I've been reading old threads to figure out how to do something. Whilst there I came across an answer I don't fully understand and would love to know the full explanation.

The problem I was reading was for  replacing file paths (e.g. C:\filename or D:\filename) with \\Server\filename in text file fulllist.txt.
Salmon trout came up with this code:
Code: [Select]for /f "delims=" %%A in (fulllist.txt) do echo \\Server\%%~pnxA
It is the final %%~pnxA which I'm perplexed on. I'm guessing the surrounding "%%" and "A" is the variable %%A, as previously used.
i) Is the tilde for removing surrounding double quotes (I can't see any) or soemthing to do with the PATH name?
ii) What are the pnx parameters? I have no idea on these.
 
Thanks in advance for enlightening me!

BTW, the original thread was called "Replace the particular string using Dos batch program", started 24th October 2010 by csselva.The below explanation is straight from the FOR /? command:

In addition, substitution of FOR variable references has been enhanced.
You can now use the following optional syntax:

    %~I         - expands %I removing any surrounding quotes (")
    %~FI        - expands %I to a fully qualified path name
    %~dI        - expands %I to a drive letter only
    %~pI        - expands %I to a path only
    %~nI        - expands %I to a file name only
    %~xI        - expands %I to a file extension only
    %~sI        - expanded path contains short names only
    %~aI        - expands %I to file attributes of file
    %~tI        - expands %I to date/time of file
    %~zI        - expands %I to size of file
    %~$PATH:I   - searches the directories listed in the PATH
                   environment variable and expands %I to the
                   fully qualified name of the first one found.
                   If the environment variable name is not
                   defined or the file is not found by the
                   search, then this modifier expands to the
                   empty string

The modifiers can be COMBINED to get compound results:

    %~dpI       - expands %I to a drive letter and path only
    %~nxI       - expands %I to a file name and extension only
    %~fsI       - expands %I to a full path name with short names only
    %~dp$PATH:I - searches the directories listed in the PATH
                   environment variable for %I and expands to the
                   drive letter and path of the first one found.
    %~ftzaI     - expands %I to a DIR like output line

In the above examples %I and PATH can be REPLACED by other valid
values.  The %~ syntax is terminated by a valid FOR variable name.
Picking upper case variable names like %I makes it more readable and
avoids confusion with the modifiers, which are not case sensitive.

Hopefully that helps explain both questions. Please let us know if not.Thanks.   Thought I'd see them before in the past but having one of those brain block moments!!