The Power of PC/MS-DOS Batch Files

[Mendázio]

The Power of PC/MS-DOS Batch Files

by

George Campbell

Part 1: Getting Started


One of the keys to getting the most from your IBM-compatible
computer is learning to make the most of the operating
system. PC/MS-DOS, while not as simple to learn as the
operating systems for some other computers, has the
potential to let you customize your computing and increase
your productivity.

When Microsoft designed the original PC/MS-DOS, the personal
computer was still something of an unknown quantity. Few
people anticipated the millions of personal computers that
would be sold. Fortunately for users, PC/MS-DOS included a
powerful capability: batch processing.

This series of articles will explore the depths of PC/MS-DOS
batch processing, teaching you how to automate many of the
functions of your PC. You'll also learn how to use batch
files to make your PC do things you never thought possible.

BATCH FILE BASICS

There are three types of programs that PC/MS-DOS can run
directly. You are already familiar with two of them. Files
with the extensions .COM and .EXE run when you enter the
filename at your system prompt. Batch files, with the
extension, .BAT, are the third type.

A batch file is nothing more than a series of DOS commands,
separated by carriage returns. When you enter the name of
the batch file, DOS carries out the commands, one at a time.

Once a batch file is running, you can stop it by holding
down the key while you press the key. If you
do this, a message will appear on the screen: Terminate
batch job (Y/N)? If you press a Y, the batch file will
abort. Pressing N continues the batch file's operation.











Page 2


You can use any DOS command in a batch file, from simple
ones like COPY to commands seldom used, like ASSIGN. When
you call a batch file by entering its file name, PC/MS-DOS
opens the file, and carries out the first command. Once the
operation of that command is completed, the system prompt
(A>, C>, etc.) reappears, and the next command in the batch
file executes automatically.

There is no limit to the length of a batch file. The
computer will continue to carry out the commands until it
reaches the end of the file.

CREATING BATCH FILES

There are five basic requirements for the structure of any
batch file:

1. It must be a pure ASCII file, meaning that no characters
other than the commands you give, plus carriage returns, can
be used in the file.

2. The filename can be any legal filename, but cannot have
the same name as a .COM or .EXE file in the same directory,
or the same name as any DOS internal command, such as COPY
or DIR.

3. It must have the extension .BAT.

4. The file must have an end-of-file marker following the
last command in the file.

5. Each command must be on a separate line in the batch
file, separated from adjacent commands by a carriage return.

Creating an actual batch file is simple. There are two
basic methods I recommend. Each has its advantages and
disadvantages.

The first method uses the DOS COPY command. Use this method
for creating short, simple batch files. First, give the
command: COPY CON [DRIVE][PATH][FILENAME]. Here's a sample
command:

COPY CON C:\BATCH\STARTUP.BAT

This command will create the file, STARTUP.BAT, in the
\BATCH directory in drive C:. When you press the
cursor will move to the next line on the screen and you can
begin writing your batch file.

Type in the first command in your series of commands. You
can correct your spelling by backspacing and retyping, as
long as the cursor is on the current line. When the line is
correct, press to move the cursor to the next line.









Page 3



Now type in additional commands, as needed for your batch
file, following each line by pressing . This adds a
carriage return character to the end of the line, telling
PC/MS-DOS to carry out the command on that line.

Once you have typed in all the commands to be used in that
particular batch file, press once more at the end of
the last line. Now press or hold down the key
while you press the key. Either operation will place an
end-of-file character in your file. Press again and
the computer will write the file to the disk.

Test this procedure by creating a batch file which displays
a directory. Follow the steps below to create this file in
the current drive and directory. At the system prompt,
type:

COPY CON D.BAT
DIR
or +

Your drive light will come on, and the file will be written
to disk. Now, check your work and test the file. Press the
key, then press . You should see a directory on
your monitor. Notice that you have simplified the command
which displays a directory. Now you only have to type a
single letter, instead of three.

While the COPY CON method works fine, it's not as convenient
for longer batch files which might contain many commands.
If you make a mistake with the COPY CON method, there is no
way to fix it. You have to retype the entire batch file.
For this reason, use this method only for short, simple
files.

When you need to create a longer batch file, use a text
editor. Just about any text editor or word processing
program will work. The only requirement is that the editor
must be able to save pure ASCII files.

If you use PC-WRITE, your batch files will automatically be
saved in ASCII. WordStar users must open batch files in the
Non-Document mode. Microsoft Word users can create batch
files, then save them in ASCII format by choosing the "No"
option in the "Transfer Save" menu. Check the user's manual
for your word processor for its procedures.

If you're not sure about the method your editor uses, try
creating a batch file. Save it, then exit the program and
use the TYPE command to display the file on your monitor.
If you see your file, without any extra characters on the
screen, you know that it is pure ASCII, and can be used as a
batch file.









Page 4



Whichever method you use, remember to use the .BAT extension
and don't give your file a name which would conflict with
another executable file in its directory. If your batch
file has a name which is the same as a .COM or .EXE file, or
a DOS internal command, it simply won't execute.

A SPECIAL BATCH FILE: AUTOEXEC.BAT

When you boot up your computer, several things happen.
First, the ROM BIOS in your PC checks the system's memory,
then looks for a disk in drive A: or for a hard disk drive.
It then loads the system files from the disk into memory.
These files include COMMAND.COM plus two hidden files. One
these files are loaded, it looks for a file called
CONFIG.SYS and carries out any functions contained in that
file.

Finally, it looks for a batch file named AUTOEXEC.BAT. If
the file exists, PC/MS-DOS carries out the commands in that
file. If there is no AUTOEXEC.BAT file, you see the
standard request for the current date and time on your
screen.

An AUTOEXEC.BAT file can contain any commands you want to
use every time you boot your PC. Suppose, for example that
you always wanted to start the program, Microsoft Word, when
you turned on your PC. Just create a batch file, named
AUTOEXEC.BAT on your boot disk, or in the root directory of
your hard disk, using one of the techniques above. This
file has only one line:

WORD

Naturally, you could substitute the command you use to start
any program you choose. When PC/MS-DOS finds an
AUTOEXEC.BAT file, it bypasses the date and time sequence
and immediately carries out the command in the file.

Now, suppose you need to change directories on your hard
disk before starting the program. Using Word as an example
again, here's a sample file:

CD WP
WORD

This time, the AUTOEXEC.BAT file tells the PC to change to
the \WP directory, then start Microsoft Word. It's easy to
see how you could adapt this to your own needs.

Now, let's add something else. Many users install memory-
resident programs before loading an application. SideKick
is a popular memory resident program. Here's a sample file:










Page 5


CD UTILITY
SK
CD \WP
WORD

Line-by-line, here's what this AUTOEXEC.BAT file does:

1. Changes to the \UTILITY directory on your hard disk.
2. Loads SideKick.
3. Changes to the \WP directory.
4. Loads Microsoft Word.

Once again, you can substitute any directory name or command
for the ones used in this sample file. Try creating your
own AUTOEXEC.BAT file, using commands you select.

OTHER SIMPLE BATCH FILES

Batch files can be extremely useful in saving keystrokes. I
often create them just to avoid typing long filenames or
commands. Let's look at some ways to help yourself out with
batch files.

When you looked at the section on AUTOEXEC.BAT files, you
learned how to start a program automatically when you booted
your system. You can use other batch files to start
programs with just a keystroke or two. Let's keep using
Microsoft Word as an example.

As before, I'll assume that we're working with a hard disk.
Floppy disk users can just leave out the directory change
commands in their batch files. Here's a simple batch file,
named W.BAT that starts the program with a single keystroke.

CD WP
WORD

Now, when you use this file by typing a and pressing
, Microsoft Word will run. When you exit from the
program, however, you'll still be in the \WP directory on
your hard disk. Add a third line to return you to the root
directory when you exit Word. W.BAT will look like this:

CD WP
WORD
CD\

When you leave Word, PC/MS-DOS knows that the batch file
still has another command, so it returns to it and carries
out the next command in the file.

Suppose that you normally move to another program after
exiting Word. You can have your batch file do this










Page 6


automatically. Let's try starting Lotus 123 after exiting
Word. Here's a batch file to do just that:

CD WP
WORD
CD \LOTUS
123
CD\

You can easily see how many keystrokes are saved by using a
batch file instead of typing in all the commands. And
that's just the beginning.

Batch files are actually simple computer programs. By
writing these files, you are learning simple computer
programming.

In this first part of the series, you've learned how to
create simple batch files which save keystrokes. But batch
files can do much more. Using the full power of PC/MS-DOS
batch files, you can actually create real programs.

In future parts of this series, you will learn how to create
menus to help you or others run a PC. You will also learn
how you can dial your phone using batch files, create
software installation programs, control your printer, and
perform many other operations with a single keystroke.

More than that, batch files can create systems to protect
your PC and its files from prying eyes and fingers. You can
even create a database system with batch files which will
let you have almost instant access to any information.

Batch files can use a number of special commands to teach
your PC to do things you never thought possible. Best of
all, they are easy to use.

Part 2: Batch File Menus


Whether you use a hard disk or floppies on your PC, learning
to create a menu system can save valuable minutes and make
your PC easier to use. In addition, if you help other
people with their computers, installing a menu system can
help you avoid constant phone calls for help.

Batch files are an ideal method for creating menus. Batch
file menu systems are easy to write, easy to change, and
extremely powerful. You can incorporate as many features
into your menu as you like, allowing you or anyone else to
access programs with a single keystroke.

USING THE ECHO COMMAND










Page 7


To create a menu system, you need to be able to write
information on the screen with your batch file. PC/MS DOS
gives you a command which makes this easy: ECHO. Here's how
it works:

You can use the ECHO command in two ways. Each uses a
different format. The first format allows you to tell your
PC whether or not you want to see the commands in your batch
file listed on the screen. Usually you don't, and the
command used to disable screen writing is: ECHO OFF

When you include this command in a batch file, commands in
that file will not appear as they are executed. This makes
for a cleaner screen appearance. To turn the ECHO function
back on, just include the command: ECHO ON.

The second format for the ECHO command allows you to place
messages on the screen. You'll use this function to write
your menu on the monitor. The syntax is: ECHO [message]

For example, to write the line "Master Menu" on the screen,
include the command: ECHO Master Menu as a line in your
batch file. You can control the position of the message by
including spaces. If you want to center a line on the
screen, simply subtract the number of characters in your
message from 80, then divide the result in half. Place that
number of spaces in front of your message.

To make a menu or other text screen attractive, you need to
be able to add blank lines. The ECHO command can do this as
well, but there's a trick to it.

Until DOS Version 3.3 appeared, creating blank lines wasn't
simple. Instead of simply following the ECHO command with a
space, which creates a blank line in DOS 3.3, earlier
versions of DOS require a special method. This method will
work with any version of DOS from 2.0 to 3.3.

To create a blank line, place the ECHO command on a line in
your batch file. Next press the space bar once, then hold
down the key while you type 255 on the number pad.
The numbers at the top of the keyboard won't work. Doing
this inserts the ASCII character number 255, which is a
blank character. This fools DOS into thinking that there is
a message, and creates a blank line on the screen.

This method works with the COPY CON method for creating
batch files, and with most word processors. If your text
editor doesn't support this function, either use another
editor or simulate a blank line by inserting a period
following the ECHO command.

One final note on the ECHO command: You cannot use the DOS
redirection characters (< and >) in an ECHO statement. If









Page 8


you do, the error message, "Bad command or filename," will
appear.

CREATING THE MENU SYSTEM


Now that you know how to use the ECHO command to create
messages on the screen, you're ready to create a menu. For
the purposes of this article, let's assume that you want
your menu to call Microsoft Word, Lotus 123, QMODEM, and the
game ROGUE. You can also include a menu choice to return to
DOS in the menu. Naturally, you will use the programs on
your disk as replacements for those in this sample program.

Using the COPY CON command as described in the first part of
this series, or your favorite text editor, create the file
MENU.BAT in the root directory of your hard disk or on a
floppy disk. Don't include the comments in parentheses, and
substitute names of programs.

ECHO OFF (Turns off the echoing of batch file commands)
CLS (Clears the screen)
ECHO [Alt-255] (Create a blank line as described above. Use
as many of these blank lines as you like.)
ECHO[35 spaces]Master Menu
ECHO [Alt-255]
ECHO[32 spaces]Do you want to:
ECHO [Alt-255]
ECHO[15 spaces]1. Use your word processor?
ECHO[15 spaces]2. Use Lotus 123?
ECHO[15 spaces]3. Use your communications program?
ECHO[15 spaces]4. Play Rogue?
ECHO[15 spaces]5. Return to the DOS prompt?
ECHO [Alt-255]
ECHO At the DOS prompt, type the number of your selection
ECHO and press [Enter].

Be sure to place a carriage return at the end of the last
line of the file, then save it in ASCII format, or press
if you are use the COPY CON command. To call your menu
screen when you boot your computer, include the command,
MENU, as the last line of your AUTOEXEC.BAT file.

Once again, you can customize this menu screen any way you
like. Include as many menu choices as you need, and insert
blank lines and spaces to make the screen as attractive as
possible.

When MENU.BAT is executed, it will write the menu on the
monitor, then the system prompt will reappear.

EXECUTING YOUR MENU CHOICES











Page 9


Once you've written the MENU.BAT file, you need to write
individual batch files for each menu choice. These files
will call a program when you or the user enters a menu
selection.

Name the files to match your menu selections. In the sample
menu presented here, the files would be named 1.BAT, 2.BAT,
and so on. Each of these files will contain the commands
needed to call the program. Here's 1.BAT:

ECHO OFF (This line turns off the ECHO function)
CLS (Clear the screen)
CD WP (Change directories...not needed for floppies)
WORD (Call Microsoft Word)
CD\ (Change to the root directory after quitting Word)
MENU (Return to the menu)

Naturally, you'll include the commands needed to perform the
functions in your menu, rather than the ones used here.
Floppy disk users can ignore the CD commands in their batch
files.

Create a separate file for each menu choice. The last menu
choice, which you should include in any menu system, takes
the user to the DOS prompt, allowing him or her to use the
computer for purposes not included in the menu. Here's a
sample, 5.BAT, for this menu:

ECHO OFF
CLS
CD\

This file will return the user to a clean screen and the
system prompt.

REFINING YOUR MENU SYSTEM

Generating screens with the ECHO command is only one of the
ways you can write information on the monitor. If you
create a complex screen, you'll notice that when the batch
file executes, the screen appears rather slowly. This is
one of the drawbacks to the ECHO command.

There's an alternative to the ECHO command for screen
generation. Since you can use any DOS command in your batch
files, you can use the TYPE command to place text on the
screen.

To do this, create your screen with your text editor or word
processor. Save the screen as an ASCII file, then call it
with the TYPE command in your MENU.BAT file. The menu will
appear much faster, particularly if it is a complex one.
You can even include boxes and other special characters if
your text editor supports extended ASCII characters.









Page 10



Keep your text screens shorter than 23 lines to prevent
unwanted scrolling when the TYPE command lists the file on
the monitor.

Here is a MENU.BAT file which performs the same function as
the previous one, but this time it calls a screen created
with a word processor. The screen file is named MENU.DOC.

ECHO OFF
CLS
TYPE MENU.DOC

This file is obviously much shorter, and the menu screen
will appear very quickly on the monitor. The individual
files which call the programs will be exactly the same.

In many cases, you may want to eliminate the DOS prompt
entirely from your menu. That's easy, using the PROMPT
command. PC/MS-DOS allows you to customize a prompt to suit
your needs. As an example, you could replace the last two
lines in the original MENU.BAT file shown above with the
following line:

PROMPT Type your selection and press [Enter]:

This line would replace the normal A> or C> prompt with the
text following the PROMPT command. The normal cursor
appears at the end of the new prompt.

You can even eliminate the prompt completely. Do this by
using the same -255 keystroke combination used with the
ECHO command. Just type PROMPT, then hold down the
key while you type 255 on the number pad.

If you turn off or change the prompt, however, be sure to
restore it to its original form in the menu selection file
which returns the user to DOS. To do this, simply add a
line to the batch file. This line should contain the
command, PROMPT, and nothing else, and will restore the
normal system prompt.

MULTI-USER MENUS

The menu-creation process can be further refined for
computers used by more than one person. In many cases, you
want to restrict certain users to a specific group of
programs. This technique can even be used to create a
simple password system. It's not extremely secure, but will
limit unsophisticated users to a limited group of programs.
Here's how to create this type of system.

First, create a batch file called PASSWORD.BAT. Here's a
sample:









Page 11



ECHO OFF
CLS
PROMPT Please enter your password:

Call this file from the AUTOEXEC.BAT file, after loading any
memory-resident programs, and performing any other start-up
functions. The screen will clear, and the prompt will ask
for the user's password. If security isn't important, you
could ask for the user's name instead.

Now, create a menu for each user, giving it a filename which
matches the password or name the user will enter. Using the
techniques described above, you can limit access to a
specific list of programs for each user. In this case,
however, don't include a menu choice which exits to DOS.
Instead, make the last menu choice call the PASSWORD.BAT
file. If you need to change a user's password, simply
change the name of the batch file which calls that user's
menu.

If the user needs to use certain DOS commands, such as COPY,
DELETE, or BACKUP, you can allow the use of a limited set of
DOS commands by including them in a directory, then changing
to that directory with a batch file called from the user's
menu.

Once again, this system is not perfectly secure. Any user
sophisticated enough to use the + combination
can exit to DOS. When he or she does that, however, the
prompt will still ask for a password.

If you use DOS 3.0 or a later version, you can add to the
system's security. Use any utility program, such as Norton
Utilities or PC-Tools to change your password batch files to
hidden files. Anyone doing a directory will not see the
files on the screen, but DOS knows they are there and will
execute them normally. Earlier versions of DOS cannot
execute hidden files.

As the installer or main user of a multi-user PC, you can
bypass the password system by having a batch file with your
password simply reset the prompt and exit to DOS. This will
allow you or another user full access to the system.

The next part of this series will introduce a number of
other DOS commands which are especially useful in batch
operations. Using these commands, you will gain even more
control over your PC and its peripherals, increasing the
power of your batch files.













Page 12



Part 3: Expanding Batch File Operations

If you're like most PC/MS-DOS users, you use a few basic DOS
commands regularly. Other commands you may not use,
however, have the power to make your PC even more useful and
efficient.

Including these commands in your batch files can add new
flexibility and let you control your PC better, making it an
even more powerful tool. Here are some little-known DOS
commands especially suited for batch files.

The ASSIGN Command

This very powerful DOS command tells your PC to send all
calls for one disk drive to another. Programs often look
for data on a specific drive. This is especially true with
public domain and shareware programs.

These programs assume that the disk containing data files is
in drive A: or B:. Hard disk users often have difficulties
running these programs. When the program wants to open a
file on drive A: and that file is on drive C:, the program
can't find the file and often just exits to DOS.

Using ASSIGN, you can tell your PC to look on drive C: for
files, no matter what the program tells it to do. Here's
the format for that command:

ASSIGN [D1 = D2]

To send all calls for drive A: to drive C:, the command
would be:

ASSIGN A = C

There are a few restrictions to the use of ASSIGN. You
can't use it while using the PRINT command. In addition,
FORMAT will not run when ASSIGN is in use. Notice, too,
that colons aren't used after the drive names when you use
the ASSIGN command.

After using this command, you must turn off the drive
assignment before going on to other computer operations.
Simply issue the command, ASSIGN, without any drive
parameters. You can do this automatically in a batch file.

For an example, let's assume you want to run the game
program, CASTLE, which looks for a data file in drive A:.
You have CASTLE and its data file on Drive C:, which would
abort the program when it couldn't find the data file.
Here's a batch file to solve the problem:










Page 13


ASSIGN A = C
CASTLE
ASSIGN

This file, which you might call PLAY.BAT, solves the
problem, and returns you to the normal configuration when
you exit from the game.

You can also use the ASSIGN command to lock out your hard
disk if you are testing a questionable program. Just give
the command, ASSIGN C = A, and the PC won't try to write any
data to your hard disk. Just remember to get rid of the
assignment before resuming normal operations.

The ECHO Command

In part 1 of this series, you learned to use this command to
display screen messages. ECHO can perform other functions,
however, which are useful in batch files.

For example, you might want to make the computer beep at
some point during the execution of a batch file. To do
this, include the following command as a line in your file:

ECHO ^G

Type ECHO, press the space bar once, then hold down the
key while you press the key. This adds a
character, ASCII number 7, to your command. Whenever this
command executes, you hear the familiar beep.

You can also use the ECHO command with the DOS redirection
characters < and > to send text to your printer or to your
serial ports.

Here's a good example: You may need to print labels with
your return address on them. It's easy, using a batch file
containing the following lines:

ECHO Your Name >PRN
ECHO 123 Your Street >PRN
ECHO Anytown, Anystate 12345 >PRN

Add blank lines before and after the text. Adjust the
number of blank lines to suit your printer and the labels
you use. You'll have to experiment to get it just right.

Call this batch file RETURN.BAT, or any other name you like.
Whenever you execute the file, it will print your return
address, saving you from starting your word processor to
create an address label. You can also create similar files
for other addresses.

The MODE Command









Page 14



The MODE command allows you to control your monitor, your
serial ports, and your printer. The command is very seldom
used, due to its hard-to-remember syntax. This makes it a
natural for batch files.

To use the MODE command in batch files, the DOS utility
MODE.COM or MODE.EXE must be in your current PATH, or on the
floppy disk containing your batch file. If DOS can't find
the program, an error message will appear on your monitor.

If your PC has a CGA or EGA display adapter, you can use the
MODE command to change from one display mode to another. If
you want to change from the normal mode to a forty-character
color screen, include the following line in a batch file:

MODE CO40

Check your DOS manual for other screen modes. You can
include this command in a long batch file, or use it alone
in a file called 40.BAT.

The syntax for the MODE command format used to set up your
serial port is very complex. Using a batch file, you can
avoid having to memorize this syntax. To set your COM1:
port to 1200 baud, with even parity, seven data bits, and
one stop bit, just use the following line in any batch file:

MODE COM1: 1200,E,7,1

Later, you will learn how to incorporate this command line
in a batch file telephone dialing system.

Many users have a printer connected to a serial port. In
this case, DOS needs to know where the printer is, since it
assumes that the printer is connected to LPT1:. Include the
following line in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file and your PC will
automatically send all printer output to COM1:.

MODE LPT1: = COM1:


If your printer, on the other hand, is connected to LPT2:,
the second parallel port, use the following line:

MODE LPT1: = LPT2:

Finally, you can use the MODE command to set your printer's
mode of operations, controlling the number of characters per
line, the number of lines per inch, and whether or not you
want the computer to keep trying if the printer sends an
error message to the computer. Here's the syntax:

MODE LPT#: [characters\line], [lines/inch], [P]









Page 15



Following this syntax, to set your printer for 80 characters
per line, 8 lines per inch, and to retry on errors, use the
following command in a batch file:

MODE LPT1: 80,8,P

The PAUSE Command

Many time, during the execution of a batch file, it is
useful to have the batch file stop operations while you do
something, like load paper into the printer. The PAUSE
command halts the operation of a batch file temporarily.

Like many other batch file commands, PAUSE allows you to
include a message. As an example, you can create a batch
file which tells the user to put a blank, formatted disk in
drive B: before a COPY operation. Here is the command to
use:

PAUSE Place a blank, formatted disk in drive B:

When DOS encounters this line in a batch file, it displays
the following information on the screen:

Place a blank, formatted disk in drive B:
Strike a key when ready...

The batch file stops until the user presses any key. When a
key is pressed, the batch file moves to the next line and
executes the command there. The command might be to COPY a
file or files to the disk the user inserted in drive B:, as
requested by the PAUSE message.

The PROMPT Command

In the previous part of this series, you learned to use the
PROMPT command to replace the standard DOS system prompt
with a message. This command can also be use to create
other customized prompts. Including one of these PROMPT
commands can add productivity to your work.

This format of the PROMPT command uses the <$> character in
combination with a letter to change your normal prompt.
Here's an example:

PROMPT $n$g

This sets the prompt to the normal A> or C>, depending on
the default drive you've set. If you'd rather see a prompt
which displays the current directory, include this variation
in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file:

PROMPT $p$g









Page 16



There are a number of other characters, which set the
prompt. You can use them in any combination you choose,
preceding each letter with a dollar sign.

Character Display

$t The current time
$d The current date
$p The current directory
$v The DOS version number
$n The current drive
$g The ">" character
$l The "<" character
$b The "|" character
$_ (underscore) A carriage return

Using a combination of these character commands, along with
text, you can create customized prompts. Just for an
example, let's look at a complex PROMPT command:

PROMPT Hello, Mary$_It's $t$_You're in the $p
directory$_Please enter a DOS command $g

PROMPT commands must be entered on a single line, so don't
include any carriage returns. When this PROMPT is included
in a batch file it will produce a prompt which looks like
this on the monitor:

Hello, Mary
It's 9:25:32.21 (current time)
You're in the \UTILITY directory (actual directory)
Please enter a DOS command >

Experiment with this command to create custom prompts for
yourself, or to provide information to other PC users.
Including a special PROMPT command in your batch files can
increase your productivity and prevent confusion.

The REM Command

Working with batch files is actually a form of programming.
As your batch files grow in length, they can become
confusing. Inserting comments can help you understand how
the file works. This is especially important when you need
to change a complex batch file later.

The REM command allows you to insert comments in your files.
Any text in a batch file which follows a REM command can
contain your comments. These comments will not be seen on
the monitor, but will appear when you TYPE the file or print
it out. I recommend using REM comments frequently in long
and complex batch files you create.










Page 17


Here's an example:

REM This batch file copies three files to Drive B:
PAUSE Insert a blank, formatted disk in Drive B:
COPY LETTER.DOC B:
COPY RESUME.DOC B:
COPY NOVEL.DOC B:
REM The next line displays LETTER.DOC on the monitor.
TYPE LETTER.DOC

Using the DOS Redirection Characters

Earlier in this series, the two DOS redirection characters,
< and > were mentioned. These characters are a powerful way
to tell your PC to send the output of files to a different
place than they would normally go. Using redirection in
your batch files can be a powerful tool.

For example, you might want to print a text file from within
a batch file. Using the TYPE command and a redirection
character, it's easy. Here's a command which you can use to
send any text file to a printer:

TYPE [filename.ext] >PRN

The ">" character redirects the output of the TYPE command
from the monitor to the printer. You will use this
frequently.

Similarly, to send a directory to the printer, include the
following command in any batch file:

DIR >PRN

It's easy to see how useful this can be. When you redirect
the output from a command to another device, such as the
printer, it doesn't appear in its usual place. You can use
the redirection character to send output to the following
devices:

PRN (a printer attached to LPT1
LPT#: (A parallel port)
COM#: (A serial port)
CON (The monitor)
NUL (Nowhere at all)

The last device, NUL, is your computer's version of Never-
Never-Land. Anything sent to the NUL device simply goes
nowhere at all. Oddly enough, this is very useful in batch
files.

Many DOS commands you will use in batch files produce
messages on the screen. The COPY command is a good example.
Whenever you COPY a file or files, the familiar message, "#









Page 18


file(s) copied," appears on the screen when the operation is
finished.

There are many times when you don't want that message to
show, especially when your batch file copies multiple files.
Having the message appear slows down the operation, and
clutters the screen you have so carefully created. Here's
an example of the use of the NUL device:

COPY LETTER.DOC B: >NUL

Including the redirection character and the NUL device tells
DOS to send the message, "1 file(s) copied," to the NUL
device instead of to the monitor. It's very simple.

Other uses for this function include getting rid of messages
provided by many memory-resident programs. If you don't
want to see the message, simply redirect it to the NUL
device in the line used to call the program.

You can even use this technique to introduce delays into
your batch files. Simply COPY a file to the NUL device. The
longer the file, the longer the delay. Here's an example:

COPY LETTER.DOC NUL >NUL

When DOS encounters this command, it reads the file, then
copies it right into oblivion. The original file remains on
the disk, but the time it takes to read the file will simply
cause a delay in the execution of the batch file. The
second NUL combined with the redirection character keeps the
COPY command message off the screen.

Command Line Parameters

Since a batch file can contain commands which execute other
batch files, it is useful to be able to include variables in
your batch files. DOS allows you to do this with a
parameter you include when you execute the original file.

By typing the name of the batch file, a space, then the
parameter, you can tell DOS that you have included a
variable in your command. You have used this feature before
with commands like: FORMAT B: or CHKDSK A:. The drive
designator in each of those commands is a replaceable
parameter which you can change each time you give the
command.

These parameters, when used with batch files can represent
anything you wish, a drive name, a file, or the command
which starts another batch file.

The replaceable parameter is represented in the batch file
itself with a per cent sign (%), followed by a number









Page 19


between 1 and 9. Whenever your file encounters this sign it
substitutes your command line parameter for the sign.

For example, to create a batch file which copies all files
from either drive A: or drive B: to your hard disk, which is
drive C:, using a simple command, use C.BAT below:

ECHO OFF
CLS
COPY %1:*.* C:

To use this batch file, give the following command:

C A
or
C B

With three keystrokes, you can save typing in the entire
command sequence. Notice that the parameter is expressed in
the batch file with a number (%1). You can use up to nine
command line parameters (%1 to %9), separated by spaces in
your batch files. This opens up many possibilities.

You can expand the C.BAT file above to accept a path
parameter as well. This lets you specify a directory on
your hard disk, allowing you to copy the files to a specific
directory. Here's the new C.BAT:

ECHO OFF
CLS
COPY %1:*.* C:\%2

Now, give this command:

C A TEMP

This time, your batch file copies all files from drive A:,
the first parameter, to the \TEMP directory on drive C:.
Each time you execute the batch file, you can use different
parameters to control the process. Here's the command this
batch file has replaced:

COPY A:*.* C:\TEMP

It's easy to see how many ways you can use command line
parameters to control functions in batch files.

A Batch File Telephone Dialing System

Now that you've learned some of the DOS commands which are
especially useful in batch files, it's time to use some of
these commands for a practical application. Since most of
us call a small list of people regularly while we're using










Page 20


the computer, creating a batch file dialing system makes
sense.

This system requires a Hayes-compatible modem, and can dial
an unlimited number of people, depending only on how many
files you want to create.

First, create a directory called \PHONE in the root
directory of your hard disk. Include this new directory in
your PATH so you can access it from any other directory. If
you use a floppy-based PC, format a floppy disk to hold your
dialing system.

Now, using either the COPY CON command or your favorite text
editor, create the following batch file, naming it CALL.BAT:

ECHO OFF
CLS
CD\PHONE REM Leave this line out for floppy systems.
ECHO Calling %1......
MODE COM1:1200,E,7,1 >NUL
%1
CD\ REM Leave this line out for floppy systems

If you have a 300 or 2400 baud modem, simply substitute that
number in the fourth line of the file. Notice that line
four uses the >NUL redirection routine to eliminate the
screen message produced by the MODE command.

Now, create a separate batch file for each person you want
to include in your dialing system. Name the files so they
will be easy to remember, and give each file the .BAT
extension. For example, you might create BILL.BAT, MOM.BAT,
DOCTOR.BAT, or any other filename you might use. Just
remember that the filename must be no more than eight
characters long.

Here's a sample file, named BILL.BAT

ECHO OFF
CLS
ECHO ATDT5551234 >COM1:

Naturally, you would substitute the correct phone number for
the person you're calling. If you are in a non-tone dialing
area, substitute ATDP for ATDT to use pulse dialing.
Finally, if your modem is connected to another COM port, use
that port designator in place of COM1:. Create as many
files as you like, storing them all in the \PHONE directory
or on your floppy disk.

If your modem uses a different dialing command than the
Hayes-compatible ATD? command, make another substitution in
the ECHO line.









Page 21



Here's how the system works: To call Bill, or another person
in your system, give the command, CALL BILL, and press
. The first batch file, CALL.BAT, clears the screen,
tells you who you are calling, then sets the communications
parameters with the MODE command. Next, it executes the
batch file with the name you used as a replaceable
parameter, Bill in this case.

BILL.BAT executes, using the ECHO command to send the
dialing command and the telephone number to your modem. At
this point, you can listen to the progress of the call on
your modem's speaker, or just pick up the phone and wait for
an answer.

You can use your dialing system anytime you see the system
prompt. Many programs allow you to exit temporarily to DOS,
so you can also make phone calls while using any of these
programs.

You can use DOS batch files as a simple programming language
to create programs like the dialing utility above. The
advantage to batch programming is its simplicity. Creating
a telephone dialing system in most other programming
languages would take hours. Using batch files, the program
is finished in minutes.

A Batch File Database

Following a similar format to the telephone dialing system,
you can create a simple database system to store names and
addresses, using simple batch files. First, create a new
directory called \FILE on your hard disk or format a floppy
disk to be used for this system. One again, if you install
this system on your hard disk, be sure to include it in your
PATH for easy access.

Write the following batch file, LOOKUP.BAT, to serve as the
main program:

ECHO OFF
CLS
CD\FILE REM You can leave this line out for floppy systems.
ECHO Searching.......
TYPE %1.ADD REM This command line parameters displays the file
CD\ REM Again, leave this line out for floppy systems.

When creating this file, leave off the REM commands and the
text following them.

Now, for each person you want to include in your database,
create a plain ASCII file which looks like this:

ANYNAME DOE









Page 22


1235 SOME STREET
ANYTOWN, STATE ZIP
(555) 555-5555
REM These lines add blank lines. Use as many
REM as you need.

Give the file a distinctive name you'll remember. Use the
extension, ADD. Store the file in the same directory or on
the same disk as LOOKUP.BAT. Now, to view the information
on your monitor, just enter the command:

LOOKUP NAME

Your LOOKUP.BAT file will find the filename you specify on
the command line and display the information. Of course,
you might not remember just which file you want to check.
It's easy to write another batch file which will show you a
list of files. You might call this one FINDFILE.BAT:

ECHO OFF
CLS
CD\FILE REM Not used in floppy systems.
DIR *.ADD/W
CD\ REM Not used in floppy systems.

By entering the FINDFILE command you will see a display of
your filenames for this system. Notice the fourth line of
the batch file. It reads DIR *.ADD/W. The *.ADD section
tells DOS to show only those files which have the extension
you use for your data files. This helps keep extraneous
information off the screen.

Now, suppose you want to print one of your files. Here's
another batch file to do that. Let's call this one
PRINTIT.BAT.

ECHO OFF
CLS
CD\FILE REM Not used in floppy systems.
COPY %1.ADD PRN
CD\ REM Not used in floppy systems.

All you have to do is enter a command like this one:

PRINTIT NAME

The file you name on the command line will go directly to
your printer. If you have included the right number of
blank lines in your original files, you can use this
PRINTIT.BAT to print address labels. You'll have to
experiment to get your files just right for your particular
printer and labels.











Page 23


Finally, you can write one more batch file which will print
your entire list of files, creating mailing labels if you
have formatted the files properly. Call this one
PRINTALL.BAT.

ECHO OFF
CLS
CD\FILE REM Not used in floppy systems.
COPY *.ADD PRN >NUL
CD\ REM Not used in floppy systems.

Enter the command, PRINTALL, and every one of your files
will be printed automatically.

This address system is only one way you can use your batch
file database. Another possibility is a recipe database.
By storing files containing your recipes, you can use the
same batch files to call up your favorites, print them out,
or even print the entire recipe database.

Just remember that any files you store in your batch file
database must be pure ASCII files, created with either the
COPY CON command or your favorite word processor or text
editor. If you use a word processor, be sure to save the
files in ASCII format.

The possibilities for different kinds of data storage are
endless. You also have the advantage of not being restricted
to defined fields and field sizes, as you do with a regular
database.

In the next part of this series, you will learn several
advanced batch file techniques, including ways you can use
batch files in your programming. That part will also cover
the creation of a batch file system to control your printer.
It will allow you to change your printer's output with a
single command.




Part 4: Advanced Batch File Techniques


The first two parts of this series on batch files introduced
a number of techniques to help you automate many of the
operations you perform frequently on your PC. This time,
we're going to take a look at more advanced batch file
functions, adding even more power to your batch processing.

Like all programming languages, batch files can perform
loops and conditional branching. Loops allow your batch
program to perform the same function several times, using
information you supply to control the process. Conditional









Page 24


branching lets your batch files test to see if a condition
is true and, if it is, forces the batch file to execute a
subroutine. Let's look at conditional branching first.

BATCH FILE IF....GOTO BRANCHING

If you are familiar with any programming languages, such as
BASIC, the IF....GOTO sequence is familiar to you. The IF
part of the sequence lets you test something, while the GOTO
command tells your program to skip to a subroutine and carry
out the commands it finds there. This capability is central
to all programming, including batch programming.

Before looking at the IF command, it's important to
understand how the GOTO command works. Unlike many
languages, DOS batch programs use labels with the GOTO
command. A label marks the beginning of the subroutine,
letting DOS know where to begin processing after it
encounters a GOTO line.

Batch file labels always begin with a colon ( . The label
follows the colon, without any spaces or other characters.
Here are some examples of correct label format:

:START
:ABORT
:QUIT


A label should be placed on a line by itself, immediately
preceding the first command in the subroutine. This sample
batch file, called SAMPLE.BAT, will demonstrate the use of
the GOTO command:

ECHO OFF
CLS
ECHO This batch file demonstrates branching.
GOTO ROUTINE1
ECHO The batch file will skip this line.
ECHO It will skip this line as well.
:ROUTINE1
CLS
ECHO You are now in the first sub-routine.
ECHO When you press a key, you will go to the next
routine.
PAUSE
GOTO ROUTINE2
ECHO Again, the batch file will skip this line.
ECHO And this one, too.
:ROUTINE2
CLS
ECHO Now you are in the second sub-routine.
ECHO Notice that the file skipped several lines.










Page 25


ECHO Pressing a key will take you to the third
routine.
PAUSE
GOTO ROUTINE3
ECHO Another line skipped.
ECHO Still another skipped line.
:ROUTINE3
CLS
ECHO Now you have reached the third subroutine.
ECHO This is the last subroutine.
ECHO When you press a key, you will exit to DOS.
PAUSE
CLS

Create this simple batch file, using the COPY CON command or
your favorite text editor. Remember to save the file in
ASCII format. Once you have created the file, run it. You
will notice that the lines between the GOTO commands and the
labels do not execute. Once DOS encounters the GOTO, it
immediately jumps to the label, skipping all intermediate
lines.

When creating a label, use from one to eight characters.
Avoid punctuation, and always use labels which are
meaningful, to help you understand your batch file later.
Unlike other languages, DOS allows you to use reserved
words, like COPY and DELETE as labels in your batch files.
For clarity's sake, however, it's best to avoid labels which
are also the names of DOS commands.

CONDITIONAL BRANCHING WITH THE IF COMMAND

By itself, the GOTO command has limited usefulness. There is
usually no reason to use GOTO unless you are testing to see
if a condition is true or not. That's where the IF command
comes in.

Most programming languages use a command similar to the DOS
IF command to test for a wide variety of conditions. In
batch files, you are limited to testing just a few things:

1. Whether one string of characters equals another.
2. Whether or not a file exists.
3. The ERRORLEVEL of a program.

In this article, we'll look at the first two conditions.
The third is of limited usefulness to most DOS users.

The first condition which can be tested with the IF command,
whether one string is equal to another, is the most common.
If you remember the discussion on command-line parameters,
you know that a batch file can use up to 10 parameters when
you give the command to execute the batch file. An example
of this might be the command, FORMAT A:. The A: part of









Page 26


this command is a replaceable parameter, used by DOS to
identify the drive to be formatted.

By using the IF command in your batch files, you can check
to see whether a command-line parameter equals a string you
have specified in the batch file. Here's an example, which
we'll call TEST1.BAT:


ECHO OFF
CLS
IF %1. == . GOTO WRONG
IF %1 == HELLO GOTO CORRECT
GOTO END
:CORRECT
CLS
ECHO You typed HELLO.
ECHO The batch file branched to the CORRECT routine.
PAUSE
GOTO END
:WRONG
CLS
ECHO You didn't include a parameter in your command.
ECHO To get to the subroutine, type the command:
ECHO TEST1 HELLO, then press [Enter].
PAUSE
GOTO END
:END
ECHO You typed something other than HELLO as a
parameter.
ECHO DOS recognizes the difference between upper and
lower case.
ECHO Try again.
PAUSE
CLS

Let's take a look at some of the lines in this file. The
first two lines are familiar, turning off ECHO and clearing
the screen. The next line is new and uses the IF command.

When you use the IF command to check command-line parameters
and no parameter is given when the batch file is called, DOS
normally returns the error message: SYNTAX ERROR. The line
in TEST1.BAT which reads: IF %1. == . GOTO WRONG GOTO END
tests to see if no parameter was given. The period (.) is
used to supply a single character following the %1
parameter. Without it, the error message INVALID NUMBER OF
PARAMETERS would appear. This line branches to the :WRONG
subroutine if no parameter was used on the command line.

The next line checks to see if the command-line parameter
was HELLO. If it was, the batch file branches to the
routine named :CORRECT.










Page 27


Following the second IF line is a line which reads, GOTO
END. This line comes into play if neither of the conditions
in the previous lines is true. If, for example, the
command-line parameter was GOODBYE, the batch file would
branch to the :END routine, skipping the rest of the file.

It's important to include a line which branches around other
lines if a condition isn't true. Otherwise, the batch file
would simply go right into the :CORRECT subroutine.

The IF command recognizes upper and lower case letters as
different. So, typing hello in lower case letters would not
satisfy the condition in the second IF line.

Finally, notice that each subroutine in this batch file
includes a GOTO END line. Again, this forces the program to
branch around succeeding subroutines, avoiding errors.

Create this batch file, then run it. The first time, do not
include the parameter HELLO on the command line. Next, add
hello to the command, using lower-case letters. Finally,
include the correct form of the parameter, HELLO. You will
see the messages in the appropriate subroutine. Be sure to
use two equal signs (==) in your IF lines. This is
critical.

Creating a Practical Application Using Branching

While the sample batch file above demonstrates the use of
the IF and GOTO commands, it doesn't serve any useful
function. Let's create a batch file which solves a serious
problem.

It's all too easy to accidentally format a hard disk,
particularly with versions of DOS earlier than 3.0. By
simply typing the command FORMAT and pressing a key, all
your hard disk files can be destroyed. DOS 3.0 and later
add a warning message, but an unwary user or a malicious
intruder can still easily format any hard disk.

You can protect yourself against this disaster with the
following batch file. It's called FORMAT.BAT. Since PC/MS-
DOS will execute a .COM file before a .BAT file, you need to
rename the DOS formatting utility.

Change to your DOS directory, and give the following
command:

REN FORMAT.COM FRMT.COM

This is the first step in your protection scheme. Renaming
the FORMAT.COM allows your FORMAT.BAT file to take over when
the command, FORMAT, is given.










Page 28


Now, create the following batch file, storing it in a
directory on your hard disk which is included in your path
statement. Do not include the REM statement explaining how
to enter the Ctrl+G command. Name the file FORMAT.BAT.


ECHO OFF
CLS
IF %1. == . GOTO NOPARM
IF %1 == A: GOTO CORRECT
IF %1 == a: GOTO CORRECT
IF %1 == B: GOTO CORRECT
IF %1 == b: GOTO CORRECT
IF %1 == C: GOTO ABORT
IF %1 == c: GOTO ABORT
IF %1 == D: GOTO ABORT
IF %1 == d: GOTO ABORT
GOTO WRONG
:NOPARM
ECHO ^G REM ***Hold down Ctrl and press the G key***
ECHO You must enter a drive designator to format a
disk.
ECHO Enter the command this way...FORMAT A:... using
the
ECHO drive designator for the correct drive.
PAUSE
GOTO END
:CORRECT
ECHO Preparing to format a floppy disk.
PAUSE
FRMT %1
GOTO END
:ABORT
ECHO ^G
ECHO ^G
ECHO You have specified a hard disk for formatting!
ECHO You cannot format your hard disk from this batch
file!
ECHO Use an alternate method!
PAUSE
GOTO END
:WRONG
ECHO ^G
ECHO You have entered an invalid drive designator...
ECHO Try again. Don't forget the colon. (
GOTO END
:END
CLS

Let's take a look at the IF statements in this file. First,
using the technique discussed earlier, the file checks to
see if a parameter has been included in the command line.
If not, it branches to a subroutine called :NOPARM, which
tells the user to include a drive designator.









Page 29



Next, the batch file checks to see if the parameter entered
on the command line is a floppy drive. It tests for upper
and lower case entries for drives A: and B:. If any floppy
disk drive designator is given, the file branches to the
:CORRECT subroutine. There, the FRMT command is given,
executing the renamed formatting utility. The original
command line parameter %1 passes to the FRMT.COM program.

The next four lines check to see if the user entered the
name of a hard disk, either drive C: or drive D:. Again,
both upper and lower case are tested. If these drives are
on the command line, the batch file branches to the :ABORT
subroutine. That routine sounds an alarm and refuses to
format the hard disk.

Finally, if the user has specified an invalid drive, or left
off the colon ( following the drive letter, the GOTO WRONG
line sends the program to another routine, which explains
the error.

Notice that each routine ends with a GOTO END line. This is
very important, and keeps the batch file from accidentally
drifting into another routine.

You can customize this hard disk protection system to fit
your particular configuration. Just alter it to reflect the
drives on your own PC.

You should be able to think of a number of other ways to use
this feature of the IF command. Branching is an excellent
way to add power to your batch files.

TESTING FOR THE EXISTENCE OF A FILE

The IF command can also check whether or not a particular
file exists. This can be very useful. For example, if you
wanted to copy files from a floppy disk onto your hard disk,
but only if that file already exists on the hard disk, this
use of the IF command can save you time. You might do this
to update files on the hard disk.

Here is a batch file which does just that. Call it
COPYIF.BAT.

ECHO OFF
CLS
IF EXIST C:\%1\%2 GOTO EXECUTE
GOTO WRONG
:EXECUTE
ECHO Copying A:%2 to C:\%1 directory...
COPY A:%2 C:\%1
PAUSE
GOTO END









Page 30


:WRONG
ECHO That file does not exist in the C:\%1 directory.
PAUSE
GOTO END
:END
CLS

After creating COPYIF.BAT, try it out. Put a floppy disk in
drive A: which contains files which are also in a directory
on your hard disk.

Use the DIR command to get a list of files. Now type the
following command:

COPYIF [DIRECTORY NAME] [FILENAME]

Substitute appropriate information in the command to fit
your particular directory and files. When the batch file
runs, it will check the directory (%1) for the file (%2),
then copy the file from drive A: if it finds the file also
in the directory on drive C:

Try this again, but name a directory which doesn't contain
the file you name on the command line. You can see how the
IF command works here.

This is a useful batch file, but it might even be more
useful if it only copied the file from drive A: into the
directory if that file did NOT already exist in the
directory you name.

DOS can do this as well. To change COPYIF.BAT to perform
this function, just change the third line to read:

IF NOT EXIST C:\%1\%2 GOTO EXECUTE

Make this change in your COPYIF.BAT file, and save it with
the new name COPYNOT.BAT. Try this new batch file the same
way you did before. Now it only copies the file from drive
A: if it doesn't exist on drive C: in the specified
directory. A batch file like COPYNOT.BAT is one way to
prevent overwriting an existing file.


BATCH FILE LOOPS WITH FOR...IN...DO

No programming language is complete without a way of
creating loops. A loop is a way of repeating a routine as
long as a certain condition exists. DOS allows a limited
use of loops in batch files, using the FOR...IN...DO command
series.

These loops are limited to dealing with filenames as the
limiting structures. Here is the syntax:









Page 31



FOR %%variable IN (set) DO command

That's slightly confusing. The %%variable is a dummy
variable, composed of a single character. An example is
%%A. All this really does is give DOS a handle to work
with.

The (set) described in the syntax is a list of files. Most
often, this set uses DOS wildcards (? & *) to represent
groups of files. For example, typical sets might include
(*.*), (C:\*.*) or (C:\WP\DOC\*.BAK). You can include
multiple entries inside the parentheses. To act on all
.DOC,.BAK, and .TXT files, the set would be
(*.DOC,*.BAK,*.TXT). You can use either commas or spaces to
separate the individual files or wildcard entries. Just
remember that the set you specify is the group of files you
want to act upon.

Finally, the command part of this structure can be any DOS
command. To make this complex command series clearer, let's
create a sample batch file. What this file will do is
delete all the files with the extension .BAK in the \WP\DOC
subdirectory on drive C: This is something most users do
from time to time. Naturally, you can substitute any other
directory when you create the file. Call the file
KILLBAK.BAT.


ECHO OFF
CLS
ECHO This file will delete all .BAK files from
C:\WP\DOC.
ECHO If you do not want to do this, press
[Ctrl]+[Break].
PAUSE
FOR %%A IN (C:\WP\DOC\*.BAK) DO DEL %%A
ECHO All files with the extension .BAK have been
deleted.
PAUSE
CLS

You can use any DOS command in place of DEL. If, for
example, you wanted to copy all files with the extension
.COM from drive A: to drive B:, the command would look like
this:

FOR %%A IN (*.COM) DO COPY A:%%A B:

Similarly, to print out all your .BAT files in the \BATCH
directory on your hard disk, the command would look like
this:

FOR %%A IN (*.BAT) DO COPY C:\BATCH\%%A PRN









Page 32



It's easy to see how useful this looping command structure
can be in your batch files. You can repeatedly perform a
DOS command, controlling the files it operates on by
changing the variables in the FOR...IN...DO command
structure. Experiment with these commands in your batch
files.

CONTROLLING YOUR PRINTER WITH BATCH FILES

In the last part of this series of articles, I promised that
I would include a method of controlling your printer using
batch files. While the current crop of dot-matrix printers
have some wonderful capabilities, making use of them can be
a chore.

You can either write a short program in BASIC to send
commands to the printer, or use a special printer utility
program. Both of these systems work, but take time you
could spend more productively.

The problem lies in DOS. In its wisdom, Microsoft wrote
PC/MS-DOS in a way that prevents you from sending the Escape
character (ASCII 27) to your printer. You can send almost
any other character to the printer in a batch file with the
ECHO command and the redirection character (>). Any other
character, that is, except the Escape character.

Most printer commands are preceded with the Escape
character, so it's normally impossible to control your
printer from the system prompt.

For this printer control system to work, then, you need a
program which can do what DOS can't do. Fortunately for all
of us, Calvin R. Shields has placed such a program in the
public domain. A short program, written in assembly
language, it also illustrates another use of batch files.

Create the following batch file, using your favorite method.
Be very careful to type the program exactly as it appears
here, including the blank lines. Call it MAKE-ESC.BAT.

GOTO START
A 100
XOR DX,DX
MOV AX,001B
INT 17
MOV BX,0080
MOV CL,[BX]
XOR CH,CH
JCXZ 011F
INC BX
DEC CX
JCXZ 011F









Page 33


INC BX
MOV AL,[BX]
XOR DX,DX
XOR AH,AH
INT 17
LOOP 0114
INT 20

R CX
21
n esc.com
w
q

:START
DEBUG < MAKE-ESC.BAT


Notice the first line of the file, which sends the program
to the :START subroutine. There, this batch file calls the
DOS DEBUG program, using the redirection character to make
DEBUG assemble the program, ESC.COM, from the assembly
language routines included in the batch file. This is a
very creative use of batch files.

Before running this batch file, make sure that DEBUG.COM or
DEBUG.EXE (depending on your version of DOS) is in your
current path. If you are using floppy disks, copy the DEBUG
program onto the disk containing MAKE-ESC.BAT.

Run the batch file. You will see a brief error message,
caused when DEBUG finds the first line of the program.
Ignore this message. Once the file runs, you will have a
33-byte program called ESC.COM on your disk. This program
does what DOS can't do: it sends the Escape character to
your printer, which must be connected to the parallel port,
LPT1:.

To make ESC.COM work, all you have to do is give the
command, ESC, followed by a space and the command you want
to send to the printer. For example, the command which
resets an Epson-compatible printer looks like this:

ESC @

The simplicity of these commands makes controlling your
printer easy. But who can remember all the commands?
That's where batch files come into the picture.

To create a system for setting your printer's
characteristics, all you have to do is write a short batch
file which gives the commands needed to set the printer.
Name each batch file with an easy-to-remember name.










Page 34


The batch files which follow will work with any Epson or
Epson-compatible printer. If you use another type of
printer, substitute the command for your printer in the
batch file.

Let's start with the reset command, which will put the
printer in the start-up mode. Call this file RESET.BAT.

ECHO OFF
CLS
ESC @

Here's another file. This one sets the printer to its Near
Letter Quality mode. Call it NLQ.BAT.

ECHO OFF
CLS
ESC X1

I've included the ECHO OFF and CLS lines to keep your screen
clear when you issue the commands.

Here's another sample. Call this one BOLD.BAT.

ECHO OFF
CLS
ESC E

By consulting your printer's manual, you can find all the
commands which make your printer jump through its hoops.
Write a separate batch file for each command, and you will
soon have a printer control system which can handle every
function. You can also combine functions by entering the
commands, one-at-a-time.

If your printer is an Epson compatible, the batch files in
LISTING 1 will handle almost every possible function.
Again, if you use another kind of printer, consult your
manual for the appropriate commands.

Place the batch files and the ESC.COM program in a directory
which is in your current path. Then, whenever you need to
send a command to your printer, just give the name of the
appropriate batch file as a DOS command.

The next part of this series will show you how to make batch
files even more flexible, using additional commands and
external programs. There are a number of commercial, public
domain, and shareware programs which can add power to your
batch programming.

##End main copy##











Page 35




LISTING 1

These batch files are designed to be used with the ESC.COM
program in the main article. If your printer is Epson-
compatible, the system will work as written. If you have
another brand of printer, substitute the appropriate
commands. Create these files using the COPY CON command or
use your favorite text editor in its ASCII Mode.


RESET.BAT -- Sets the printer to its default mode.

ECHO OFF
CLS
ESC @


PICA.BAT -- Sets pica (10 characters/in.)

ECHO OFF
CLS
ESC P


ELITE.BAT -- Sets elite (12 characters/in.)

ECHO OFF
CLS
ESC M


CONDENSE.BAT -- Sets condensed type.

ECHO OFF
CLS
ESC ^O REM **+**


TINY.BAT -- Sets microtype (20+ characters/in.)

ECHO OFF
CLS
ESC M
ESC ^O REM **+**
ESC S1
ESC 1


ITALIC.BAT -- Sets italic mode

ECHO OFF
CLS









Page 36


ESC 4


UNITALIC.BAT -- Cancels italic mode

ECHO OFF
CLS
ESC 5



WIDE.BAT -- Sets double-width type

ECHO OFF
CLS
ESC W1


UNWIDE.BAT -- Cancels double-width

ECHO OFF
CLS
ESC W0


NLQ.BAT -- Sets Near Letter Quality mode.

ECHO OFF
CLS
ESC x1


UNLQ.BAT -- Cancels Near Letter Quality

ECHO OFF
CLS
ESC x0


6LPI.BAT -- Sets 6 line/in. spacing.

ECHO OFF
CLS
ESC 2


8LPI.BAT -- Sets 8 line/in. spacing.

ECHO OFF
CLS
ESC 0


10LPI.BAT -- Sets 10 line/in. spacing.









Page 37



ECHO OFF
CLS
ESC 1


BOLD.BAT -- Sets Boldface.

ECHO OFF
CLS
ESC E


NOBOLD.BAT -- Cancels Boldface.

ECHO OFF
CLS
ESC F


UNDRLINE.BAT -- Underlines all text.

ECHO OFF
CLS
ESC -1


NO-UNDER.BAT -- Cancels underlining.

ECHO OFF
CLS
ESC -0


2STRIKE.BAT -- Starts double-strike mode.

ECHO OFF
CLS
ESC G


1STRIKE.BAT -- Starts single-strike mode.

ECHO OFF
CLS
ESC H

##End Listing 1##















Campbell -- Batch Power Page 38






The Power of PC\MS-DOS Batch Files

by
George Campbell


Part 4: Adding More Power



In the first three parts of this series on batch files, you
learned many of the techniques possible with PC/MSDOS batch
processing. By now, you're probably using batch files to
perform many functions you used to do, one command at a
time, from the system prompt.

In this article, which will be the last part of this series,
you'll learn ways you can expand your batch processing even
further. Although PC/MSDOS batch files have the power to
make your PC do things you didn't expect, there are
limitations to batch operations. Here are some ways to get
around those limitations:

GETTING KEYSTROKES FROM EXTERNAL FILES

One of the major limitations of a PC/MSDOS batch file is the
inability to insert keystrokes into the batch file from the
keyboard. You can't stop a batch file, ask for user input,
then continue with the execution of the batch file. There
are many times when you might want to do just that.

PC/MSDOS has several commands which insist on user input.
FORMAT, DISKCOPY, and DEL *.* are three of those commands.
If your goal is complete automation of a command with batch
files, these three operations will stall your batch file
until you type a letter.

Fortunately, there's a way to bypass this limitation. All
you need to do is create an external ASCII file which
contains the keystroke. Here's a good example:

In my own work, I often place files in a directory on my
hard disk, called C:\TEMP. Once I'm finished working with
those files, I want to delete them from the disk. To do
this means using the DEL *.* command. PC/MSDOS, however,
insists that I confirm the command by typing a Y. If I give
the command from a batch file, I still have to type the
letter.











Campbell -- Batch Power Page 39


To get around this problem, you can create a file which
contains just the letter, Y and a carriage return. I call
the file YES.ASC. Create this file by entering the
keystrokes shown below:

COPY CON YES.ASC
Y
F6

With that file stored on the disk, you can tell a batch file
to take its input from the file and send it to any program
called by the batch file. Using the example above, here's a
batch file, named KILLTEMP.BAT, which deletes all files from
the directory C:\TEMP:

ECHO OFF
CLS
DEL C:\TEMP\*.* <YES.ASC
Create this file, using either the COPY CON command, or your
text editor. Substitute a directory name which applies to
your computer for the one shown here.

This batch file works by using redirection. The "less than"
symbol (<) tells PC/MSDOS to take directions from the file,
YES.ASC rather than from the keyboard. When the command DEL
*.* gives the message "Are you sure (Y/N)," it sees the
character "Y" included in the YES.ASC file, and thinks
you've typed the letter on the keyboard.

You can use this technique with any DOS command which asks
for a confirmation from the user. Be very careful, however,
not to use the method if there is any danger of deleting
important files.

External text files can be used to create all sorts of
useful DOS utilities. Take the FORMAT command, for example.
This program in DOS requires user keystrokes which slow down
the process of formatting new floppy disks.

If you hate the job of formatting a pile of floppies, you
can create a disk formatting utility which will format
floppy disks continuously, prompting you to insert a new
floppy disk and press a key.

To make this batch file work, you need to create a very
short text file which contains the keystrokes needed for the
PC-MSDOS FORMAT.COM program. Call this file RESPONSE.ASC,
and create it with the following commands:

COPY CON RESPONSE.ASC

N
F6









Campbell -- Batch Power Page 40



Once you've created that file, you can set up a .BAT file to
format diskettes continuously. Since this file is rather
long and complex, I suggest using your text editor or word
processor to create the file. Remember to save the file as
a pure ASCII file. Call this file CFORMAT.BAT.

ECHO OFF
IF .%1 ==. GOTO NOPARM
IF %1 == c: GOTO NOHARD
IF %1 == C: GOTO NOHARD
CLS
GOTO START
:START
ECHO Alt+255*
ECHO COMPUTER SHOPPER'S CONTINUOUS FORMAT UTILITY
ECHO Alt+255*
ECHO Alt+255*
ECHO Alt+7*
Echo Insert a new disk in drive %1 or press Ctrl+Break
PAUSE
CLS
ECHO Alt+255*
ECHO Alt+255*
ECHO Alt+255*
ECHO Now formatting....do not disturb disk in drive %1!
FORMAT NUL
GOTO RETURN
:NOPARM
ECHO Alt+255*
ECHO Alt+255*
ECHO YOU MUST ENTER A DRIVE NAME. EXAMPLE CFORMAT A
PAUSE
GOTO QUIT
:HARD
ECHO Alt+255*
ECHO Alt+255*
ECHO YOU CANNOT FORMAT A HARD DISK WITH THIS UTILITY.
ECHO NOW RETURNING TO DOS....
PAUSE
GOTO QUIT
:RETURN
GOTO START
:QUIT
CLS

* Hold down the key while you type the number on the
numeric keypad.


This batch file uses many of the techniques presented in
earlier parts of this series, including replaceable
parameters, subroutines, and conditional branching. It also
uses the RESPONSE.ASC file to feed responses to the









Campbell -- Batch Power Page 41


FORMAT.COM program. The line which reads, FORMAT
NUL, is the key to this utility. It calls
the DOS FORMAT routine, then directs the program to take its
responses from the text file you created. Finally, the >NUL
at the end of the line keeps the normal screen messages from
FORMAT.COM off the screen.

To use this program, copy CFORMAT.BAT and RESPONSE.ASC to
the disk or directory which contains FORMAT.COM. When you
give the command, CFORMAT, add the drive name for your
floppy disks. If you don't include a drive name in your
command, the program will abort and remind you. If you
specify drive C:, the batch file branches to the :NOHARD
subroutine and aborts with a warning.

The utility formats the disk, then returns to the beginning,
beeps to remind you to change disks, and formats the next
disk when you press a key.

If you have a hard disk drive and two floppy drives, another
version of this file can format disks in both drives,
speeding up the process even further. Create this file in
the same way, but name it CFORMAT2.BAT.

ECHO OFF
CLS
goto START
:START
CLS
ECHO Alt+255*
ECHO Alt+255*
ECHO COMPUTER SHOPPER'S CONTINUOUS FORMAT UTILITY
ECHO Alt+255*
ECHO Alt+7*
ECHO Be sure to turn your TURBO mode off.
ECHO Alt+255*
ECHO ECHO Insert new disks in drives A: and B:
ECHO Alt+255*
ECHO To exit, press Ctrl+Break.
PAUSE
CLS
ECHO Alt+255*
ECHO Alt+255*
ECHO Alt+255*
ECHO Now formatting....do not disturb disk in drive A:
FORMAT NUL
ECHO Now formatting....do not disturb disk in drive B:
FORMAT NUL
GOTO RETURN
:RETURN
GOTO START
:QUIT
CLS










Campbell -- Batch Power Page 42


* Hold down the key while you type the number on the
numeric keypad.

This file works in the same way, but automatically formats
blank disks in both drive A: and drive B:. Each time the
routine runs, it beeps to remind you to change disks. I
timed this routine, and it saves about 30% of the normal
disk formatting time.

You can use the same redirection technique to automate other
utility programs which require keyboard input. Try writing
your own batch file to make the DISKCOPY command run
continuously. You'll need to write a text file, containing
the keystrokes needed for that command, plus a batch file
similar to the ones used for the FORMAT command.

CREATING BATCH FILE PRESENTATIONS AND DEMOS

Since batch files can automate many functions on your PC,
creating demos and presentations is a natural use for these
PC-MSDOS programs.

A presentation or demo is typically a series of screens,
displayed in order. Using batch files to make the process
automatic can let you concentrate on your presentation, and
not on operating the PC.

The first step in creating a demo is to create the screens
you want to display. Use your word processor or text editor
to create as many screens as you like. If you use Word
Perfect or another program which can do line drawing and
boxes, you can enhance these screens. Many word processors
can also use the +numeric keypad technique to display
extended ASCII characters, adding even more visual
possibilities.

Keep each screen down to 24 lines of text or less, so the
whole screen can be displayed without scrolling. Save your
screens in ASCII format, naming them SCREEN1.TXT,
SCREEN2.TXT, etc. Number the files in the order you want to
follow with your demo or presentation.

Now, create the batch file you'll use to display your
screens. Call it DEMO.BAT, or any other name you like.
Again, use your text editor or word processor to create the
file. Leave out the REM commands and messages when you
create the file.

ECHO OFF
CLS
PROMPT Alt+255 REM Eliminates the DOS prompt.
TYPE SCREEN1.TXT
PAUSE>NUL REM Shuts off the "Press a key" message.
CLS









Campbell -- Batch Power Page 43


TYPE SCREEN2.TXT
PAUSE>NUL
CLS
TYPE SCREEN3.TXT
.
.
.
.
TYPE SCREEN(n)
CLS
PROMPT REM Restores the dos prompt.

Expand this batch file to include all of your presentation
screens. When you run DEMO.BAT, it will clear the screen,
turn off the DOS prompt and load the first screen. To
change screens, just press any key on the keyboard. The
screen will clear and the next screen will appear.

You can use the same program to create presentations for
other users, as well. Just leave the >NUL off the PAUSE
lines in the batch file. Now you can mail a disk containing
your demo to another user. When that user types the
command, DEMO, your screens will display, with the line,
"Strike a key when ready," at the bottom of each screen to
prompt the user for a keystroke. Even unskilled PC users
won't have any trouble displaying your demo with this
system.

You'll find other uses for this presentation system. I use
it for displaying the documentation for shareware programs,
and for sending letters and other documents to PC users.

BATCH FILE EXTENSION SOFTWARE

There are a number of commercial, public domain, and
shareware programs designed to enhance your use of batch
programming. Using these external programs, you can add
even more power to your batch files. You may already have
one or more such programs in your software library. Here's
a brief rundown on some of the best:


THE NORTON UTILITIES

This powerful collection of utilities contains several
programs design to enhance your batch operations. If you
have this software, try out the following programs from the
collection:

ASK: This program does what DOS can't do, accepting
keyboard input from users during the execution of a batch
file. Especially useful in batch file menus, like the ones
described in the first part of this series, ASK allows you










Campbell -- Batch Power Page 44


to get a keystroke, then branch accordingly. This eliminates
the need for additional batch files to call programs.

BEEP: While you can cause your PC to beep in batch using the
ECHO Ctrl-G command, Norton's BEEP command allows you to
specify what kind of tone you get. You can even create
files to play simple tunes using this command.

SA: Short for Screen Attributes, this program allows you to
alter your computer's screen characteristics. You can set
up screen colors and other attributes by including this
command, plus parameters in your batch files. This one is
especially useful for the presentation system discussed
above.

For more information on THE NORTON UTILITIES, contact Peter
Norton Computing, Inc., 2210 Wilshire Blvd., #186, Santa
Monica, CA 90403. Phone: (800) 451-0303, Ext. 40.


EXTENDED BATCH LANGUAGE

This is a shareware program, designed specifically to
increase the power of your batch files. Using it, you can
accept user input, perform arithmetic functions, search for
files, and control the appearance of your computer's screen,
or use many more of the program's functions. This program is
a complete programming language in itself.

If you're serious about batch programming, this program is a
must for your library. Like all shareware, you're free to
try it out without charge. The author requests a
registration fee of $49 if you continue to use the program.
That fee brings you additional functions and a complete
manual.

EXTENDED BATCH LANGUAGE is available for downloading on
GEnie and Compuserve, and can be found in the catalogs of
most shareware distributors. It's also available directly
from Seaware Corp., P.O. Box 1656, Delray Beach, FL 33444,
Phone: (305) 392-2046.


FSTSCRN2

This public domain program performs a very useful function.
It converts an ASCII file, no more than 24 lines long, into
a .COM file. By giving the name of the file as a command,
you cause it to display on your monitor.

What makes this program exciting is the way these converted
ASCII screens pop onto the monitor almost instantly. Use
this program for menu screens, help screens, and screens
used in the presentation system described above.









Campbell -- Batch Power Page 45



Rather than displaying the screen with the TYPE command,
just give the screen's filename as a command and you have
instant response. FSTSCRN2 can add a professional look to
your batch files.

Download the program from CompuServe or GEnie. It's also
available on many local BBS systems.

THEDRAW

Designing attractive screens can be a problem. Using a word
processor, especially when you want to include extended
ASCII characters for simple graphics, can be a complicated
process.

THEDRAW is designed to solve just that problem. Written by
California programmer, Ian Davis, it is a complete screen
design utility. Using this program, you can create complex
and attractive screens for menus, presentations, or demos --
and you can do it quickly.

The program even allows you to add color changes within your
screen and, using ANSI.SYS in your CONFIG.SYS file, you can
even create animated screens. THEDRAW screens are displayed
with the TYPE command.

Available on CompuServe, GEnie, and from most shareware
distributors, the program is shareware, with a registration
fee of $10. Contact the author directly at TheSoft
Programming Services, 1929 Whitecliff Court, Walnut Creek,
CA 94596.


BOOTS

This is a collection of three public domain utilities, which
you can use in batch files to control booting your PC.
WARMBOOT.COM simulates the ++ keystroke
combination and causes a warm boot of your PC.

COLDBOOT.COM, the second program, simulates a cold boot.
Instead of hitting the reset or power switch, you can reboot
by giving the command, COLDBOOT.

BOOTNOT.COM prevents a user from rebooting with the
++ key combination. This is very useful,
especially if inexperienced users might destroy data on your
PC by accident.

The other two programs can be included in batch files
whenever you need to reboot your system. One possible use
would be to remove memory-resident programs. I use it this










Campbell -- Batch Power Page 46


way to remove a memory-resident program or a RAM disk which
might interfere with another program.

BOOTS is available on GEnie and CompuServe for downloading.


FIXBEEP

Most users are quickly annoyed with the monotonous beep
produced by their computers. If you've ever dreamed about
replacing that beep with another sound, FIXBEEP is the
answer.

Written by Mike Blaszczak, FIXBEEP, allows you to change
that sound to anything you want. The program is shareware,
but the registration fee is only $5.

Use fixbeep in your batch files to change the beep tone.
You can alter the tone to signal different operations in
your file, signalling the user to take action. For example,
to change the normal beep to a short, high-pitched sound,
include the following command in any batch file.

FIXBEEP /F3000 /D50

This command would produce a tone with a pitch of 3000
hertz, lasting for half a second.

FIXBEEP is available on The Source, CompuServe, and GEnie,
as well as from the author. Contact Mike "Nifty James"
Blaszczak, 112 Verlinden Drive, Monroeville, PA 15146.


TOGGLE

There are many occasions when you might want to turn the
CapsLock or NumLock function on or off from a batch file.
The two programs in TOGGLE, CAPLOCK.COM and NUMLOCK.COM,
allow you to do just that.

I use NUMLOCK.COM in the batch files which call my
spreadsheet and accounting programs. It saves me from the
mistakes I usually make by forgetting to press the NumLock
key.

TOGGLE is in the public domain, and is available for
downloading on GEnie and Compuserve.


E88

If your word processor can't save files in ASCII format, or
if you would just like to have a simple, fast text editor










Campbell -- Batch Power Page 47


for creating and altering batch files, E88 may be just the
editor you need.

It produces pure ASCII files, and has a text search
function, along with block moves and other editing functions
you'll find useful for batch programming.

E88 is easy to learn, fast, and, for programming purposes,
is often better than a full-fledged word processor. The
program is shareware, but the author asks only $10 as a
registration fee.

E88 is available for downloading from GEnie and CompuServe,
or you can contact the author at M.R.E. Software, 150 Jones
St., West Point, MS 39773


SPECIAL OFFER

As a service to the readers of this series on batch files,
I'll be happy to send readers a disk containing all the
public domain and shareware programs mentioned above. To
cover the costs of copying and mailing, send $7.50 for a
5.25" floppy disk or $10 for a 3.5" disk to:

George Campbell
1472 Sixth St.
Los Osos, CA 93402

Be sure to mention the batch file articles, and specify your
disk size. All of these programs contain their own
documentation in an ASCII file which you can copy to your
printer. If you use these programs regularly, please honor
the shareware concept by sending the registration fee to the
authors who request it.


TIPS FOR EFFECTIVE BATCH PROGRAMMING

1. Plan your batch files before you begin to write them.
Make a list of the functions you want to perform, then begin
creating the file. Always give batch files easy-to-remember
filenames to avoid errors.

2. Include lines which use the ECHO command to print screen
messages. Users, yourself included, will benefit from
screen messages which explain what's going on during batch
file execution.

3. In any batch file which uses replaceable parameters,
include an IF line to check whether or not a parameter was
given with the command. If not, GOTO a subroutine which
explains the correct syntax for the batch file. The
CFORMAT.BAT in this article is a good example.









Campbell -- Batch Power Page 48



4. If you have a hard disk, create a directory called
C:\BATCH, and store all your batch files in that directory.
If you include the directory in your PATH command, you'll be
able to access your batch files while you're in any
directory on your hard disk. Here's a sample PATH command:

PATH = C:\;C:\DOS;C:\BATCH

Thanks to reader Roger Paulson for reminding me of this
important tip.

5. You can give the command to execute another batch file in
any batch file. To return to the original batch file, just
give its filename as the last line of your second file. You
can't call the current batch file, however, from within that
file.

6. Use the +255 technique to create blank lines with
the ECHO command, and to eliminate the DOS prompt with the
PROMPT command. This works with all versions of DOS, from
2.0 on. Be sure to leave a space between the command and
the key combination, and always use the number pad to enter
the numbers.

Note: You can also insert any extended ASCII character,
such as the ASCII graphics characters, using the same
technique. Just substitute the correct ASCII code in place
of the 255 code for a blank character. You'll find a chart
showing these codes in your DOS manual.

7. Don't use the DOS redirection characters (< and >) in
ECHO, PROMPT, or PAUSE lines in your batch files. DOS sees
them as part of a command and will respond with the "Bad
command or filename" error message. Substitute brackets
([]) or curly brackets ({}) instead.

8. When testing new batch files, you'll often encounter
error messages. These usually mean you've misspelled a
command or left out a space after ECHO, PROMPT, or PAUSE
commands. Check for these errors first.

9. Memory-resident programs sometimes conflict with each
other. If you encounter unusual problems after adding a
memory-resident program's command to an AUTOEXEC.BAT file,
try changing the order of the programs. You may have to try
several orders to make your memory-resident programs
cooperate.

10. Finally, experiment with batch files. Anytime you find
yourself typing the same series of DOS commands, consider
creating a batch file to automate your computing.





__________________
Microsoft Support.

 

[greven]

Para segundo post, digamos que... não poupas-te nas palavras!! OTF is this? Man, poderias ter posto um link ou isso, é que eu ia gastando o scroll do meu rato só para chegar ao fim do texto e também dúvido que alguém vá ler este pequenino texto...

 

[kazuza]

O que ele te queria dizer, e com razão, é que um script de DOS pode f**er-te o sistema todo num ápice...

 

[greven]

Originally posted by kazuza
O que ele te queria dizer, e com razão, é que um script de DOS pode f**er-te o sistema todo num ápice...

Pode ter razão! Mas se eu lesse aquilo tudo que ficava f***** era eu! Mas da cabeça!

 

[Korben_Dallas]

Achei bastante útil. Thanks.

 

[greven]

Desculpem lá a ignorância, a vocês a última parte do texto não vos aparece toda riscada? E até o report this to a moderator aparece riscado! Porque é que isto acontece?

 

[banid0]

Originally posted by greven
E até o report this to a moderator aparece riscado! Porque é que isto acontece?

Parece que alguem correu um batch no servidor

LOL! ...

uma bequinha po seca não?

 

[Mendázio]

Não poderia colocar o link porque a informação é de um livro e estava num site de warez que não é permitido no fórum . Eu estou a ler e estou a gostar bastante .

 

[Feiticeiro]

Ficheiros bat são poderosos até.
A uns anos quando o Win 95 era o SO do povo, fiz um bat e juntei na mesma disquete uns ficheiros de um jogo porno. Dei a um colega e disse-lhe que era um jogo porno. Ele para correr o jogo teve que executar esse bat, só que deu uma mensagem de erro a dizer que por falta de memória o jogo não poderia ser carregado (era normal isso acontecer quando um gajo tinha 8mb de ram). Só que por trás sem ele se aperceber, apaguei-lhe o conteúdo de um folder que ele tinha no disco cheio de cenas porno. Ele uns dias depois é que reparou que o tal folder tinha ido com os porcos, mas ele nunca soube porque. Uns tempos depois contei-lhe.

 

[greven]

Originally posted by WinXPMVP
Não poderia colocar o link porque a informação é de um livro e estava num site de warez que não é permitido no fórum . Eu estou a ler e estou a gostar bastante .

Ah, ok, já percebi então pq colocaste assim. Tasse.

Feiticeiro... seu pornografo!

 

[Zealot]

Feiticeiro... seu pornografo!

As coisas que uma pessoa acaba por descobrir...

 

[banid0]

As coisas que uma pessoa acaba por descobrir...

THREAD DIGGER