Command
Returns command line parameters used to call the program
Syntax
`
Declare Function Command ( ByVal index As Integer = -1 ) As String
`
Usage
`
result = Command[$]( [ index ] )
`
Parameters
`index`
Zero-based index for a particular command-line argument.
Return Value
Returns the command-line arguments(s).
Description
`Command` returns command-line arguments passed to the program upon execution.
If `index` is less than zero (`< 0`), a space-separated list of all command-line arguments is returned, otherwise, a single argument is returned. A value of zero (`0`) returns the name of the executable; and values of one (`1`) and greater return each command-line argument.
If `index` is greater than the number of arguments passed to the program, the null string (`"``"`) is returned.
When the command line is parsed for arguments, everything between double quotes in the parameter list will be considered as a single parameter, and is returned with the double quotes.
By default, filename globbing for arguments (expansion of wildcards to filenames) is used on all ports of FreeBASIC for compatibility. Arguments on the command line containing wildcards are typically not expanded if when no file is matched or if properly quoted. Other special characters for redirection are typically not returned unless properly quoted. Consult the documentation on the shell being used for more information on the proper quoting of command line arguments.
WARNING: By nature of constructor precedence in FreeBASIC and main() initialization, calling `Command` within a global constructor is not safe. At the moment your app will not crash, but you will only receive the null string (`"``"`). This *may* be able to be fixed in the future, but it would be wise not to rely on that.
Disabling filename globbing under Win32
For mingw32 and cygwin builds, link the FreeBASIC program with CRT_noglob.o or define the following somewhere in the source:
`
Extern _CRT_glob Alias "_CRT_glob" As Integer
Dim Shared _CRT_glob As Integer = 0
`
Disabling filename globbing under Dos
Define the following function somewhere in the source:
`
Public Function __crt0_glob_function Alias "__crt0_glob_function" ( ByVal arg As UByte Ptr ) As UByte Ptr Ptr
Return 0
End Function
`
Disabling filename globbing under Linux
Filename globbing is handled by the command shell. Quote the argument containing wildcards or disable filename globbing in the shell prior to executing the command. For example in bash use 'set -f' to disable wildcard expansion
Example
`
Print "program launched via: " & Command(0)
Dim As Integer i = 1
Do
Dim As String arg = Command(i)
If Len(arg) = 0 Then
Exit Do
End If
Print "command line argument " & i & " = """ & arg & """"
i += 1
Loop
If i = 1 Then
Print "(no command line arguments)"
End If
Sleep
`
Dialect Differences

- The string type suffix `$` is obligatory in the -lang qb dialect.
- The string type suffix `$` is optional in the -lang fblite and -lang fb dialects.

Differences from QB

- The numeric argument was not supported in QB.
- QB converted the parameter list to uppercase before returning it, FreeBASIC doesn't.
- By default arguments containing wildcard characters are expanded (filename globbing)

See also

- `__FB_ARGC__`
- `__FB_ARGV__`
- `Exec`
- `Run`