The CIA World Factbook 1992/k3bimage.iso/sel/04/0040/hdtricks.txt

Text File | 1991-12-02 | 11.3 KB | 239 lines

                       I. HARD DISK ORGANIZATION
              AND SOME NEAT THINGS TO DO WITH BATCH FILES



        This article assumes some familiarity with subdirectories and
   paths.  Subdirectory names are given in uppercase, to distinguish
   them from file names.  "Cd" is the DOS command to change directory.


   OVERALL ORGANIZATION:

        Large applications which contain many program files, such as
   databases, word processors, spreadsheets, etc. should each be in
   their own "first-level" subdirectory (ie. at root level).  The data
   files they use may be in "second-level" subdirectories under the
   application subdirectory, or in "first-level" subdirectories.  I
   prefer the former.

        A good hard disk organization should look something like this
   hypothetical one, with the subdirectories on the left being at root
   level and the ones indented under them at second level:

             \BASIC
             \BAT
             \DBASE
                  \DBASE\INVENTORY
                  \DBASE\VIDEO
                  \DBASE\BOOKS
             \DOS
             \LOTUS
                  \LOTUS\FINANCE
                  \LOTUS\MISC
             \WORD
                  \WORD\LETTERS
                  \WORD\MISC
             Ibmbio.com (invisible)
             Ibmdos.com (invisible)
             ansi.sys
             autoexec.bat
             command.com
             config.sys

        I don't use many BASIC programs, so I keep them all in the same
   subdirectory as the language program, since there is only one
   language file in gwbasic (and two in IBM BASIC, I believe).

        In addition to the subdirectories, the root should contain only
   a few necessary files, basically the ones shown above, and possibly
   others that some applications may require there.  For convenience,
   and to prove I am not a fanatic, I throw a few miscellaneous files in
   the root: rdclk.com and stclk.com (for my battery-operated clock-
   calendar), and sit.com (for parking my hard disk).  Ansi.sys and
   vdisk.sys (if a ram disk is to be used) can be placed in the
   subdirectory \DOS if config.sys contains the lines:
                  device = c:\DOS\ansi.sys
                  device = c:\DOS\vdisk.sys


   THE AUTOEXEC.BAT FILE:

        A special file which must be named autoexec.bat can be put in
   the root, and will do certain things each time the hard disk is
   booted, such as set the time and date if a clock-calendar is
   installed, and set a path.  The file should be something like this:
                  break = on
                  prompt = $p $q$g
                  path = c:\; c:\DOS; c:\BAT
                  cls
                  rdclk

        I like to use the prompt line given, to modify the DOS prompt to
   display the path to the current subdirectory ($p), an equal sign
   ($q), and the normal "greater-than" sign ($g), so it looks like this:
                  C:\ =>
                  C:\BASIC =>
                  C:\WORD\MISC =>


   THE PATH STATEMENT:

        The DOS subdirectory is included in the path so DOS commands can
   be issued from any subdirectory.  Putting the BAT subdirectory in the
   path allows a neat bit of trickery, detailed below. The path may need
   to be augmented with other subdirectories for certain special
   applications, but there is no reason to put all of them there.


   THE BATCH FILE SUBDIRECTORY:

        Let's say you want to start Lotus.  If its subdirectory is not
   in the path, you would normally have to type "cd\lotus" then "lotus".
   But there is a better way.  If applications are accessed by batch
   files which are all in a subdirectory in the path, you can start any
   application from any subdirectory.  The BAT subdirectory takes the
   place of putting all the subdirectories in the path.

        I like to give each batch file the name of the command to start
   the application (but the extension is .bat).  Each one contains, at
   least, commands to do the appropriate cd and start the application:
                  lotus.bat:
                     cd \LOTUS
                     lotus

        When you type a command at the DOS prompt, the computer will
   look for a .com or .exe file of that name, or (failing that) .bat, in
   the logged subdirectory, and if it doesn't find it there, in the
   subdirectories in the path.  (One caution -- if you are already in
   the application subdirectory, and the batch file has the same name as
   the application's starting command, the batch file won't be found --
   the .com or .exe file in the current subdirectory will.)

        This \BAT system is a sort of "transparent" menu system.  With
   this organization, any application can be started from any
   subdirectory (at any level) merely by typing its name (the name of
   the appropriate batch file) at the DOS prompt.

        You can also put other useful commands in these batch files.
   For instance, in some applications you may wish to include commands
   to set the printer to other than its usual configuration and reset it
   after the application has run, to turn a screensaver off for an
   application then back on again, etc.  After the application quits
   control will return to the batch file and pick up any commands after
   the call to the application.  I also include in \BAT several files
   which are stand-alone printer commands, to let me easily set some
   feature of my printer when I am not in an application that lets me do
   it, such as indenting the left margin before I "type" a file to the
   printer from DOS.  For more information on printer commands, see the
   accompanying article "Printer Commands From Batch Files".

        A menu of these "application batch files" can even be made (as
   another batch file), and started on each boot by putting its name as
   the last item in the autoexec.bat file.  It can loop so that whenever
   an application finishes, the menu is displayed again.  If this is
   done, one of its options should be to exit to DOS.


   A SPECIAL TRICK FOR RUNNING BASIC PROGRAMS:

        You can write a batch file to run a BASIC program so you don't
   have to enter and exit BASIC manually. To start gwbasic and run a
   BASIC program named filename.bas (assuming both are in the \BASIC
   subdirectory):
                  filename.bat:
                     \BASIC\gwbasic \BASIC\filename
   (You real IBM users substitute basica.)  The BASIC program should end
   with "SYSTEM", to dump you right back to DOS where you were.  By
   including the path(s), no matter what subdirectory you called it
   from, the computer can find both gwbasic and the program to run.


                       II. WRITING BATCH FILES



        A batch file is just a "list" of DOS commands, executed in the
   order given.  It is an ASCII text file with the extension .bat.  Some
   of the DOS commands are useful only in batch files, and constitute
   what is essentially a simple programming language built into DOS.
   You run a batch file by typing its name, without the extension, from
   the DOS prompt.

        You can write batch files in three ways: from the DOS prompt
   using the "copy con filename.ext" command ("copy from the console"),
   in EDLIN, or using a text editor.  EDLIN is a line-oriented editor
   built into DOS. It is primitive by the standards of full-screen
   editors, and therefore not intuitive to use, but don't be daunted by
   it -- you don't have to be an assembly jock to use it.  And it's
   always there at the DOS prompt.

        To use "copy con", from the DOS prompt:
             Type: copy con filename.bat
             (use the name with which you want it saved)
             The cursor drops to the next line
             Type the line(s) desired
             When each line is done hit Enter
             On the last line type Ctrl-Z and Enter
   This ends and saves your file, and you are now a DOS "power-user".

        To write a batch file using EDLIN, from the DOS prompt:
             Type: edlin filename.ext
             (use the name with which you want it saved)
             You will get an * prompt
             Type: I  (for insert)
             You will get a 1:*
             Type the line(s) desired
             When the line is done hit Enter
             You will get a 2:*
             Type: Ctrl-Z and Enter
             You get the * prompt again
             Type: E  (to save the file and exit to DOS)

        To write a batch file from a text editor, do it as you would any
   other document, but if you are using a full-fledged word processor,
   be sure to save the file unformatted (ie. as an "ASCII file").


   SPECIAL BATCH FILES WITH NON-KEYBOARD CHARACTERS:

        Some batch files, especially those which contain printer
   commands, may contain non-keyboard ASCII characters.  These
   characters have to be entered in a special way.  For all of the
   characters except ESC, it is done in all three of the above methods
   (although not all text editors have this feature) by holding down the
   Alt key while you type the character's ASCII code number (one to
   three digits) on the numeric keypad.  (These are the numbers given in
   the CHR$()'s in the BASIC version of a command.)  When you release
   Alt a funny symbol will appear at the cursor, a different one for
   each code.  The symbols for some codes are the regular alphanumeric
   and punctuation characters you can type on the keyboard (ASCII codes
   32-127), and for these you can just type the character.  If there is
   any doubt whether you have the right character, do the Alt-number to
   be safe.  Either way gives the same result in the file.  Don't hit a
   spacebar between different codes, don't use the numbers above the
   main keyboard, and you don't need Num Lock on.

        There is no way to enter the escape character using "copy con",
   although you can enter a "dummy" character, then go into DEBUG or a
   similar utility and substitute the hex code for ESC for that of the
   dummy character.  The ESC character can be entered in EDLIN by a
   control-V followed by a left square bracket.  As far as I know, all
   of the text editors which allow the alt-number technique allow ESC to
   be entered just like any other character, as alt-27.

        For the printer control batch files discussed in the article
   "Sending Printer Commands From DOS", it is sometimes desirable to
   avoid carriage return and line feed characters at the end of the
   file.  You can do this in "copy con" by hitting Ctrl-Z at the end of
   the line, not on a new line.  But this won't avoid a LF in an "echo"
   file; it is useful only in a "codes-only" file used by a "type"
   command, and you can't easily do most of those from "copy con", since
   it is not easy to put in the ESC character.  As far as I know, you
   can't avoid them in EDLIN, but you can delete them from the file with
   at least some text editors, or DEBUG or one of the utilities that
   lets you look at and modify a file in hex.  The CR is 0D and the LF
   is 0A in hex.  (These are two of the characters given in an ASCII
   table.)  You can avoid them in a text editor if you leave the cursor
   on the line right after the last character.