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1995-07-05
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What is PipeDOS 1.1
-------------------
PipeDOS is a simple DOS command executer. One big problem with running DOS
commands in OS/2 is that OS/2 always creates a separate window, executes the
command, and then closes the window when the command finishes. Not only is
this a bit jarring, but any important messages the DOS program outputs are
destroyed with the window.
PipeDOS is an attempt to deal with this problem. Using PipeDOS, many simple
command line utilities (PKUNZIP, DOS compilers, file converters) may be run
seamlessly in an OS/2 window.
Since it also returns the error result code, it is especially good for running
DOS compilers and make utilities seamlessly.
How it Works
------------
What PipeDOS does is very simple. It creates an invisible DOS window and
tells the window to send all of its screen output to the original OS/2
window through pipes. For you programmer types, it pipes the DOS sessions
stdout and stderr to the OS/2 sessions stdout and stderr.
What this means is that many command line utilities will appear to be running
in the OS/2 window.
Limitations
-----------
This whole process really only works if the DOS program does only BIOS output.
PipeDOS can now handle keyboard input. (YEAH!) Programs like compilers,
pkunzip, debug, etc. should work. QBasic won't because it doesn't use BIOS
output. When in doubt, try it and see.
Usage
-----
PipeDOS is easy to use. Simply copy pd.exe to the \os2 directory on your
boot disk or any other directory in your path and copy _pd.exe to \os2\mdos
or any other directory in your 'DOS' path.
To execute a DOS program you simply type 'PIPEDOS' followed by your standard
DOS command. For instance:
pd mem /c
What's New
----------
PipeDOS now handles keyboard input as well as output.
Recompiling
-----------
I have now included the source code. I compiled _pd.c with the
Borland C compiler and pd.c with IBM CSet++ 2.1.
Comments
--------
Please send any comments to the author:
Scott Maxwell
scottmax@netcom.com
PipeDOS is freeware but still:
(C) 1995 Scott Maxwell