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OFFER_#1.TXT
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1987-07-15
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19KB
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400 lines
July 87
GETTING DOS TO OPEN 256 FILES SIMULTANEOUSLY!!
TSR Programs, Source Code, Tutorial, Commentary and More...
by
Steve Gibson
-*- -*- -*-
version 2.0 (now works in BATCH files!)
This file is divided into the following sections:
---------------------------------------------------
o WHAT'S ON THE DISK
o USING THE NEW "FILES" COMMAND
o A BRIEF HISTORY OF THIS OFFER DISK
o HOW THE PROGRAMS WORK
o THE WRAP UP
---------------------------------------------------
WHAT'S ON THE DISK
----------------------------------------------------------------------
o FILES.TXT - This file (the one you're reading now) describes the
contents of this "Steve's TSR Offer #1" diskette, and outlines the
use and operation of the included files and programs.
o TSR.TXT - This file is a complete tutorial introduction to the
technology and operation of Terminate and Stay Resident (TSR)
programs under MS/PC-DOS. It was rewritten from Steve's original
four-part InfoWorld TECHTALK column series on TSR Technology.
o Three SUB-DIRECTORIES: FILES33, FILES3X, and OPENER.
Each sub-directory contains the collection of files pertaining to
the COM file bearing the sub-directory's name. See the details
which follow below:
o FILES33 is for use with DOS 3.3. It was the first of these
programs to be written. It "plays by the rules" by using only
fully documented techniques (well almost). It also uses and
demonstrates the new handle requesting mechanism in DOS 3.3.
o FILES3X is for use with all DOS 3.x versions EXCEPT the latest
3.3. It uses a collection of undocumented (but well known)
techniques to achieve the same effect as the DOS 3.3 handle
count request mechanism. As such it allows users of DOS
versions 3.00 thru 3.20 to have the same 256 file limit as
FILES33.COM gives to DOS 3.30 users.
o OPENER is a test program which easily and quickly demonstrates
the working of the other programs. It rapidly creates and opens
files whose names take the form !AAAA, !AAAB, !AAAC, !AAAD, etc.
It continues in this fashion, alphabetically advancing the file
names until the file creation request fails. While doing this,
it counts the number of open files and displays their names and
handle IDs.
o RAM.COM - A "quickie" DOS command which displays the amount of RAM
currently available to a DOS application program. It is useful if
given before and after loading any resident TSR program (like the
FILES command) to see how much memory that program consumes.
It can ALSO be used IMMEDIATELY after booting DOS with various
settings of the "FILES=xxx" line in CONFIG.SYS to show how much RAM
is always being consumed by DOS's static file management buffers.
To assist assembly language programmers who haven't yet conquered the
mysteries of resident software programming, for those who wonder what
assembly language programs look like, and to completely document the
programs, this disk also includes heavily commented source code which
takes a mild tutorial approach. Additionally, BATCH files are
included which can be used to drive the creation of COM files from the
included assembly language sources.
As mentioned above, the three subdirectories on the diskette (FILES33,
FILES3X, and OPENER) contain the files relating to each COM program.
---------------------------- PLEASE NOTE: ----------------------------
You should ONLY use ONE of the two FILES programs (FILES3X or FILES33)
depending upon the version of DOS you're currently running.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
-*- -*- -*-
USING THE NEW "FILES" COMMAND
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The following are step-by-step instructions are for those who want to
"get on with it" and perhaps read the rest of this OFFER_#1 file
later. The balance of this document contains a brief history of the
programs and a complete functional and operational description of this
package. If you follow the instructions below you need NOT bother
reading further.
FILES INSTRUCTIONS
----------------------------------------------------------------------
0. If you are NOT using a version 3 of MS-DOS or PC-DOS (DOS 3.00 thru
DOS 3.30) you MUST FIRST upgrade yourself. NONE of the programs on
this disk (except OPENER which won't be of much use to you in any
case) will run under pre-3.00 DOS versions.
1. COPY either FILES3X.COM or FILES33.COM from the appropriate
diskette sub-directory to your main working DOS command directory
RENAMING it to FILES.COM in the process. If you ARE NOT USING DOS
version 3.3, copy the FILES3X.COM program. ONLY IF you ARE USING
DOS 3.3, copy the FILES33.COM program.
NOTE: The two programs could have easily been integrated into one,
but they were deliberately individualized to allow their individual
functionality to be seen more clearly. This also minimized the
programs' resident portions (which is always a good thing).
2. COPY OPENER.COM from the diskette's OPENER sub-directory to your
working DOS command directory.
3. EDIT your current CONFIG.SYS file changing the "FILES=xxx" line of
that file (or adding one if you don't already have one) to reflect
the new total number of files you'd like to be able to have open
simultaneously. Values of up to "FILES=255" are acceptable.
4. REBOOT your computer to activate the new CONFIG.SYS file spec.
5. CREATE a new sub-directory on a diskette or hard disk and make it
the current directory. This will be a place for experimenting with
these commands which create and open MANY files.
NOTE: The root directories of most floppy disks is not large enough
to hold as many files as you'll now be able to create and open, and
you wouldn't want the root directory of your hard disk junked up
with temporary files. So do *EVERYTHING* in this sub-directory!
6. NOW, without first running FILES.COM, simply give the command
OPENER. "Opener" will create files whose alphabetically sequential
names take the form: !AAAA, !AAAB, !AAAC, etc. The screen will
display the number, name, and DOS handle (which you can ignore if
you're not into programming) as each file is created and opened.
It will STOP as soon as DOS refuses to Create or Open a file for
any reason.
IMPORTANT NOTE: OPENER leaves these zero-length files in your sub-
directory after it finishes! This allows you to easily compare the
time required for many files to be Created versus Opened. Users of
DOS 3.30 can also measure the benefits of DOS's new FASTOPEN
resident utility in this fashion.
TO DELETE THESE FILES: Give the command "DEL !AA*" which removes
all files of the form: !AAxx which OPENER creates.
7. NOW, give the command "FILES". A short message will print to the
screen and the DOS prompt will be returned. BEFORE DOING ANYTHING
ELSE, give the OPENER command again. If everything goes as
planned, the number of files you have requested in the FILES= line
of CONFIG.SYS will be Created and/or Opened.
NOTE: A few files FEWER than the number you requested with
CONFIG.SYS will probably actually be opened by OPENER owing to the
several file handles (for standard console Input and Output) which
DOS "pre-opens" for application software.
ALSO: The statement generated when FILES is installed may be