posts: 8356
Location: Kraków, Poland
Tomasz Grysztar 26 Feb 2009, 15:50
In PSP at offset 2Ch you have a 16-bit segment value of the environment segment. This segment contains (starting from offset 0) the copy of environment variables set specifically for you program, and then then array of additional strings that I mentioned earlier.
Post 26 Feb 2009, 15:50
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Tomasz Grysztar



Joined: 16 Jun 2003
Posts: 8356
Location: Kraków, Poland
Tomasz Grysztar 26 Feb 2009, 16:07
OK, I made a short example program for you. This program displays the full pathname of itself.

Code:
  
org 100h 

        mov     ds,[ds:2Ch]     ; for .com program CS=DS=PSP segment 
        xor     si,si           ; DS:SI points to environment variables 
    skip_environment_value: 
        lodsb 
        test    al,al 
        jnz     skip_environment_value 
        lodsb 
        test    al,al           ; is this the end of environment? 
        jnz     skip_environment_value 
        lodsw                   ; load amount of additional strings 
        cmp     ax,1 
        jb      exit 
    display_program_pathname: 
        lodsb 
        test    al,al 
        jz      exit 
        mov     dl,al 
        mov     ah,2 
        int     21h 
        jmp     display_program_pathname 
    exit: 
        ret
    
Post 26 Feb 2009, 16:07
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SonOfEarth



Joined: 26 Feb 2009
Posts: 3
SonOfEarth 26 Feb 2009, 16:55
OMG - thank you so much Tomasz! Thanks alot for that code and for all other things you have done for me by coding and documenting the amazing fasm!!! Laughing Cool Very Happy Wink

Just befor seeing your code, i've also party understood what you said. I took out my old asm book, and read some things about segments - and wondered how i could have coded asm for so long without understanding the memory-structure of DOS. hehe!

THANKS ALOT AGAIN!!!
Post 26 Feb 2009, 16:55
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DOS386



Joined: 08 Dec 2006
Posts: 1903
DOS386 22 Mar 2009, 01:40
Tomasz Grysztar wrote:
OK, I made a short example program for you. This program displays the full pathname of itself.


COOL, FAQ added, nevertheless, one can save 5 more Bytes in the code:

Code:
; SELFPATH.ASM - 45 Bytes FASM DOS example
; Get filename of itself / current running file AKA argv[0]
; http://board.flatassembler.net/topic.php?t=9872
; ( See also : http://board.flatassembler.net/topic.php?t=838 )
; 2009-Feb-26 16:07
; 2009-Mar-20 improved: optimized (-5 Bytes), made nicer+safer (+14 Bytes)
; (CL) 2009 Public Domain - ABUSE at your own risk !!!

format binary as "COM"
org $0100
use16

        mov     ds, [ds:$2C]  ; For DOS ".COM" program CS = DS = PSP segment
        xor     si, si        ; MOVNTQ SI,0 | DS:SI points to enviro area
        cld                   ; !!!
skip_enviro_value:
        lodsw
        dec     si            ; !!!
        test    ax, ax        ; CMPNTQ AX, 0 | Is this the end of enviro ?
        jnz     short skip_enviro_value
        inc     si            ; !!!
        lodsw                 ; Pick amount of additional strings
        test    ax, ax        ; CMPNTQ AX, 0
        jz      short wow_eol ; Not present !!!
        call    wow_eol
display_program_pathname:
        lodsb                 ; LODS BYTE [DS:SI]
        cmp     al, 0
        jz      short wow_eol
        call    write_char
        jmp     short display_program_pathname
        ;-------------------------------------
wow_eol:
        mov     al, $0D
        call    write_char
        mov     al, $0A
        ; pass
write_char:
        xchg    ax, dx
        mov     ah, 2
        int     $21
        ret
        ;----
    


also, there is an other ( BETTER Laughing ) way to do (returns bare name only):

Code:
; SELFNAME.ASM - 37 Bytes FASM DOS example
; Get filename of itself / current running file AKA argv[0]
; http://board.flatassembler.net/topic.php?t=9872
; ( See also : http://board.flatassembler.net/topic.php?t=838 )
; 2009-Mar-20 written: other solution for same problem, gives bare name only
; (CL) 2009 Public Domain - ABUSE at your own risk !!!

format binary as "COM"
org $0100
use16

        cld
        mov     ax, cs
        dec     ax
        mov     ds, ax
        mov     si, 8
        mov     cx, si
        call    wow_eol
pick_byte:
        lodsb                 ; LODS BYTE [DS:SI]
        cmp     al, 0
        je      short wow_eol
        call    write_char
        loop    short pick_byte
wow_eol:
        mov     al, $0D
        call    write_char
        mov     al, $0A
        ; pass
write_char:
        xchg    ax, dx
        mov     ah, 2
        int     $21
        ret
        ;----
    


Download now: http://board.flatassembler.net/download.php?id=4250 (3.5 KiB)

Image
Post 22 Mar 2009, 01:40
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baldr



Joined: 19 Mar 2008
Posts: 1651
baldr 11 May 2009, 13:18
Do anybody encounter more than one additional string after environment?
Post 11 May 2009, 13:18
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