# How to make an executable work on different machines (make a dynamic path)?
**URL:** https://discourse.julialang.org/t/how-to-make-an-executable-work-on-different-machines-make-a-dynamic-path/78236
**Category:** General Usage
**Tags:** question, package-compiler
**Created:** [March 21, 2022, 7:26pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/how-to-make-an-executable-work-on-different-machines-make-a-dynamic-path/78236 "2022-03-21T19:26:53Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Amro](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Amro)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2022, 7:26pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/how-to-make-an-executable-work-on-different-machines-make-a-dynamic-path/78236/1 "2022-03-21T19:26:53Z")
I have created a project folder `TESTEXE` and built an executable as below:
```julia
module testexe
Base.@ccallable function julia_main()::Cint
try
testApp()
catch
Base.invokelatest(Base.display_error, Base.catch_stack())
return 1
end
return 0
end
function testApp()
filehandle = open("$(@ __DIR__ )/input.txt", "w")
write(filehandle, "Hello world!")
close(filehandle)
end
end # module
```
1- When I click on the executable it creates a txt file `input.txt` in the folder of the source file `./src/input.txt` . Can the txt file be generated in the same folder of executable? so then I only need the generated folder to use it in another machine.
2- The project folder is located in the directory `C:\` . When I moved it to desktop `C:\Users\amroa\OneDrive\Desktop\testexe` , running the executable don’t generate the txt file in the folder of the source file. What should I do to handle this issue to make the executable works on different folders and machines?
---
### Author:  [@goerch](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/goerch)
#### Post date: [March 22, 2022, 10:48am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/how-to-make-an-executable-work-on-different-machines-make-a-dynamic-path/78236/2 "2022-03-22T10:48:55Z")
Only trying to answer your first question. I tested your MWE with the following instrumentation:
```julia
function testApp()
println("$(@ __DIR__ )/input.txt")
filehandle = open("$(@ __DIR__ )/input.txt", "w")
write(filehandle, "Hello world!")
close(filehandle)
end
```
and it seems `@ __DIR__ ` references the source directory of your application. If you change the `open` call to
```julia
filehandle = open("input.txt", "w")
```
the file will be created in your current working directory. I then tried to get the command line parameters via `ARGS` with
```julia
Base.@ccallable function julia_main()::Cint
println("$ARGS")
try
testApp()
catch
Base.invokelatest(Base.display_error, Base.catch_stack())
return 1
end
return 0
end
```
yielding
```julia
String[]
```
So it seems to me your best bet is to use [file system functions](https://docs.julialang.org/en/v1/base/file/), especially `cd` to dynamically manipulate your working directory.
P.S.: working with ‘PackageCompiler’ is rather time consuming. Building this simple example lasts between 2 minutes (incremental) to 5 minutes (full) on my machine…
---
### Author:  [@PetrKryslUCSD](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/PetrKryslUCSD)
#### Post date: [March 23, 2022, 10:32pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/how-to-make-an-executable-work-on-different-machines-make-a-dynamic-path/78236/4 "2022-03-23T22:32:46Z")
`pwd`
---
### Author:  [@goerch](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/goerch)
#### Post date: [March 23, 2022, 10:35pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/how-to-make-an-executable-work-on-different-machines-make-a-dynamic-path/78236/5 "2022-03-23T22:35:00Z")
> [@Amro](#):
>
> What is the file system function to print the current directory, is it `cd` ?
`cd` is C(hange)D(irectory).
`pwd` is P(rint)W(orking)D(irectory).
You probably need something like `println(pwd())` to show the current directory in the console and `directoryAtRuntime = pwd()` in your code snippet.
---
### Author:  [@goerch](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/goerch)
#### Post date: [March 25, 2022, 7:34am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/how-to-make-an-executable-work-on-different-machines-make-a-dynamic-path/78236/7 "2022-03-25T07:34:51Z")
> [@Amro](#):
>
> it shows up and disappears very fast
Do you run your executable from Windows explorer? I’d recommend to use Windows command prompt, because then you’ll be able to inspect the `stdout` and `stderr` output of your program
---
### Author:  [@goerch](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/goerch)
#### Post date: [March 25, 2022, 12:46pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/how-to-make-an-executable-work-on-different-machines-make-a-dynamic-path/78236/9 "2022-03-25T12:46:34Z")
> [@Amro](#):
>
> ```julia
> directoryAtRunTime = pwd()
> childdirectory= joinpath(directoryAtRuntime, "childfolder")
>
> ```
Sorry, didn’t see it the first time around: Julia uses case sensitive variable names. `directoryAtRuntime` differs from `directoryAtRunTime`.
---
### Author:  [@Amro](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Amro)
#### Post date: [March 25, 2022, 12:49pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/how-to-make-an-executable-work-on-different-machines-make-a-dynamic-path/78236/10 "2022-03-25T12:49:00Z")
Oops, I am sorry to make this typo. I checked it works fine.
Thank you very much…