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JP Software
4OS2 Update Documentation
Version 2.0 -- December 16, 1993
[Copyright 1992 - 1993, JP Software Inc., All Rights Reserved.
Published by JP Software Inc., P.O. Box 1470, E. Arlington, MA 02174
USA, (617) 646-3975. 4OS2, 4OS2/16, and 4OS2/32 are trademarks and 4DOS
is a registered trademark of JP Software Inc. OS/2 is a trademark of
IBM Corporation. Other product and company names are trademarks of
their respective owners.]
There are dozens of new features in this latest release of 4OS2! Check
through this file for a comprehensive list of what's changed since
version 1.1.
This file does not explain how to use the new features. Be sure to
check the Reference Manual or online help for complete details on each
feature.
Some of the descriptions below may be more detailed than you need; if
you aren't using a feature, feel free to skip to the next item. If you
are new to 4OS2 with version 2.0, you can skip this file entirely, and
begin with the 4OS2 Introduction and Installation Guide.
This file is divided into the following sections:
General Features and Enhancements
Startup, Initialization, and 4OS2.INI
Command Line Editing and History
Aliases
Command Changes and Enhancements
Variables and Variable Functions
Major new features and those which affect most users are marked with
"**" in the lists below. Other items discuss smaller or more technical
changes.
This file is formatted at 58 lines per page, and contains form feeds and
page footers. It can be viewed with a file viewer such as the 4OS2 LIST
command, or printed on most PC printers using the command:
copy updat20.doc prn
Printing it with a program that formats the pages is not likely to work
due to the formatting included in the file.
(12/93-A)
4OS2 2.0 [12-16-93] UPDAT20.DOC page 1
4OS2 2.0 Change List
General Features and Enhancements
---------------------------------
=> ** Date, time, and size ranges are now available for all file
processing commands: ATTRIB, COPY, DEL, DESCRIBE, DIR, FOR,
LIST, MOVE, RD, REN, SELECT, and TYPE. Ranges allow you to
select files for processing based the date or date and time a
file was last modified (a date range); the modification time only
(a time range); the file size (a size range); or a combination of
these. This is a powerful feature which substantially expands
your file selection capabilities.
=> ** .BTM files can now be compressed (and thereby "encrypted") with
the new BATCOMP utility. 4OS2 reads and processes compressed
.BTM files just as it they were normal (uncompressed) files.
This makes it easy for PC and network managers to distribute
batch files whose contents cannot readily be altered by the end
user. (The compression algorithm used is designed for fast,
simple decompression, not extraordinarily efficient compression
ratios. Therefore its primary value is for batch file
distribution, not reduced disk usage.)
=> ** The maximum file description length has been increased to 200
characters, and the entire description is now displayed in the
DIR output.
=> ** The prompt options for COPY, DEL, GLOBAL, MOVE, and REN have a
third option now: 'R' (Remainder) turns off the Y/N/R prompt and
performs the operation on the remainder of the matching files.
=> Commands that take a /P to pause output at the end of each page
(ALIAS, DIR, SET, etc.) now accept an Esc as a "quit" character.
=> Popup windows for the history lists, @SELECT, and filename
completion now support horizontal scrolling. A left or right
arrow will move the window 4 columns.
=> Executable extensions can now call aliases as well as internal
and external commands.
=> The 4OS2 "prefix" commands (EXCEPT, FOR, GLOBAL, IF, and SELECT)
parse their arguments slightly differently. This should help
simplify batch files, and improve compatibility with CMD.EXE. As
a general rule, the need for multiple % signs and escape
characters on the line after such commands has been dramatically
reduced. If you have complex prefix commands with multiple %
signs, back-quotes, or escape characters in the command to be
executed you may have to edit them slightly to accommodate this change.
4OS2 2.0 [12-16-93] UPDAT20.DOC page 2
Startup, Initialization, and 4OS2.INI
-------------------------------------
=> 4START is now passed the startup command line as batch file
arguments. This allows you to determine what parameters an
application is passing to a secondary shell.
=> There are several new or changed 4OS2.INI directives:
** BrightBG = Yes | NO: Set to Yes to enable bright background
displays rather than blinking text on EGA and VGA systems.
See the section on Colors and Color Names in the manual or
online help before using BrightBG.
Descriptions = YES | No: Enables or disables processing of
file descriptions in COPY, DEL, MOVE, and REN.
HistCopy = Yes | NO: If set to YES, 4OS2 will copy a command
recalled from the history back to the end of the history
list.
HistLogName = filename: Specifies the default name for the
history log file.
INIQuery = Yes | NO: If set to Yes, 4OS2 will display a
prompt after each subsequent line in the current INI file.
** InputColors = Color: 4OS2 will display your command line
input in the specified color.
ListStatBarColors = Color: Sets the LIST status bar colors.
SelectColors = Color: Sets the SELECT screen colors.
SelectStatBarColors = Color: Sets the SELECT status bar
colors.
=> 4OS2 now allows non-4OS2 section names (names other than
[Primary] or [Secondary] in 4OS2.INI. Directives in such
sections are ignored.
Command Line Editing and History
--------------------------------
=> ** There is a popup directory history window which shows recent
directories you've used. (THis feature was present in 4OS2 1.11,
but was not documented in the manual.) To pop up the window,
press Ctrl-PgUp. Select a line and press Enter to return to the
highlighted directory.
4OS2 2.0 [12-16-93] UPDAT20.DOC page 3
=> ** There is a new filename completion window. F7 or Ctrl-Tab will
pop up a pick-list window of all the matching files, and Enter
will insert the selected filename into the command line.
=> ** You can set the colors for input you type at the prompt with the
new InputColors directive in 4OS2.INI.
=> You can control whether recalled history lines are copied to the
end of the history with the new HistCopy directive in 4OS2.INI.
=> History saves are now case-sensitive.
Aliases
-------
=> ** There is a new kind of keystroke alias. If you preface the key
name with two @ symbols, 4OS2 will execute the command
immediately, without echoing the alias.
=> ** If you enter an unknown command, 4OS2 will now look for an alias
"UNKNOWN_CMD", and will execute that alias after appending the
command line. WARNING: If the UNKNOWN_CMD alias contains an
unknown command, your system will loop forever!
=> ALIAS /R files can have lines continued if the line ends in an
escape character.
Command Changes and Enhancements
--------------------------------
=> ATTRIB will now append a "\*.*" to a directory name, unless you
specified the /D option.
=> COPY, DEL, MOVE, and REN have a new switch: /T(otal) to display
file counts only. This disables the display of file names (like
/Q), but still displays the totals.
=> DEL displays the disk space freed in the summary line.
=> ** DIR has several changes:
* Descriptions can be up to 200 characters long. Those which
are too long to fit on the screen will be word-wrapped at the
right edge of the screen.
* New switches and switch changes:
/H: (New) Do not display "." and "..".
4OS2 2.0 [12-16-93] UPDAT20.DOC page 4
/I: (New) Display only those files whose descriptions
match the specified text. The text can include any of
the 4OS2 extended wildcards; the search is case
insensitive.
/R: (New) Disable long description wrapping. If /R is
used for on-screen display the description is truncated
with a right arrow. In redirected output the entire
description is sent to the output device as one long
line.
=> ** DO is a new loop control command for batch files. You can use
several methods to control the loop:
DO n: Repeat the loop n times.
DO FOREVER: Repeat the loop until you exit with LEAVE or
GOTO.
DO var = start TO end [BY n]: Repeat the loop until the
variable passes the end value.
DO WHILE condition: Repeat the loop while the condition is
true (the condition can be any of those available in the IF
and IFF commands).
DO UNTIL condition: Repeat the loop until the condition
becomes true.
A loop terminates with an ENDDO. You can use ITERATE to return
to the start of a loop, and LEAVE to exit a loop.
=> DRAWBOX has a new ZOOM option.
=> IF and IFF now support decimals in numeric tests.
=> INKEY has two new switches:
/C: Clears the keyboard buffer before accepting input.
/P: Does not echo your input (for passwords).
=> INPUT has four new switches:
/C: Clears the keyboard buffer before accepting input.
/E: Displays and allows you to edit an existing value.
/L: Sets the maximum input length.
/P: Displays asterisks for your input (for passwords).
=> ** KEYBD is a new command to toggle the state of the Caps Lock, Num
Lock, and Scroll Lock keys.
=> ** LIST has been completely rewritten and offers many new features:
4OS2 2.0 [12-16-93] UPDAT20.DOC page 5
* Line and column numbers are displayed, and you can go to a
specific line.
* Hexadecimal display, print, and search are now supported.
* You can pop up a window with the current fully expanded
filename, size, date and time.
* LIST is significantly faster.
=> LOG now supports a "history" log, which is independent from the
regular command log. The history log saves the original commands
entered into the history list, without the date and time
information stored in the normal log file, and before alias and
variable expansion. You can use it as an aid in writing batch
files or creating a history file which can be reloaded later.
=> ** MD has a new switch: /S builds all necessary intermediate
directories. For example, MD /S \DIR1\DIR2\DIR3 will create all
three directories if necessary.
=> MOVE will now display the space freed (if any), like DEL. MOVE
also supports the /F(orce delete) option in the 32-bit version of
4OS2, under OS/2 2.x; a /F will delete the file without saving it
to the "undelete" directory.
=> ** ON is a new error-handling command for batch files:
ON BREAK command: Execute the command when a ^C or ^Break is
detected.
ON ERROR command: Execute the command after an OS/2 or 4OS2
error.
=> REBOOT has a new switch: /S does a shutdown (without rebooting).
=> SCREEN, SCRPUT, and VSCRPUT now accept row and column offsets
relative to the current cursor position. To specify a relative
offset, rather than an absolute row or column, use a + or -
before the argument.
=> SELECT now supports the /CP and /CHP compression switches, and
the /I switch to select files by description (see DIR for
details).
=> ** SETDOS has four new options:
/B: Sets your video board for blinking text (/B0, the
default) or bright background colors (/B1). See the section
on colors and color names in the manual for details before
using this option. Also see the BrightBG directive in
4OS2.INI.
4OS2 2.0 [12-16-93] UPDAT20.DOC page 6
/D: Enables (/D1, the default) or disables (/D0) description
processing for COPY, DEL, MOVE, and REN. Also see the
Descriptions directive in 4OS2.INI.
/X: Controls command parsing. You can enable or disable
alias and variable expansion, multiple and conditional
commands, redirection and pipes, command grouping, quoting,
and the escape character. For use in batch files to avoid
problems with special characters in text strings.
/Y: Enables (/Y1) or disables (/Y0) single-step operation in
batch files. Use this option for batch file debugging.
=> ** START has a new /WIN3[S] switch to start seamless Windows
sessions in enhanced or standard mode, with an optional WIN-OS/2
settings file. /WIN3S is only available in the 32-bit version of
4OS2.
=> WINDOW can now set the window size and position, as well as the
title and window state.
Variables and Variable Functions
--------------------------------
(When using variables and variable functions remember that the name must
be preceded by a "%" sign: %+, %_DAY, %@FILEOPEN, etc.):
=> The _CPU variable now returns "586" for Pentium processors.
=> ** The new internal variables are:
Variable Returns
-------- -----------------------------------------------
= the current escape character (can be embedded in
commands, but cannot be ECHOed)
+ the current command separator (can be embedded in
commands, but cannot be ECHOed)
_BG now includes bright background colors when
appropriate
_COUNTRY the country code
_DAY the day of the month (1 - 31)
_DOY the day of the year (1 - 366)
_HOUR the hour (0 - 23)
_HLOGFILE the name of the current history log file
_LOGFILE the name of the current log file
_MINUTE the minute (0 - 59)
_MONTH the month of the year (1-12)
_SECOND the second (0 - 59)
_SYSERR the error code for the most recent DOS error
_WINTITLE the title of the current session
_YEAR the year (1980-2099)
4OS2 2.0 [12-16-93] UPDAT20.DOC page 7
=> You can now include commas in the result of @FILESIZE and other
similar functions by following the units character (b|B|k|K|m|M)
with a 'c'. For example, "@filesize[4os2.exe,bc]" will display
the size of 4OS2.EXE in bytes, with a comma every three digits.
=> @FILESIZE will now return the total size of all matching files if
you specify wildcards in the filename.
=> ** The new variable functions are:
(Be sure to read the manual or online help before using
the @FILECLOSE, @FILEOPEN, @FILEREAD, @FILESEEK, or
@FILEWRITE functions.)
@CDROM[d:]: Returns 1 if the drive is a CD-ROM, 0 if not.
@DEC[var]: Returns the decremented value of a variable (the
same as %@EVAL[var-1]).
@FILEAGE[fname]: Returns the date and time as a single
numeric value (useful for comparing file dates and times).
@FILECLOSE[n]: Close the file whose handle is "n".
@FILENAME[fname]: returns the name + extension (no path)
@FILEOPEN[filename,read | write | append]: Opens the file in
the specified mode and returns the file handle.
@FILEREAD[n]: Reads a line from the file whose handle is
"n".
@FILES[filename]: Returns the number of files matching the
filename specification.
@FILESEEK[handle,offset,start]: Seeks to the specified
offset in the file whose handle is "n".
@FILEWRITE[n]: Writes a line to the file whose handle is
"n".
@FINDFIRST[fname,[nrhsa]]: Find the first matching file and
return its name.
@FINDNEXT[fname,[nrhsa]]: Find the next matching file.
@INC[var]: Returns the incremented value of a variable (the
same as %@EVAL[var+1]).
@INSTR[start,length,string]: The same as SUBSTR, but puts
the start and length at the beginning to avoid problems with
commas in the string.
4OS2 2.0 [12-16-93] UPDAT20.DOC page 8
@NUMERIC[n]: Returns 1 if the variable is composed entirely
of numeric digits (0-9), or the thousands or decimal
separators.
@RANDOM[min,max]: Returns a random integer value between min
and max, inclusive.
@REPEAT[c,n]: returns the character repeated 'n' times.
@TRIM[string]: Strips leading and trailing whitespace
(blanks and tabs) from the string.
4OS2 2.0 [12-16-93] UPDAT20.DOC page 9