home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
OS/2 Shareware BBS: 11 Util
/
11-Util.zip
/
pipedos.zip
/
PipeDOS.doc
< prev
next >
Wrap
Text File
|
1995-06-21
|
2KB
|
67 lines
What is PipeDOS
---------------
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 needs NO interaction.
If it requires you to hit a key or enter a filename, the program will appear
to stop. If I can figure out how to redirect the input as well as the output,
I will fix this problem. (Suggestions anyone?)
As an example, if you do:
pipedos pkunzip /v pipedos.zip
PipeDOS will show a listing of the files in pipedos.zip. However, if you do:
pipedos pkunzip
you will see the first help and then the program will seem to freeze. On the
invisible DOS screen, pkunzip is waiting for you to hit a key. You will have
to either hit Ctrl-C or change to the DOS session.
Usage
-----
PipeDOS is easy to use. Simply copy pipedos.exe to the \os2 directory on your
boot disk and copy _pd.exe to \os2\mdos.
To execute a DOS program you simply type 'PIPEDOS' followed by your standard
DOS command. For instance:
pipedos mem /c
Comments
--------
Please send any comments to the author:
Scott Maxwell
scottmax@netcom.com
PipeDOS is freeware but still:
(C) 1995 Scott Maxwell