Command line switches

VirtualVolumesView

Command line switches

Note: these information are for advanced users. You need them to use VVV in particular ways but are usually not needed by most users.

It is possible to pass the name of a catalog file to the command line. For example:

vvv "C:My CatalogsMy Catalog.vvv"

VVV can be invoked from the command line using switches and options that make it possible to use VVV as a portable application or to update a volume in batch mode, without user input. Option values can be specified in three ways:

  • vvv -s "option value"
  • vvv -s:"option value"
  • vvv -s"option value"

VVV as a portable application

It is possible to run VVV as a portable application, for example from an USB memory stick without installing it in the computer and without leaving any trace in the computer. The options to use the program as a portable application are the following:

-s <file name>

specifies the name of a file used to store the program's settings. Note that it is a full file name, not a path to a folder. The file name can be relative to the program's executable location or it can be absolute.
Without this option the settings would be stored in the computer, using the Registry under Windows and files under other operating systems. With this option settings are always stored in a file, and you can store that file in the USB stick.

So for example you can use one of the following command lines:

  • vvv -s "..\DataSettings\VVV Settings File.txt"
  • vvv -s:"..\DataSettings\VVV Settings File.txt"
  • vvv -s"..\DataSettings\VVV Settings File.txt"

-d <folder name>

specifies the default folder when creating a new catalog. If relative it is relative to the program's executable location. Without this option the default would be the Documents folder of the user, which has no use for a portable application.

How to batch-update a volume

These options are used to run the program from the command line instead of running it as a GUI application. They can be used to update volumes from the command line.

-v <volume name>

specifies a volume name to be processed. <volume name> is a string.

-vp <volume path>

specifies the path of the volume to be processed in the file system. If relative it is relative to the program's executable location.

-u

update the volume. This switch causes VVV to run in command line mode instead of showing a GUI.
When using this switch you always need to pass a catalog name and a volume path in the command line.
The program will not reopen the last used catalog, since it might change.

So to update a volume in batch mode you must use all the three switches above and supply a catalog name. For example:

vvv -u -v:"Ever changing volume" -vp:"D:\" "C:CatalogsMyCatalog.vvv"