How to double quote a variable string?

[york]

Hi, I'd like to know how to add double quote to a string variable. For example,

string filename = @"C:\my file";
arguments = "-i " + filename;
 

So arguments = @"-i C:\my file".

But I want arguments = @"-i "C:\my file"". How to do it with filename only? I tried,
arguments = "-i " + "\"filename\"";
but only get arguments = @"-i "filename"".

Any thought?

[bentleyw]

If I'm understanding it right, I think you're very close...

The "filename" variable name needs to be appended to the rest of the string, so you could do something like:

string filename = @"C:\my file";
arguments = "-i \"" + filename + "\"";

[york]

I tried that, but get
arguments = "-i \"C:\\my file\"".
How to remove 2 extra "\" in the string?

[bentleyw]

I think you may be getting confused with the use of the verbatim literal (@ symbol). If you're using this before the string, then all escape characters (like the extra '\') will be included.

[york]

But I did not use verbatim for arguments ( there is no @ before it). How to get rid of \ is a big problem.

[bentleyw]

That does seem odd... Could you specify what type of variable "arguments" is?

In the code segment I gave you earlier, I tried it with arguments as a string and then displayed it in a MessageBox. It was formatted without the '\' characters.

string filename = @"C:\my file";
string arguments = "-i \"" + filename + "\"";
MessageBox.Show(arguments);

Here's an MSDN link that may help out as well:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/libr...90(VS.71).aspx

[york]

arguments is string. I also display it using console.write and the result is correct.

What I really want is to create ffmpeg command that can accept filename with space in it. The command is like
ffmpeg -i "C:\my file"
The reason to have double quote on filename is that ffmpeg only accept file name without space, and so
ffmpeg -i C:\my file
is considered as ffmpeg -i C:\my
However, the filename must be a variable. So I use

string arguments = "ffmpeg -i " + "\"" + filename + "\"";

For any filename, it will be
ffmpeg -i "filename" (filename is a variable)
But in debugger, arguments is displayed as
"ffmpeg -i \"C:\\my file\""
And ffmpeg can not execute right. However when using

console.write(arguments);

It display correctly as ffmpeg -i "C:\my file".
So it is weired.

[Rabbit]

Have you tried using two double quotes to escape it instead of a backslash?

[york]

yes, I tried with 2 double quotes without \, but it gives
arguments = "ffmpeg -i C:\my file"
not what I need.

[Plater]

so if you have a file called:
c:\my filename.dat
You need an argument string to be:
-i "c:\my filename.dat" correct?

So for example:

string SomeFilename=@"c:\my filename.dat";
string arguments=string.Format("-i \"{0}\"",SomeFilename);
 

[york]

Thanks a lot, Plater, it is working finally.

[pramodmca]

This can be tried for the same issue.
string filename = @"c:\my file";
string output ="@" + "\"" + "-i\"" + filename + "\""+"\"";