Launching Windows Terminal with a file path that has a trailing backslash (in quotes) breaks the launch

[routerino]

Environment

Windows build number: 10.0.19042.0
Windows Terminal version (if applicable): Believe this has happened on previous versions, but 1.7.572.0

Any other software?
Fresh install of Windows

Steps to reproduce

run wt -d "%userprofile%\" (edited, missed the -d parameter before)

Expected behavior

windows terminal handles trailing backslashes and still launches in the correct folder

Actual behavior

error 0x8007010b. Note that this does not happen if you leave out the quotes (but that will also break on folders with spaces)

[skyline75489]

This isn't really about the backslash. You should use:

wt -d %userprofile%

[routerino]

Well that was a dumb error, but there's actually still a problem. Trying with wt -d "%userprofile%\" still breaks. However, wt -d %userprofile%\ does not. Reopening!

[KalleOlaviNiemitalo]

Perhaps this is caused by the "special interpretation of backslash characters when they are followed by a quotation mark character" in CommandLineToArgvW. Try doubling the backslash.

[routerino]

Perhaps this is caused by the "special interpretation of backslash characters when they are followed by a quotation mark character" in CommandLineToArgvW. Try doubling the backslash.

That does appear to resolve the issue, but I don't think that's intended behavior. It does identify the problem though.

[zadjii-msft]

That's exactly what the cause is:

terminal/src/cascadia/TerminalApp/AppCommandlineArgs.cpp

Line 821 in c6a3171

wil::unique_any<LPWSTR*, decltype(&::LocalFree), ::LocalFree> argv{ CommandLineToArgvW(args.Commandline().c_str(), &argc) };

You might have better luck with wt -d "%userprofile%"\ instead - IIRC, CommandLineToArgv will still treat that as a single argument, and append the trailing slash.

[routerino]

That's exactly what the cause is:

terminal/src/cascadia/TerminalApp/AppCommandlineArgs.cpp

Line 821 in c6a3171

wil::unique_any<LPWSTR*, decltype(&::LocalFree), ::LocalFree> argv{ CommandLineToArgvW(args.Commandline().c_str(), &argc) };

You might have better luck with wt -d "%userprofile%"\ instead - IIRC, CommandLineToArgv will still treat that as a single argument, and append the trailing slash.

I'm not sure I'd consider that a solution. Most people are going to be adding a trailing slash on accident, not because they intentionally included it. These people will get confused by the error. I know it took me about 30 mins to track down why (a keyboard shortcut in multicommander to launch windows terminal in the open directory automatically adds a trailing slash).

Not going to reopen this myself, but I wouldn't consider that a satisfactory answer.

[DHowett]

We briefly considered rewriting the argument parser, but we realized that doing so would bring us out of line with every other Windows application. Unfortunately, we're just not willing to do that. Sorry!

If there comes a day when we can do that without feeling like it breaks with established precedent, I'd be happy to do so 😄