Powershell: se variable in command

Question

I'm facing a basic and stupid problem on Windows PowerShell. I'm almost sure it has already been answered somewhere but I can't find something working for me.

I simply would like to use a variable inside a command in PowerShell:

$VENV_DIR='C:\venv\'
python -m venv $VENV_DIR
$VENV_DIR\Scripts\python.exe --version

I expect to see Python 3.10.8 as result.

But I have this error:

 PS C:\> $VENV_DIR\Scripts\python.exe --version
At line:1 char:10
+ $VENV_DIR\Scripts\python.exe --version
+          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unexpected token '\Scripts\python.exe' in expression or statement.
    + CategoryInfo          : ParserError: (:) [], ParentContainsErr
   orRecordException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : UnexpectedToken

I tried a lot of different combinations, but none of them work

  97 $VENV_DIR\Scripts\python.exe --version
  98 `$VENV_DIR\Scripts\python.exe --version
  99 $VENV_DIR\\Scripts\python.exe --version
 100 $VENV_DIR\Scripts\python.exe --version
 101 "$VENV_DIR"\Scripts\python.exe --version
 102 "$VENV_DIR\Scripts\python.exe" --version
 103 "$VENV_DIR\Scripts\python.exe --version"
 104 ("$VENV_DIR\Scripts\python.exe --version")
 105 $("$VENV_DIR\Scripts\python.exe --version")
 106 -$("$VENV_DIR\Scripts\python.exe --version")
 107 -$("$VENV_DIR")\Scripts\python.exe --version
 108 -$($VENV_DIR)\Scripts\python.exe --version
 109 $VENV_DIR\Scripts\python.exe --version
 110 (echo $VENV_DIR)\Scripts\python.exe --version
 111 echo $VENV_DIR\Scripts\python.exe --version
 112 $(echo $VENV_DIR)\Scripts\python.exe --version
 113 -$(echo $VENV_DIR)\Scripts\python.exe --version
 114 -$("echo $VENV_DIR")\Scripts\python.exe --version
 115 echo $VENV_DIR\Scripts\python.exe --version

Could you please help? Thanks

1) you forgot a ' at the end, 2) aren't strings in Powershell supposed to be double-quoted anyway? This might just be a Powershell syntax error. — shadowtalker
– shadowtalker, Commented Mar 7, 2023 at 15:39
Oops sorry, For 1) it's only a copy-paste mistake. I've updated the config. — iAmoric
– iAmoric, Commented Mar 7, 2023 at 15:42
@shadowtalker strings in powershell can be 'single quoted' or "double quoted". Only cmd doesn't allow single quotes — phuclv
– phuclv, Commented Mar 7, 2023 at 15:44
@shadowtalker both single-quoted and double-quoted strings are valid, with different semantics. The difference is that $ variables get expanded in a double-quoted string and not in a single-quoted string. — slothrop
– slothrop, Commented Mar 7, 2023 at 15:49
:( Third time lucky? & "$VENV_DIR\Scripts\python.exe" --version — slothrop
– slothrop, Commented Mar 7, 2023 at 16:55

Walter Mitty · Accepted Answer · 2023-03-07 21:45:50Z

0

Have you tried putting an ampersand before the python command?

answered Mar 7, 2023 at 21:45

Walter Mitty

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