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|---------------B A T C H L R N  H E L P  S Y S T E M-----------------|
|commandS:Various paramters used in commands, including batch cmds.   |
|use:To modify or otherwise change the effect of the command.         |
|                                                                     |
|how:Type <command> <parameter> or use parameters in batch files.     |
|                                                                     |
|examples:There are many batch files on this disk you can study to    |
| see how Parameters work. Also see examples included below.          |
|                                                                     |
|explanation:Parameters are extra pieces of information that you type |
| after many DOS cmnds.or in batch file instructions.DIR B:/W,for ex- |
| ample, illustrates modification of the DOS command DIR. By adding   |
| the parameters B: and /W you are modifying basic operation of the   |
| command. You pass parameters to batch files the same way--by typing |
| the information after the batch command, but BEFORE typing the      |
| balance of the information. This process is called "testing". This  |
| will seem complicated at first, but once you get the hang of it you |
| will wonder why you didn't know about batch processing (replaceable)|
| parameters before. Parameters may be used any place in a batch file |
| they are needed to "test" for the presence of something you typed,  |
| (or DIDN'T TYPE) at the prompt (it WILL get clearer!).              |
| The secret to understanding batch file parameters is to slowly work |
| into the subject. The batch processing file uses parameters in sev- |
| eral ways as it is being run and this (at first) makes comprehension|
| difficult. "Markers" are used within the batch file as "signals" as |
| to wh/parameter goes where. Markers are comprised of a percent sign |
| (%) and a single digit between 0 and 9 (that's ten markers in use   |
| at any one time--remember that zero is a number). The %0 is ALWAYS  |
| the NAME OF THE BATCH PROCESSING FILE! As if it wasn't confusing    |
| enough already, many manuals refer to markers as simply "variables".|
| The name, obviously, is not as important as the concept. To cover   |
| this, however, we also have a file called:VAR.HLP. It covers the    |
| fact that THERE IS a difference between parameters and variables.   |
|                                                                     |
| examples: Assume that a batch file named COLORGO.BAT is on the cur- |
| rent drive. This file contains ONLY a  single command:              |
|       ECHO %0 %1 %2 %3  [ECHO shows messages on the screen].        |
| If, at the DOS prompt, you typed: COLORGO Red Blue Green THAT cmd.  |
| would recognize that FOUR parameters were passed to the batch file. |
| The batch file via the ECHO would display them on the screen in the |
| order received (0=colorgo{name of .BAT file}; %1=red; %2=blue & %3= |
| green) in the form you typed in. The parameters and markers were    |
| related,(to restate),as follows... ECHO COLORGO Red Blue Green      |
|                                            %0    %1  %2    %3       |
|          TO EXPLAIN REPLACEABLE PARAMETERS ANOTHER WAY:             |
| You can include dummy parameters within your batch file which DOS   |
| will replace with values you supply on the command line when exe-   |


| cuting the file. Using replaceable parameters allows you to specify |
| DIFFERENT sets of data every time you run the batch file. You can   |
| use up to 10 parameters; if more are needed, the shift command (SEE |
| SHIFT.HLP)can be used to extend the available set. Note that OTHER  |
| areas in the batch file can recognize the %X parameters as well.For |
| example, you might want a message: ECHO ...WORK COMPLETE ON %1      |
| the batch file would repeat the message but replace %1 with the name|
| you typed on the command or prompt line. Examine the .BAT files on  |
| this disk to see many examples of how this is accomplished.         |
| Another example of replaceable parameters is shown below:           |
|								      |
|                      FINDIT B: ROUND BLUE                           |
|								      |
| When you type in a command, the command itself (FINDIT) is para-    |
| meter %0. The parameter following the COMMAND (B:) is %1, and so on.|
| In the example, therefore, ROUND=%1 and BLUE=%2 (a % for each word) |
| All parameters following the cmd.take on succesive parameter values.|
|								      |
| Here is another way to illustrate parameters (the loop file):       |
|                          LOOP MYDEMO.DOC                            |
|             REM - LOOP BATCH FILE FOR %1                            |
|             TYPE %1                                                 |
|             .                                                       |
|             .           (MYDEMO.DOC {%!} is displayed)              |
|             .                                                       |
|             CLS                                                     |
|             LOOP                                                    |


|             REM - LOOP BATCH FILE FOR %1                            |
|             .                                                       |
|             . (FILE IS DISPLAYED again)                             |
|             .                                                       |
|             FILE WILL KEEP GOING UNTIL YOU CTRL C OR CTRL-BREAK     |
|                                                                     |
| While not particularly useful,this batch file serves to demonstrate |
| replaceable parameters. There are a few ways in which such a file   |
| (looping batch file) like the one above could be used. It could     |
| continuously run a software demonstration package or graphics       |
| animation program with a loop. You could also test the integrity of |
| hardware by running a continuous test program over and over until   |
| you stopped it.						      |
|                						      |
| Here's an experiment with replaceable parameters you can try:       |
|                      (Create the following file)                    |
|               COPY CON:SEEFILE.BAT                                  |
|               TYPE %1                                               |
|               TYPE %2                                               |
|               TYPE %3                                               |
|               <F6> <RETURN>                                         |
| This batch file will display,using TYPE,the files that you specify  |
| as the first,second, and third parameters on the command line. Each |


| filename.ext type would be typed in the order requested, on the CRT.|
| screen. You could also use *.* (wildcards) as %1 and it would dis-  |
| play a whole group of files ( or *.DOC to display THOSE files). You |
| could also use *.DOC as %1; *.TXT as %2, etc. When you use MULTIPLE |
| PARAMETERS in a batch file they MUST be separated by spaces. To ill-|
| ustrate:Often you have repetitive tasks which are quite similar,per-|
| haps differing only by the file being processed. A parameter is used|
| to provide a file name to the .BAT file. This way, a batch file can |
| immediately perform a task for you without having to be specially   |
| edited to match your current needs. For example, INFORM.BAT :       |
|                                                                     |
| On monday:                                                          |
|   INFORM THUR.DAT FRI.DAT SAT.DAT SUN.DAT                           |
| On thursday:   						      |
|   INFORM MON.DAT TUE.DAT WED.DAT                                    |
| Up to 10 parameters may be used. Our example, INFORM.BAT would have |
| a command line in its body. It could be COPY %1 + %2 + %3 + %4=A:RE-|
| PORT (which would copy the files into ONE called REPORT which could |
| then be renamed whatever you wanted). Or you could give a PRINT cmd.|


| such as: PRINT %1 %2 %3 %4. There is no limit to your instructions. |
|           REVIEW THE .BAT FILES ON THIS DISK WITH PARAMETERS        |
|								      |
| There may be times when you want to create an application program   |
| and run it with different sets of data. This data may be stored     |
| in various DOS files. Let's illustrate this & then examine our work.|
| For example, when you type the command line COPY CON DOFILE.BAT,    |
| the next lines you type are copied from the console to a file named |
| DOFILE.BAT on the default drive:                                    |
|                     COPY CON DOFILE.BAT                             |
|                     COPY %1.INF+%2.INF=%2.PRN                       |
|                     TYPE %2.PRN                                     |
|                     PRINT %2.PRN       			      |
| Now press <F6> or <ctrl/z> and then press <return>. DOS responds:   |


|                    "1 file(s) copied"                               |
| The file DOFILE.BAT, which consists of three commands, now resides  |
| on the disk in the default drive. It stands ready for variables!    |
| The dummy parameters %1 and %2 are replaced sequentially by the     |
| parameters you supply when you execute the file. The dummy parameter|
| %0 is always replaced by the drive designator, if specified, and    |
| the filename of the batch file (for example:DOFILE).Now let's do it!|
| To execute the batch file DOFILE.BAT and to specify the parameters  |
| that will replace the dummy param.(markers),you must type the batch |
| file name(without its extension) followed by the parameters you     |
| want DOS to substitute for %1, %2, etc. Let's look at what happens: |
|                                                                     |
|       (Remember that the file DOFILE.BAT consists of 3 lines):      |
|                       COPY %1.INF+%2.INF=%2.PRN
|                       TYPE %2.PRN                                   |
|                       PRINT %2.PRN                                  |
| To execute the batch processing file, DOFILE you might type:        |
|                        DOFILE A:DATA1 B:DATA2                       |
| DOFILE is substituted for %0, A:DATA1 for %1, and B:DATA2 for %2.   |


|             (notice how the drives can be inserted)                 |
| The result is the same as if you had typed each of the commands in  |
| DOFILE with their parameters, as follows:                           |
| COPY A:DATA1.INF+B:DATA2.INF=DATA2.PRN [COPY DATA1&DATA2=DATA2.PRN] |
| TYPE B:DATA2.PRN    [DISPLAYING THE COMBINED FILE]                  |
| PRINT B:DATA2.PRN   [PRINT THE COMBINED FILE]                       |
| The following illustrates how DOS replaces each of the parameters:  |
| BATCH    PARAMETER1  (%0)  PARAMETER2  (%1)   PARAMETER3  (%2)      |
| FILENAME  (DOFILE)          (DATA1)             (DATA2)             |
| DOFILE    DOFILE.BAT        DATA1.INF           DATA2.INF           |
|                                                 DATA2.PRN           |
|                                                                     |
|                            NOTES                                    |
| 1. Up to 10 dummy parameters (%0-%9) can be specified. Refer to the |
| DOS command SHIFT if you wish to specify more than 10 parameters.   |
| 2. If you use the percent sign as part of a FILE NAME within a      |
| batch file, you must type it twice. For example, to specify the file|
| XYZ%.BAT, you must type it as XYZ%%.BAT in the batch file.          |
|                                                                     |
|----------------- T  I  M  E  M  A  S  T  E  R  ---------------------|
