Experimental feature PSNativeCommandArgumentPassing doesn't support arguments with embedded double quotes when calling batch files

[mklement0]

Similar to #15239, this issue would be resolved by the proposal in #15143. See also: #15261 and #15276

Note that high-profile CLIs such as az and npm (Node.js's package manager), for script-based utilities that come with packages, use batch files as their entry points.

Steps to reproduce

Run the following on Windows:

# Switch to a temporary directory.
Push-Location -ea Stop ($tmpDir = (New-Item -Type Directory -Force (Join-Path Temp:/ $PID)).FullName)

# Create a batch file that strips enclosing double quotes from the first argument and deduplicates the 
# embedded ones.
@'
@echo off & setlocal
set Arg1=%~1
echo [%Arg1:""="%] [%2]
'@ > foo.cmd

./foo.cmd 'Andre "The Hawk" Dawson' | Should -Be '[Andre "The Hawk" Dawson] []'

# Clean up.
Pop-Location; Remove-Item $tmpDir -Recurse

Expected behavior

The test should succeed.

Actual behavior

The test fails, because the argument with embedded " isn't passed batch-file-appropriately - batch files (cmd.exe) do not recognize \" as an escaped " and require "" instead:

InvalidResult: Expected strings to be the same, but they were different. 
Expected length: 28 Actual length:   30 Strings differ at index 7. 
Expected: '[Andre "The Hawk" Dawson] []' 
But was:  '[Andre \"The] [Hawk\" Dawson"]'

Note the literally retained \ and the unexpected breakup into two arguments.

For this invocation to succeed it would have to pass verbatim Andre "The Hawk" Dawson as "Andre ""The Hawk"" Dawson" - i.e. escaping the embedded " as "" rather than \" - on the command line used behind the scenes.

Environment data

PowerShell Core 7.2.0-preview.5 on Windows

[SteveL-MSFT]

The proposed fix would be to special case cmd.exe and files ending with .bat or .cmd to pass enclosed double quotes as ""?

[mklement0]

Indeed, @SteveL-MSFT.

It is part of what I've been proposing for months, repeatedly, in conversations you were a part of: here and here and here, which finally evolved into a - hopefully comprehensive and final - proposal in #15143, which summarizes all accommodations that I think are vital to make on Windows, the need to escape " as "" for batch files being just one of them.

Excuse me for shouting, but it's out of desperation over these issues seemingly never being paid proper attention to; this isn't a personal concern; rather, I think these issues are of vital importance for all PowerShell users, and we should finally get them right.

Therefore, I ask you to please take the time to fully understand and discuss:

• the proposed accommodations, presented in detail in Implement accommodations for Windows CLIs, notably batch files and misexec-style programs as part of experimental feature PSNativeCommandArgumentPassing #15143, and exemplified for convenience below.
• required fixes, summarized from their separates issues below.

---

Moved to #15143 (comment)

[mklement0]

@SteveL-MSFT, I've moved the gist of my previous comment to #15143 (comment), to have all the relevant information in one place.

Note that a new bug has since joined the ranks: #15276

[seanbudd]

Any updates on this bug?

[seanbudd]

Bump to keep open