Task running a quoted .cmd file name fails

[robinmattern]

If a Windows .cmd file name is included in quotes, why is the task failing on a parse error??

Steps to Reproduce:

1. Create a shell task with a ")" in the command file name

 { "label"         : "Test Paren in File Name",   
   "type"          : "shell",
   "command"       : "\"sc71231)_Test.cmd\"",
   "presentation"  : { "echo": true }
 },

2. Run it

> Executing task: "sc71231)_Test.cmd" <

At line:1 char:8
+ sc71231)_Test.cmd
+        ~
Unexpected token ')' in expression or statement.
    + CategoryInfo          : ParserError: (:) [], ParentContainsErrorRecordException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : UnexpectedToken

The terminal process terminated with exit code: 1

• VSCode Version: Code 1.19.1 (0759f77, 2017-12-19T09:46:23.884Z)
• OS Version: Windows_NT x64 10.0.15063
• Extensions:

Extension	Author (truncated)	Version
printcode	nob	1.0.4
vscode-docker	Pet	0.0.22
html-preview-vscode	tht	0.1.1

---

Reproduces without extensions: Yes/No

[robinmattern]

This issue is the same as this one: " doesn't work correctly in tasks.json #31722

Basically anytime "" ... "" is used in a shell task command, if there is a space or invalid character in the path or file name, the task fails. In particular, this ""${file}"" fails for the same reason.

[dbaeumer]

There is more to is than the ". In PowerShell ) has a special meaning when pass on the command line. Have you tried to put this in single quotes. E.g. 'sc71231)_Test.cmd' ?

[robinmattern]

Thanks for the reply. I understand the ')' is problematic, but I just that any filename inside double quotes should be ignored.

• I can't put "command": 'A file' in the tasks.json file as it is not legal JSON
• Doing this "command": "'A file'" just prints out the file name
• If I try to pass the file name to CMD, I get this error due to the space in the file name
  
• What I really want to do is execute the current file being edited with the associated program for the file's extension, as follows:
  

[dbaeumer]

This got fixed via #45576. You can now have a comment

{
   "value": "sc71231)_Test.cmd",
   "qouting": "strong"
}

which will do a strong quoting of the command to execute on all know shells (PowerShell, cmd, ...).