feature: Add command line option to skip force set of current directory to executable path

Author: stefan-urban

Generals/Code/GameEngine/Include/Common/GlobalData.h

@@ -121,6 +121,10 @@ class GlobalData : public SubsystemInterface
 	// Run game without graphics, input or audio.
 	Bool m_headless;
 
+	// TheSuperHackers @feature 11/08/2025
+	// On startup change the current working directory to the executable's location.
+	Bool m_changeCurrentWorkingDirectoryToExecutablePath;
+
 	Bool m_windowed;
 	Int m_xResolution;
 	Int m_yResolution;

Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/Common/CommandLine.cpp

@@ -458,6 +458,12 @@ Int parseJobs(char *args[], int num)
 	return 1;
 }
 
+Int parseCwd(char* args[], int num)
+{
+	TheWritableGlobalData->m_changeCurrentWorkingDirectoryToExecutablePath = FALSE;
+	return 1;
+}
+
 Int parseXRes(char *args[], int num)
 {
 	if (num > 1)
@@ -1163,6 +1169,10 @@ static CommandLineParam paramsForStartup[] =
 	// (If you have 4 cores, call it with -jobs 4)
 	// If you do not call this, all replays will be simulated in sequence in the same process.
 	{ "-jobs", parseJobs },
+
+	// TheSuperHackers @feature 11/08/2025
+	// Use current working directory as provided by the OS.
+	{ "-cwd", parseCwd },
 };
 
 // These Params are parsed during Engine Init before INI data is loaded

Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/Common/GlobalData.cpp

@@ -613,6 +613,7 @@ GlobalData::GlobalData()
 	m_framesPerSecondLimit = 0;
 	m_chipSetType = 0;
 	m_headless = FALSE;
+	m_changeCurrentWorkingDirectoryToExecutablePath = TRUE;
 	m_windowed = 0;
 	m_xResolution = 800;
 	m_yResolution = 600;

Generals/Code/Main/WinMain.cpp

@@ -764,21 +764,26 @@ Int APIENTRY WinMain( HINSTANCE hInstance, HINSTANCE hPrevInstance,
 
 		// initialize the memory manager early
 		initMemoryManager();
-
-		/// @todo remove this force set of working directory later
-		Char buffer[ _MAX_PATH ];
-		GetModuleFileName( NULL, buffer, sizeof( buffer ) );
-		Char *pEnd = buffer + strlen( buffer );
-		while( pEnd != buffer )
+		
+		CommandLine::parseCommandLineForStartup();
+		
+		if (TheGlobalData->m_changeCurrentWorkingDirectoryToExecutablePath)
 		{
-			if( *pEnd == '\\' )
+			/// @todo remove this force set of working directory later
+			Char buffer[ _MAX_PATH ];
+			GetModuleFileName( NULL, buffer, sizeof( buffer ) );
+			Char *pEnd = buffer + strlen( buffer );
+			while( pEnd != buffer )
 			{
-				*pEnd = 0;
-				break;
+				if( *pEnd == '\\' )
+				{
+					*pEnd = 0;
+					break;
+				}
+				pEnd--;
 			}
-			pEnd--;
+			::SetCurrentDirectory(buffer);
 		}
-		::SetCurrentDirectory(buffer);
 
 
 		#ifdef RTS_DEBUG
@@ -799,7 +804,6 @@ Int APIENTRY WinMain( HINSTANCE hInstance, HINSTANCE hPrevInstance,
 		// Force to be loaded from a file, not a resource so same exe can be used in germany and retail.
  		gLoadScreenBitmap = (HBITMAP)LoadImage(hInstance, "Install_Final.bmp",	IMAGE_BITMAP, 0, 0, LR_SHARED|LR_LOADFROMFILE);
 
-		CommandLine::parseCommandLineForStartup();
 
 		// register windows class and create application window
 		if(!TheGlobalData->m_headless && initializeAppWindows(hInstance, nCmdShow, TheGlobalData->m_windowed) == false)

GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Include/Common/GlobalData.h

@@ -124,6 +124,10 @@ class GlobalData : public SubsystemInterface
 	// Run game without graphics, input or audio.
 	Bool m_headless;
 
+	// TheSuperHackers @feature 11/08/2025
+	// On startup change the current working directory to the executable's location.
+	Bool m_changeCurrentWorkingDirectoryToExecutablePath;
+
 	Bool m_windowed;
 	Int m_xResolution;
 	Int m_yResolution;

GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/Common/CommandLine.cpp

@@ -458,6 +458,12 @@ Int parseJobs(char *args[], int num)
 	return 1;
 }
 
+Int parseCwd(char* args[], int num)
+{
+	TheWritableGlobalData->m_changeCurrentWorkingDirectoryToExecutablePath = FALSE;
+	return 1;
+}
+
 Int parseXRes(char *args[], int num)
 {
 	if (num > 1)
@@ -1163,6 +1169,10 @@ static CommandLineParam paramsForStartup[] =
 	// (If you have 4 cores, call it with -jobs 4)
 	// If you do not call this, all replays will be simulated in sequence in the same process.
 	{ "-jobs", parseJobs },
+
+	// TheSuperHackers @feature 11/08/2025
+	// Use current working directory as provided by the OS.
+	{ "-cwd", parseCwd },
 };
 
 // These Params are parsed during Engine Init before INI data is loaded

GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/Common/GlobalData.cpp

@@ -618,6 +618,7 @@ GlobalData::GlobalData()
 	m_framesPerSecondLimit = 0;
 	m_chipSetType = 0;
 	m_headless = FALSE;
+	m_changeCurrentWorkingDirectoryToExecutablePath = TRUE;
 	m_windowed = 0;
 	m_xResolution = 800;
 	m_yResolution = 600;

GeneralsMD/Code/Main/WinMain.cpp

@@ -792,20 +792,25 @@ Int APIENTRY WinMain( HINSTANCE hInstance, HINSTANCE hPrevInstance,
 		// initialize the memory manager early
 		initMemoryManager();
 
-		/// @todo remove this force set of working directory later
-		Char buffer[ _MAX_PATH ];
-		GetModuleFileName( NULL, buffer, sizeof( buffer ) );
-		Char *pEnd = buffer + strlen( buffer );
-		while( pEnd != buffer )
+		CommandLine::parseCommandLineForStartup();
+
+		if (TheGlobalData->m_changeCurrentWorkingDirectoryToExecutablePath)
 		{
-			if( *pEnd == '\\' )
+			/// @todo remove this force set of working directory later
+			Char buffer[ _MAX_PATH ];
+			GetModuleFileName( NULL, buffer, sizeof( buffer ) );
+			Char *pEnd = buffer + strlen( buffer );
+			while( pEnd != buffer )
 			{
-				*pEnd = 0;
-				break;
+				if( *pEnd == '\\' )
+				{
+					*pEnd = 0;
+					break;
+				}
+				pEnd--;
 			}
-			pEnd--;
+			::SetCurrentDirectory(buffer);
 		}
-		::SetCurrentDirectory(buffer);
 
 
 		#ifdef RTS_DEBUG
@@ -846,8 +851,6 @@ Int APIENTRY WinMain( HINSTANCE hInstance, HINSTANCE hPrevInstance,
 		gLoadScreenBitmap = (HBITMAP)LoadImage(hInstance, "Install_Final.bmp", IMAGE_BITMAP, 0, 0, LR_SHARED|LR_LOADFROMFILE);
 #endif
 
-		CommandLine::parseCommandLineForStartup();
-
 		// register windows class and create application window
 		if(!TheGlobalData->m_headless && initializeAppWindows(hInstance, nCmdShow, TheGlobalData->m_windowed) == false)
 			return exitcode;