How to manage PATH variable in Windows?

Question

Every time I experiment with a new language, compiler, interpreter, tool, or whatever, and I want to run that from the command line, I would have to go to System and change my PATH variable. However, the box to put the monster string in consists of only a 1-line text box. I frequently find myself having to copy/paste the PATH string into Notepad just to edit it -- It's already over half a page. Right now I've counted about 30 different path URL's.

Is there a better way to manage paths than to squeeze all of them into one string? I'm thinking of using SUSE for development since my PATH is so messed up.

Answer 1

If you always start the command line from one or a few shortcuts, you can run a batch file when it starts. For example:

cmd /k autoexec_console.cmd

where the batch file could have

set path=c:\foo;%path%

or anything else, and this would persist only for that cmd.exe instance.

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XP's Service Pack 2 Support tools (looks like there's one for SP3, but it doesn't say what's in it) comes with a program setx.exe that works like a permanent set.

Answer 2

When you're just experimenting with a one-shot language you can create a small startup batch file which manipulates the path:

set PATH=C:\My\New\Language\bin;%PATH%

and create a small testing environment by creating a shortcut to

cmd /k mybatch.cmd

where the path will be set to your liking. Otherwise you can edit the long string in the registry which may be slightly better than a 200px wide textbox.

Answer 3

Use a batch (.BAT) file.

Answer 4

To better mange very long PATH in the default windows interface, you can have variable evaluated into variables :

SDKPATH -> some_sdk_path; some_more_sdk_paths; some_more_sdk_paths;
DEVPATH -> some_dev_path; some_more_dev_paths; %SDKPATH%
PATH    -> some_common_path; some_mode_paths; %DEVPATH%

Answer 5

There is a really nice freeware environment editor available called RapidEE