home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
Dr. Windows 3
/
dr win3.zip
/
dr win3
/
NEW_TECH
/
4DOSNT.ZIP
/
4NT.DOC
next >
Wrap
Text File
|
1993-04-30
|
87KB
|
2,134 lines
44
44
44 DDDDDDD OOOOO SSSSSS (R)
44 DDDDDDDD OOOOOOO SSSSSSSS
44 44 DD DD OO OO SS
44 44 DD DD OO OO SS
44 44 DD DD OO OO SSSSSS
444444444 DD DD OO OO SSSSSS
44444444 DD DD OO OO SS
44 DD DD OO OO SS
44 DDDDDDDD OOOOOOO SSSSSSSS
44 DDDDDDD OOOOO SSSSSS
for the Windows NT (tm) Operating System
Version 1.0
Developed By
Rex Conn and Tom Rawson
Documentation By
Hardin Brothers, Rex Conn, and Tom Rawson
Published By
JP Software Inc.
P.O. Box 1470
East Arlington, MA 02174
USA
(617) 646-3975
fax (617) 646-0904
Program and Documentation Copyright 1988 - 1993, Rex C. Conn
and JP Software Inc., All Rights Reserved. 4DOS is a
registered trademark of JP Software Inc. Windows NT is a
trademark of Microsoft Corporation. Other product and company
names are trademarks of their respective owners.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We couldn't produce a product like 4DOS for Windows NT without
the dedication and quality work of many people. Our thanks
to:
JP Software Staff: Mike Bessy, Helen Coyne, Ellen Stone,
Marcella Turner, Misty White.
Beta Test Support: David Moskowitz, Guy Scharf, Larry
Finkelstein, and Martin Schiff, of CompuServe's CONSULT
forum.
Online Support: Brian Miller and Tess Heder of Channel 1
BBS; Don Watkins of CompuServe's IBMNET.
Beta Testers: We can't list all of our beta testers
here. A special thanks to all of you who helped make
4DOS for Windows NT elegant, reliable, and friendly!
CONTENTS
___________________________________________________________________
CONTENTS
Introduction.............................................1
How to Use This Manual..............................2
Chapter 1 / Installation.................................4
Diskette Installation...............................4
Download Installation...............................5
Installing 4DOS for Windows NT on Your Desktop......5
4NT Files and Directories...........................6
Uninstalling 4DOS for Windows NT....................6
Chapter 2 / General Concepts.............................7
Primary and Secondary Shells........................7
File Systems (FAT, NTFS, and HPFS)..................8
Chapter 3 / Using 4DOS for Windows NT....................10
At the Command Line.................................10
4DOS for Windows NT HELP.......................10
Shared History and Alias Lists.................11
Special Characters.............................12
Executable File Names...............................12
Redirection.........................................12
Piping..............................................13
Internal Variables..................................14
Variable Functions..................................15
Batch Files.........................................16
Startup and Exit Files..............................16
Using 4START and 4EXIT.........................17
REXX Support........................................17
EXTPROC Support.....................................18
Chapter 4 / Configuration and Tuning.....................19
Creating and Configuring Icons......................19
Command Line Options................................20
Using 4NT.INI.......................................21
Chapter 5 / Command Reference Guide......................23
DETACH..............................................25
DIR.................................................26
DPATH...............................................28
KEYS................................................29
SETDOS..............................................30
START...............................................31
TITLE...............................................34
WINDOW..............................................35
___________________________________________________________________
Copyright 1993, JP Software Inc. 4DOS for Windows NT / i
INTRODUCTION
___________________________________________________________________
INTRODUCTION
Welcome, and thanks for purchasing 4DOS for the Windows NT
Operating System!
We developed 4DOS for Windows NT to bring the power and convenience
of our popular 4DOS program to users of the Windows NT operating
system. Whether you are a computer novice or an experienced user,
we think that 4DOS for Windows NT will help you get the most out of
your Windows NT system.
4DOS for Windows NT, like its cousin 4DOS, is a command interpreter
or "shell." We have designed 4DOS for Windows NT to be compatible
with both 4DOS and with Windows NT's normal shell program, CMD.EXE.
[Our product is named "4DOS", and this version is more fully
described as "4DOS for the Windows NT Operating System". For
brevity, in this manual we often refer to "4DOS for Windows NT",
"4DOS/NT", or to the program file name, 4NT.EXE or just 4NT. When
"4DOS" is used by itself the reference is to our DOS product.
If you are already familiar with 4DOS, please note that 4DOS for
Windows NT is a complete Windows NT application, and not simply a
version of 4DOS running under Windows NT's DOS capabilities.]
If you are familiar with 4DOS or with the Windows NT command
prompt, you won't have to change your computing habits or unlearn
anything to use 4DOS for Windows NT. If you know how to use
commands to display a directory, copy a file, or start an
application program, you already know how to use 4DOS/NT. And if
you are a 4DOS user, you already know how to use most of the
advanced features that we have built into 4DOS/NT. You can even
use many of your 4DOS batch files with 4DOS/NT without changing
them at all (see pages 12 and 16 for tips about making the batch
files work properly in both environments).
Once you have 4DOS for Windows NT installed, you can learn its new
features at your own pace. Relax, enjoy its power, and browse
through the manuals occasionally. Press the F1 key whenever you
need help. 4DOS for Windows NT will soon become an essential part
of your computer, and you'll wonder how you ever got along without
it.
We are constantly working to improve 4DOS/NT. If you have
suggestions for features or commands that we should include in the
next version, or any other way we could improve our product, please
let us know. Many of the features in this version of 4DOS/NT were
___________________________________________________________________
Copyright 1993, JP Software Inc. 4DOS for Windows NT / 1
INTRODUCTION
___________________________________________________________________
suggested by our users and beta testers. We can't promise to
include every suggestion, but we really do appreciate and pay
attention to your comments.
How to Use This Manual
Because 4DOS/NT is almost identical to 4DOS in operation,
nearly everything in the 4DOS Reference Manual applies to 4DOS
for Windows NT as well. Therefore, we supply both this manual
and the 4DOS Reference Manual with every copy of 4DOS/NT. Use
the 4DOS Reference Manual as your primary manual; this booklet
is a supplement that explains the added features in 4DOS/NT
and the occasional differences between the two products.
We publish the manuals in this form because most 4DOS/NT
customers also use 4DOS. This supplement helps focus
attention on the few differences between 4DOS/NT and 4DOS; two
completely separate manuals would make those differences more
difficult to pinpoint and to remember.
If you haven't used 4DOS before, look through the Guided Tour
and other parts of the 4DOS manual to gain a feel for how 4DOS
for Windows NT works. Then return to this manual, especially
Chapter 3, for a discussion of the differences between 4DOS
and 4DOS/NT.
If you are familiar with 4DOS, you may want to read quickly
through this manual to get a general feeling for the few
differences between the two products. Then you can install
4DOS for Windows NT on your computer and study the differences
that affect your computing habits in detail.
There are five chapters in this manual. Here is what you'll
find in each:
Chapter 1 / Installation
This chapter explains how to install 4DOS for Windows NT.
Everyone should read this short chapter.
Chapter 2 / General Concepts
This chapter explains a few basic concepts that you
should understand before using 4DOS for Windows NT
extensively.
___________________________________________________________________
Copyright 1993, JP Software Inc. 4DOS for Windows NT / 2
INTRODUCTION
___________________________________________________________________
Chapter 3 / Using 4DOS for Windows NT
This chapter explains the differences between 4DOS and
4DOS for Windows NT. It is a supplement to Chapter 5 /
Using 4DOS in the 4DOS Reference Manual.
Chapter 4 / Options and Tuning
This chapter discusses how to configure 4DOS for Windows
NT.
Chapter 5 / Command Reference
The final chapter provides details about the commands
that are new in 4DOS for Windows NT and about those which
differ from 4DOS. It is a supplement to Chapter 8 /
Command Reference Guide in the 4DOS Reference Manual.
___________________________________________________________________
Copyright 1993, JP Software Inc. 4DOS for Windows NT / 3
CHAPTER 1 / INSTALLATION
___________________________________________________________________
CHAPTER 1 / INSTALLATION
Diskette Installation
If you downloaded 4DOS for Windows NT, see the section on
download installation below.
When you are ready to install 4DOS for Windows NT, put the
distribution diskette into drive A (you may use drive B if you
prefer). Open a command prompt window, then log into drive A
by typing:
a:
and pressing Enter. One of the files on the distribution
diskette, README.1ST, contains information that you should
read before you install 4DOS/NT on your computer. Type:
type readme.1st | more
to view the file. If you want to print a copy of the file,
type:
copy readme.1st prn
Now you can start the installation process. Type:
install
Once the installation program has started, just follow the
instructions on the screen and 4DOS/NT will copy the
appropriate files to your hard disk.
Be sure to install 4DOS for Windows NT in its own directory.
If you also have 4DOS, do not use the same directory for both
4DOS and 4DOS/NT files, as some of the file names (for example
README.DOC) may be the same.
The 4DOS for Windows NT files are contained in a special
library file on the diskette. You cannot simply copy the
files from the diskette onto your system. You must use the
installation program to extract and decompress the files, or
if you need to replace a damaged 4DOS/NT file on your hard
disk.
___________________________________________________________________
Copyright 1993, JP Software Inc. 4DOS for Windows NT / 4
CHAPTER 1 / INSTALLATION
___________________________________________________________________
Once the installation process is complete, see the section
below on Installing 4DOS for Windows NT on Your Desktop.
Download Installation
If you downloaded 4DOS for Windows NT, simply extract the
downloaded files into their own directory (do not put them in
the same directory as your 4DOS files). Then follow the
instructions in the next section.
Installing 4DOS for Windows NT on Your Desktop
Once you've extracted the 4DOS for Windows NT files, use the
following steps to create a 4DOS/NT icon on your Windows NT
desktop:
* Select the "Main" group
* Select the Program Manager "File" menu
* Select "New"
* Select "Program item"
* Enter "4DOS/NT Prompt", or any other title you desire,
in the Description field
* Enter the full pathname for 4NT.EXE in the Command
Line field (for example, "C:\4NT\4NT.EXE")
* Enter the directory you wish to start up in (if any)
in the Working Directory field
* Click on "Change Icon"
* If you receive an error indicating that there are no
icons in the file and therefore a Program Manager icon
will be used, ignore the error and click on "OK"
* Enter the full pathname for 4NT.ICO in the file name
field (for example, "C:\4NT\4NT.ICO")
* Click on "OK" to accept the icon
* Click on "OK" to accept the entry
___________________________________________________________________
Copyright 1993, JP Software Inc. 4DOS for Windows NT / 5
CHAPTER 1 / INSTALLATION
___________________________________________________________________
4NT Files and Directories
The installation procedure places all 4DOS for Windows NT
files in a single directory. You may move the files to
different directories, if you wish. But you do have to make
sure that the files can be found by the programs that need to
use them. The following information will help you set up your
system correctly if you are performing a manual installation:
4NT.EXE is the 4DOS for Windows NT program file. It must
be in the directory specified in the Command Line field
for any 4DOS for Windows NT icons.
4NT.HLP contains the text for the 4DOS for Windows NT
HELP command and F1 key. 4NT.HLP must be in the same
directory as 4NT.EXE.
SHRALIAS.EXE is a small utility that saves the shared
alias and history list between different 4DOS for Windows
NT windows. SHRALIAS.EXE is normally stored in the same
directory as 4NT.EXE. The directory containing this file
should be listed in your PATH statement.
Uninstalling 4DOS for Windows NT
In the extremely unlikely event that you have trouble after
you install 4DOS for Windows NT, you can remove it quite
easily. We don't expect you to have any problems, but we know
some people feel more secure knowing how to uninstall a
product as well as install it. Or, you may need to remove
4DOS/NT from one system if you are moving it to another
system.
4DOS for Windows NT doesn't make any changes to the Windows NT
system files. To remove 4DOS/NT, all you need to do is change
or delete any icons that refer directly to 4NT.EXE. You can
then delete the 4DOS for Windows NT files from your hard
drive.
___________________________________________________________________
Copyright 1993, JP Software Inc. 4DOS for Windows NT / 6
CHAPTER 2 / GENERAL CONCEPTS
___________________________________________________________________
CHAPTER 2 / GENERAL CONCEPTS
This chapter contains information about Windows NT and 4DOS for
Windows NT. Some of the information is general and introductory in
nature; other parts of this chapter are fairly detailed and
technical. We encourage you to at least scan through this chapter
to see what is here and to study the sections that appear to have
relevance to your way of using 4DOS for Windows NT and Windows NT.
Executable Files
Windows NT supports several types of applications: DOS, 16-bit
Windows 3.x, 32-bit Windows 3.x, 32-bit Windows NT (both
graphical and character mode), 16-bit OS/2 1.x character mode,
and POSIX. You can run any of these program types from the
4DOS for Windows NT prompt or from batch files. It's not
necessary to know the application type; Windows NT detects it
and starts the appropriate subsystem automatically.
4DOS for Windows NT recognizes five executable filename
extensions: COM, EXE, BTM, BAT, and CMD, and searches for them
in that order. You can mix the program types (i.e., DOS,
Windows, and NT) in the batch files (BTM, BAT, and CMD). (See
REXX Support and EXTPROC Support in Chapter 3 for more
information on special batch file processing.)
Primary and Secondary Shells
Primary and secondary shells are used a little differently
under Windows NT than you may be used to under DOS. In
particular, primary shells are more common in Windows NT and
secondary shells are less common.
Secondary shells are used most often under DOS for "shelling
to DOS" from an application, and for starting DOS sessions
under multitaskers or task switchers. Most Windows NT
applications don't offer (or need) a "shell to Windows NT"
capability, and starting 4DOS/NT from its icon creates
primary, not secondary shells. As a result, 4DOS/NT secondary
shells are generally created only for pipes (see page 13), or
if you start a second copy of 4DOS/NT directly from the
command prompt.
___________________________________________________________________
Copyright 1993, JP Software Inc. 4DOS for Windows NT / 7
CHAPTER 2 / GENERAL CONCEPTS
___________________________________________________________________
File Systems (FAT, NTFS and HPFS)
Windows NT includes support for three different file systems.
The first is the traditional DOS file system that is based on
a file allocation table (FAT) and has file names that are
composed of 8 characters plus a 3-character extension.
The second file system is called NTFS. File names can be a
maximum of 255 characters, and the filenames may include
spaces and other characters not allowed in FAT filenames.
The third file system (developed for OS/2) is called HPFS.
Like NTFS, file names can be a maximum of 255 characters, and
the names may include spaces and other characters not allowed
in FAT filenames.
The file system type is determined when a hard disk partition
is formatted, and applies to the entire partition. For
example, you might have a 400 MB hard disk divided into four
100 MB partitions, with the first three partitions (C:, D:,
and E:) formatted for the FAT file system and the fourth (F:)
formatted for NTFS. Partition F: would then be available only
from Windows NT. It would not be visible from a DOS boot
outside of Windows NT.
4DOS for Windows NT is compatible with all three file systems.
Any command that accepts file names will accept both FAT-
compatible names and NTFS/HPFS-compatible names. If an NTFS-
or HPFS-compatible name includes spaces or other characters
that would not be allowed in a FAT name, you must place double
quotes around the name.
For example, suppose you have a file named LET3 on a FAT
partition, and you want to copy it to the LETTERS directory on
drive F:, an NTFS partition, and give it the name LETTER TO
SARA. To do so, use either of these commands:
[c:\wp] copy let3 f:\"letter to sara"
[c:\wp] copy let3 "f:\letter to sara"
Note that the quotes can include the filename only, or the
entire path. As long as the portion of the filename that
includes spaces or other similar separator characters is
quoted, the filename will be interpreted properly.
You can use the DESCRIBE command to add descriptions to files
on an NTFS partition, just as you can on a FAT partition.
This may mean you use two sets of quotes in the DESCRIBE
command, for example (enter this command on one line):
___________________________________________________________________
Copyright 1993, JP Software Inc. 4DOS for Windows NT / 8
CHAPTER 2 / GENERAL CONCEPTS
___________________________________________________________________
[c:\wp] describe "f:\letter to sara" "letter to sara
rimaldi about purchases"
If quotes are required to delimit the NTFS or HPFS file name,
4DOS/NT will include them in the DESCRIPT.ION file. This
keeps the file name and description properly separated from
each other. If you use 4DOS under DOS, it will not display or
modify descriptions for files with quoted NTFS or HPFS names,
and will not disturb the descriptions 4DOS/NT creates for
these files.
___________________________________________________________________
Copyright 1993, JP Software Inc. 4DOS for Windows NT / 9
CHAPTER 3 / USING 4DOS for Windows NT
___________________________________________________________________
CHAPTER 3 / USING 4DOS for Windows NT
In use, 4DOS for Windows NT is nearly identical to 4DOS. The few
general usage differences are explained in this chapter. Command
differences are explained in Chapter 5 (see page 23). We have
assumed in this chapter that you have the 4DOS Reference Manual
available and that you have some familiarity with the corresponding
4DOS features.
If a section of this chapter seems completely unfamiliar to you, it
is probably discussing a feature of 4DOS and 4DOS for Windows NT
that you are not using. Feel free to read only the sections of
this chapter that are relevant to the way that you use your
computer and 4DOS/NT.
At the Command Line
The 4NT command line will hold a maximum of 1023 characters,
instead of the 255 characters available at the 4DOS command
line. All other command line editing features work the same
under 4DOS/NT as they do under 4DOS.
The default 4DOS/NT prompt is [$p] on hard disks and [$n] on
floppy disks, rather than the corresponding defaults of $p$g
and $n$g in 4DOS. This prompt displays the current path or
drive enclosed in square brackets. Use the PROMPT command if
you want to use a different prompt for 4DOS/NT.
For compatibility with CMD.EXE, 4DOS/NT will prompt for
additional command line text when you include the 4DOS/NT
escape character (the default escape character is the caret ^)
as the very last character of a typed command line. For
example:
[c:\] echo The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy^
More? sleeping dog. > alphabet
4DOS for Windows NT Help
Complete on-line help for all 4DOS/NT commands and features is
provided with 4DOS/NT. As in 4DOS, help is invoked with the
HELP command or the F1 key. 4NT's help text does not cover
Windows NT external commands.
___________________________________________________________________
Copyright 1993, JP Software Inc. 4DOS for Windows NT / 10
CHAPTER 3 / USING 4DOS for Windows NT
___________________________________________________________________
You can keep the help window on the screen and return to the
4DOS/NT window, switching between the two windows as needed.
This may be useful when you are writing a batch file, working
on a complex command, or experimenting with 4NT.
Shared History and Alias Lists
By default, 4NT will use the same history list and alias list
in all windows and in both primary and secondary 4DOS/NT
shells. It keeps these lists in shared memory. This means
that the aliases that you define in one 4NT window will be
available immediately in copies of 4NT that are running in
other windows. In addition, the history list, which is used
to record the commands that you type, is updated in all 4NT
windows whenever you type a command at any 4NT prompt.
If you want to start a 4NT shell or window with unique alias
and history lists, use the LocalAliases and LocalHistory
directives in the 4NT.INI file (see page 21) or on the 4NT
command line (see page 21). Using the 4NT.INI directive is
the best choice if you want to have separate alias and history
lists for all 4NT windows. You might prefer using the command
line directive if you want to create a separate list just for
one particular window or shell.
The memory segments that contain the shared history and alias
lists are retained as long as there is at least one copy of
4NT running that supports shared lists. When all such copies
of 4NT end, the shared history and alias lists are discarded.
A utility program called SHRALIAS.EXE is included with 4NT.
It will keep these lists open until your computer is rebooted.
To use this program, include the following line in your 4START
startup batch file:
[d:\path\]shralias
Once SHRALIAS is started, it will remain active until your
computer is turned off or rebooted, even if the window from
which it was started is terminated. To deactivate SHRALIAS,
enter this command at any 4NT prompt:
[d:\path]shralias /u
___________________________________________________________________
Copyright 1993, JP Software Inc. 4DOS for Windows NT / 11
CHAPTER 3 / USING 4DOS for Windows NT
___________________________________________________________________
Special Characters
To maintain compatibility with CMD.EXE, the default values for
three special characters are different in 4NT than in 4DOS.
If you want to share batch (BTM or BAT) files or aliases
between 4NT and 4DOS, you will probably want to select a
common set of characters for both environments. You can do so
with directives in 4NT.INI or 4DOS.INI, or by using the SETDOS
command.
By default, the command separator is an ampersand [&] in 4NT
and a caret [^] in 4DOS. You can select a common command
separator character with the CommandSep directive or the
SETDOS /C command.
The default escape character is a caret [^] in 4NT and Ctrl-X
in 4DOS. You can select a common escape character with the
EscapeChar directive or the SETDOS /E command.
4NT batch files and aliases recognize the dollar sign [$] to
mean all or all remaining replaceable parameters (e.g., %$ or
%2$). The corresponding symbol in 4DOS is the ampersand [&].
You can select a common symbol with the ParameterChar
directive or the SETDOS /P command.
Executable File Names
4DOS/NT is similar to 4DOS in the way it executes programs and
batch files. It searches for .COM, .EXE, .BTM, .BAT, and .CMD
files (in that order), .REX files (if you have Personal REXX
installed, see page 17 for details), and files with executable
extensions, in the current directory and then in each
directory in the PATH. You can execute any of the application
types Windows NT supports (NT, Windows, DOS, OS/2, and POSIX)
from 4NT.
Redirection
In addition to the extended 4DOS redirection options, 4NT also
supports the CMD.EXE syntax
n>file
and
n>&m
___________________________________________________________________
Copyright 1993, JP Software Inc. 4DOS for Windows NT / 12
CHAPTER 3 / USING 4DOS for Windows NT
___________________________________________________________________
where [n] and [m] are digits between 0 and 9. You may not put
any spaces between the n and the >, or between the & and the m
in the second form. The digits represent file handles; 4NT
interprets "0" as STDIN (standard input), "1" as STDOUT
(standard output), and "2" as STDERR (standard error).
Handles 3 to 9 will probably not be useful unless you have an
application which uses those handles for a specific,
documented purpose.
The n>file syntax redirects output from handle n to a file.
You can use this form to redirect two handles to different
places. For example,
[c:\] dir >outfile 2>errfile
sends normal output to a file called OUTFILE and any error
messages to a file called ERRFILE.
The n>&m syntax redirects handle n to the same location as the
previously assigned handle m. For example, to send STDERR to
the same file as STDOUT, you could use this command:
[c:\] dir >outfile 2>&1
Notice that you can perform the same operations by using
4DOS/NT's enhanced redirection features. The two examples
above could be written as
[c:\] dir >outfile >&>errfile
and
[c:\] dir >&outfile
Piping
A pipe takes the standard output of one program (the sending
program) and uses it as the standard input of a second program
(the receiving program). Because of the limitations of MS-
DOS, 4DOS implements pipes by creating a temporary file to
collect the output from the sending program. Once that
program is done, 4DOS starts the receiving program and sends
it the contents of the temporary file as its input. When the
receiving program ends, 4DOS deletes the temporary file.
Windows NT lets 4DOS/NT implement pipes by starting a new
process for the receiving program. The sending and receiving
programs run simultaneously; the sending program writes to
___________________________________________________________________
Copyright 1993, JP Software Inc. 4DOS for Windows NT / 13
CHAPTER 3 / USING 4DOS for Windows NT
___________________________________________________________________
the pipe and the receiving program reads from the pipe. When
both programs finish, the process for the receiving program is
ended automatically.
If you are used to using pipes under 4DOS, you normally will
not see any difference with a 4NT pipe except perhaps less
disk activity. But you may not get the results you expect
from 4NT if you use a pipe command like:
[c:\] echo test | input %%var
In 4DOS, this pipe will create an environment variable called
VAR and set its value as "test." You will be able to see the
new variable by typing SET at the 4DOS command.
In 4NT, VAR will be set in the environment that belongs to the
receiving program. But that environment will be discarded
when the pipe has been emptied and the process ends. You will
never see VAR in the environment even though 4NT and Windows
NT are both operating correctly.
The same cautions apply to the "pipe-fitting" commands, TEE
and Y. When you use pipes with 4NT, make sure you think about
any possible consequences that can occur from using a separate
process to run the receiving program.
Because 4NT does not use temporary files for pipes, the TEMP
and TEMP4DOS environment variables do not affect pipes in 4NT
as they do in 4DOS.
Internal Variables
The following internal variables are new in 4DOS/NT:
= is the current escape character (e.g. %=)
+ is the current command separator (e.g. %+)
_COMSPEC is the full path name of the current shell
(4NT.EXE)
_DAY is the current day of the month (1 - 31)
_HOUR is the hours in the current time (0 - 23)
_MONTH is the current month of the year (1 - 12)
_MINUTE is the minutes in the current time (0 - 59)
___________________________________________________________________
Copyright 1993, JP Software Inc. 4DOS for Windows NT / 14
CHAPTER 3 / USING 4DOS for Windows NT
___________________________________________________________________
_PID is the current process ID number.
_SECOND is the seconds in the current time (0 - 59)
_YEAR is the current 4-digit year
The following 4DOS internal variables are not available in
4DOS/NT:
_ALIAS (4NT dynamically sizes the alias list).
_DV (DESQView does not run under Windows NT).
_ENV (4NT dynamically sizes the environment).
_MONITOR (monitor information is not available in Windows
NT).
_VIDEO (video card information is not available in
Windows NT).
Variable Functions
The following variable function is new in 4DOS/NT:
@FSTYPE[d:]: Returns the file system type for the
specified drive. It will return "FAT", "NTFS", or
"HPFS".
The following 4DOS variable functions are not available in
4DOS/NT:
@EMS (because Windows NT applications do not recognize
nor use expanded memory).
@EXTENDED (because Windows NT applications do not
recognize extended memory as a special memory type).
@LPT (because there is no feasible way to read printer
status information directly under Windows NT).
@REMOVABLE (because there is no feasible way to detect
removable drives under Windows NT)
@TRUENAME (because there is no feasible way to detect
true names under Windows NT).
___________________________________________________________________
Copyright 1993, JP Software Inc. 4DOS for Windows NT / 15
CHAPTER 3 / USING 4DOS for Windows NT
___________________________________________________________________
@XMS (because Windows NT applications do not recognize
nor use XMS memory).
Also, in 4DOS/NT the @DOSMEM function returns the size of the
largest block of free memory, not the total amount of free
memory (because total free memory is not an available or
meaningful value under a virtual memory operating system such
as Windows NT).
Batch Files
4DOS for Windows NT can execute three kinds of batch files:
files with an extension of CMD or BAT, and those with an
extension of BTM. CMD files are Windows NT batch files; BAT
and BTM files can be run by 4NT and by 4DOS.
If you run the same .BTM files with 4NT and 4DOS, you should
encounter few difficulties. However, 4NT and 4DOS by default
use a different command separator, a different escape
character, and a different character for all remaining
parameters on a batch file or alias command line. You may
want to use the CommandSep, EscapeChar, and ParameterChar
directives in either 4NT.INI or 4DOS.INI, or the corresponding
SETDOS switches, to set the same characters in both products
(see page 12).
Inside a .BTM file, you may need to determine whether the file
is being executed by 4NT, by 4DOS running under DOS, or by
4DOS running under Windows NT. You may also want the file to
do different things in primary and secondary shells. The
basic rule is to use the internal variable %_DOS to determine
the operating system, %_DOSVER to determine the operating
system version, and %_SHELL to determine the shell level.
Note that in a DOS session, %_DOSVER returns 3.3, 5.0, etc.
for the corresponding MS-DOS versions, and 3.1 for Windows NT.
Startup and Exit Files
4DOS for Windows NT will look for and execute batch files when
it starts (4START) and exits (4EXIT). 4START and 4EXIT can be
.CMD or .BTM files. If they have the extension .BTM and are
in a directory where 4DOS can find them, they will also run
whenever 4DOS starts and exits.
___________________________________________________________________
Copyright 1993, JP Software Inc. 4DOS for Windows NT / 16
CHAPTER 3 / USING 4DOS for Windows NT
___________________________________________________________________
Using 4START and 4EXIT
If you create a 4START.BTM and 4EXIT.BTM file, you can use
them for both 4NT and 4DOS.
If you prefer to use different files for 4NT and 4DOS, you can
use 4START.CMD for 4NT and 4START.BAT for 4DOS. You could
name your 4EXIT files similarly. You can also keep the 4START
and 4EXIT files separate by placing the files for 4NT in the
4NT directory and the files for 4DOS in the 4DOS directory.
If you prefer, you can create a file with a name other than
4START (for example, STARTNT.CMD) and put its name in the
Parameters field for any 4NT icon (see page 19). Doing so has
two advantages. The file will only be started when a primary
4NT shell is started, not under a secondary shell or under
4DOS. Also, you can then use different startup files for
different 4NT windows.
REXX Support
4DOS for Windows NT supports REXX command files through a
built-in interface to Personal REXX for Windows NT. REXX is a
a powerful file and text processing language developed by IBM,
and available on many PC and other platforms.
Personal REXX for Windows NT is a REXX interpreter sold by
Quercus Systems of Saratoga, CA, USA. You must have Quercus'
Personal REXX for Windows NT product on your system to enable
4DOS/NT's REXX support.
Personal REXX files have a .REX extension, and 4NT can also
run REXX files with a .CMD extension. Regardless of the
extension, the first two characters in the file must be /*,
which indicate the beginning of a REXX comment.
4NT checks to see if the first two characters on the first
line of a .REX or .CMD file are /*. If so, it invokes
Personal REXX for Windows NT and passes it the batch file
name. Any commands in the file that are not recognized by
REXX will be sent to 4NT for execution. This allows you to
embed any valid 4NT command (including internal commands and
aliases) within a REXX file which is started from 4NT. You
can also force REXX to pass commands to 4NT by enclosing those
commands in single quotation marks.
For more information on REXX see your Personal REXX for
Windows NT documentation.
___________________________________________________________________
Copyright 1993, JP Software Inc. 4DOS for Windows NT / 17
CHAPTER 3 / USING 4DOS for Windows NT
___________________________________________________________________
EXTPROC Support
4DOS for Windows NT offers an external processor (EXTPROC)
option for batch files that lets you define an external
program to process a particular .CMD file. To identify a .CMD
file to be used with an external processor, place the string
"EXTPROC" as the first word on the first line of the file
followed by the name of the external program that should be
called. 4NT will start the program and pass it the name of
the .CMD file and any command line arguments that were
entered. If you don't specify a pathname for the external
processor, 4NT will look in the current directory and then in
each directory in the PATH. 4NT will start the external
processor and wait for it to finish.
For example, suppose GETDATA.CMD contains the following lines:
EXTPROC D:\DATAACQ\DATALOAD.EXE
OPEN PORT1
READ 4000
DISKWRITE D:\DATAACQ\PORT1\RAW
Then if you entered the command:
[d:\dataacq] getdata p17
4NT would read the GETDATA.CMD file, determine that it began
with an EXTPROC command, read the name of the processor
program, and then execute the command:
D:\DATAACQ\DATALOAD.EXE D:\DATAACQ\GETDATA.CMD p17
The hypothetical DATALOAD.EXE program would then be
responsible for reopening the GETDATA.CMD file, ignoring the
EXTPROC line at the start, and interpreting the other
instructions in the file. It would also have to respond
appropriately to the command line parameter entered (p17).
Do not try to run 4NT as an external processor with EXTPROC.
4NT and will interpret the EXTPROC line as a command to re-
open itself. The result will be an infinite loop that will
continue until the computer runs out of resources and locks
up.
___________________________________________________________________
Copyright 1993, JP Software Inc. 4DOS for Windows NT / 18
CHAPTER 4 / CONFIGURATION AND TUNING
___________________________________________________________________
CHAPTER 4 / CONFIGURATION AND TUNING
4DOS for Windows NT can be configured in three different ways: with
command-line options, through its initialization file, and via the
SETDOS command. The SETDOS command is described on page 35 of this
manual, and in the 4DOS Reference Manual. Command line options and
the initialization file are described in this chapter.
Creating and Configuring Icons
You can create as many 4DOS/NT icons as you wish on the
Windows NT desktop. Different icons can be used to start 4NT
in different modes, with different startup commands or
options, or to run different batch files or other commands.
You can use these icons to run commonly-used commands and
batch files directly from the Windows NT desktop.
Each icon represents a different 4DOS/NT window. You can also
set any necessary command line parameters for 4NT such as a
command to be executed, any desired switches, and the name and
path for 4NT.INI. More information on command line switches
and options for 4NT, and on 4NT.INI, is included later in this
section.
For general information on creating and configuring icons, see
your Windows NT documentation. See page 5 of this manual for
an example of how to create a new icon for 4NT on your Windows
desktop.
When you configure a 4NT icon, place command line parameters
that you want passed to 4NT (e.g., @ininame) into the
Parameters field for the icon.
To run a startup batch file for a particular 4DOS/NT window,
include its name (with a path, if the batch file is not in the
window's startup directory) as the last item in the Command
Line field. That batch file will be executed after any 4START
file but before the first prompt is displayed. You can use
the batch file to set environment variables and execute any
other 4NT commands. You can also execute any internal 4NT
command, external command, or alias by placing its name in the
Parameters field. When you set up a batch file or other
command to run in this way you are using the command option
(see below).
___________________________________________________________________
Copyright 1993, JP Software Inc. 4DOS for Windows NT / 19
CHAPTER 4 / CONFIGURATION AND TUNING
___________________________________________________________________
To execute an internal or external command, an alias, or a
batch file and then exit (return to the desktop) when it is
done, place /C command (rather than just command) as the last
item in the Parameters field.
Command Line Options
The 4NT command line does not need to contain any information.
When invoked with an empty command line, 4NT will configure
itself from the 4NT.INI file, run 4START, and then display a
prompt and wait for you to type a command. However, you may
add information to the 4NT command line that will affect the
way it operates.
Command line options for primary shells are set in the Command
Line field of the 4NT icon. Command line options for
secondary shells can be set using 4NT.INI directives, or typed
on the command line itself following the program name if the
shell is started from a prompt.
4NT recognizes six optional fields on the command line. If
you use more than one of these fields, their order is
important. The syntax for these options is (all options go on
one line):
[d:\path] [@d:\path\inifile] [//iniline]... [/C | /K]
[command]
In this syntax statement, items in square brackets are
optional. The //iniline option may be repeated.
In the descriptions below, d: means a drive letter and \path
means a subdirectory name.
d:\path 4NT will use this directory and path to set the
COMSPEC environment variable for this window. If
this option is not used, COMSPEC is set from the
location of 4NT.EXE. Since 4NT always knows what
drive and directory it was started from, there is
little reason to use this option. It is included
only for compatibility with Windows NT's default
shell program, CMD.EXE. This option cannot be
used for secondary shells.
@d:\path\inifile
This option sets the path and name of the 4NT.INI
file, which is discussed below. You do not need
this option if you aren't using a 4NT.INI file,
___________________________________________________________________
Copyright 1993, JP Software Inc. 4DOS for Windows NT / 20
CHAPTER 4 / CONFIGURATION AND TUNING
___________________________________________________________________
or if the file is named 4NT.INI and is in the
same directory as 4NT.EXE or in the root
directory of the boot drive. This option is most
useful if you want to start a 4DOS/NT window with
a specific and unique INI file.
//iniline This option tells 4NT to treat the text appearing
between the // and the next space or tab as a
4NT.INI directive (see below for a discussion of
4NT.INI). The directive should be in the same
format as a line in 4NT.INI, but it may not
contain spaces, tabs, or comments. This option
overrides any corresponding directive in your
4NT.INI file. This option is a convenient way to
send 4NT one or two simple directives without
modifying or creating a new 4NT.INI file.
[/C | /K] command
This option tells 4NT to run a command when it
starts. The command will be run after 4START has
been executed and before any command prompt is
displayed. It can be any valid internal or
external command, batch file, or alias, and you
may include multiple commands by using the
command separator. All other startup options
must be placed before the command, because 4NT
will treat characters after the command as part
of the command and not as additional startup
options.
When the command is preceded by a /C, 4NT will
execute the command and then exit and return to
the parent program or the Windows NT desktop,
without displaying a prompt.
The /K switch has no effect; using it is the same
as placing the command (without a /C or /K) at
the end of the startup command line. It is
included only for compatibility with CMD.EXE.
Using 4NT.INI
4DOS for Windows NT uses a file of initialization information
called the 4NT.INI file. You can add to and edit this file
with any ASCII text editor to set 4DOS/NT options and alter
the way that 4NT works. Most of this section explains the
options available through 4NT.INI. You only need to include
entries in 4NT.INI for any settings that you want to change
___________________________________________________________________
Copyright 1993, JP Software Inc. 4DOS for Windows NT / 21
CHAPTER 4 / CONFIGURATION AND TUNING
___________________________________________________________________
from their default values. If you are happy with all of the
default values, you don't need a 4NT.INI file at all.
Some settings in 4NT.INI are initialized when you install
4DOS/NT, so you may have a 4NT.INI file even if you didn't
create one yourself. You should not delete this file unless
you've checked carefully to be sure that you don't need any of
the settings the initialization program put there.
In general, the 4NT.INI file works the same as the 4DOS.INI
file described in the 4DOS Reference Manual. The following
paragraphs only describe the differences between the two files
and the way they are processed.
The following directives are new in 4DOS/NT, and are not
available in 4DOS:
LocalAliases = Yes | NO: Normally, 4NT shares one alias
list among all active 4NT windows. "Yes" forces 4NT to
use a local alias list for the affected window(s) instead
of a shared global list.
LocalHistory = Yes | NO: Normally, 4NT shares one
history list among all active 4NT windows. "Yes" forces
4NT to use a local history list for the affected
windows(s) instead of a shared global list.
WindowState = STANDARD | Maximize | Minimize: Sets the
state of the 4NT window. "Standard" leaves the window
where Windows NT puts it and is the default. "Maximize"
maximizes the window; "Minimize" minimizes it.
The following 4DOS.INI directives may not be used in a 4NT.INI
file. These directives are specific to 4DOS, or to DOS or
features or limitations that do not exist in Windows NT:
Alias FullINT2E StackSize
ANSI HelpOptions Swapping
AutoExecPath HelpPath SwapReopen
DiskReset LineInput UMBEnvironment
DVCleanup MessageServer UMBLoad
EnvFree NetwareNames UniqueSwapName
Environment Reduce
FineSwap ReserveTPA
___________________________________________________________________
Copyright 1993, JP Software Inc. 4DOS for Windows NT / 22
CHAPTER 5 / COMMAND REFERENCE GUIDE
___________________________________________________________________
CHAPTER 5 / COMMAND REFERENCE GUIDE
This chapter provides information about commands that are new in
4DOS for Windows NT, and commands which differ from 4DOS. For a
complete reference to 4DOS and 4DOS/NT commands see Chapter 8 in
the 4DOS Reference Manual.
The following 4DOS/NT commands do not exist in 4DOS:
DETACH starts an Windows NT program in detached mode.
DPATH sets the search path for data files.
KEYS enables, disables, or displays the history list.
START starts a program in a new window.
TITLE changes the window title.
WINDOW minimizes, maximizes, or restores the 4NT window, or
changes the window title.
The following commands have different options in 4DOS/NT than they
do in 4DOS. For details on all 4DOS/NT commands, see the online
help.
ALIAS /R and SET /R support line continuation in 4NT. To
continue a line, end the line with the 4NT escape character.
COPY, DEL, GLOBAL, MOVE, and REN support a new "R(est)"
response to the prompt options. Entering "R" will process all
remaining files and directories without further prompting.
DIR can display directories NTFS and HPFS formats, and has
some additional options and changes to the description
display. See page 26 for more details.
ESET, SET, and UNSET do not have a /M(aster environment)
option in 4NT.
INPUT has two new switches. /E allows editing of the previous
value in the variable. If /E is used and the variable does
not exist, INPUT behaves just as it would without /E. /Ln
specifies the maximum input length (e.g. /L40 limits input to
40 characters).
___________________________________________________________________
Copyright 1993, JP Software Inc. 4DOS for Windows NT / 23
CHAPTER 5 / COMMAND REFERENCE GUIDE
___________________________________________________________________
MD / MKDIR has a new option: /S builds the full path even if
parts of it don't exist.
RD / RMDIR has a new option: /S deletes all files and
subdirectories before removing the named subdirectory. Use /S
with caution! This is equivalent to DEL /QSXZ.
SETDOS does not have the ANSI and Line Input options that are
available in 4DOS.
The new commands and the changes to DIR, HELP, and SETDOS are
described in detail on the following pages.
The following 4DOS commands are not available in 4DOS/NT, because
they perform functions that are not meaningful and/or feasible
under Windows NT:
BREAK LOADHIGH / LH
CTTY SWAPPING
KEYSTACK TRUENAME
___________________________________________________________________
Copyright 1993, JP Software Inc. 4DOS for Windows NT / 24
CHAPTER 5 / COMMAND REFERENCE GUIDE / DETACH
___________________________________________________________________
DETACH (Compatible)
Purpose: Start an Windows NT program in detached mode.
Format: DETACH command
command: the name of a command to execute, including
an optional drive and path specification. The name
must be enclosed in quotation marks if it contains a
space.
See also: START
Usage: When you start a program with DETACH, that program
cannot use the keyboard, mouse, or video display. It
is "detached" from the normal means of user input and
output. However, you can redirect the program's
standard I/O to other devices if necessary, using the
4DOS/NT redirection symbols.
The command can be an internal command, external
command, alias, or batch file. 4NT always detaches a
copy of itself to execute the command.
For example, the following command will detach a copy
of 4NT to run the batch file XYZ.BTM:
[c:\] detach xyz.btm
Once the program has started, 4NT returns to the
prompt immediately. It does not wait for a detached
program to finish.
___________________________________________________________________
Copyright 1993, JP Software Inc. 4DOS for Windows NT / 25
CHAPTER 5 / COMMAND REFERENCE GUIDE / DIR
___________________________________________________________________
DIR (Enhanced)
Purpose: Display information about files and subdirectories.
Format: DIR [/1 /2 /4 /A[[:]-rhsda] /B /C /F /J /K /L /M /N
/O[[:][-]deginsu] /P /S /T[:acw] /U /V /W /Z]
[file...]
file: The file, directory, or list of files or
directories to display.
/1 (one column) /M (suppress footer)
/2 (two columns) /N (use HPFS format)
/4 (four columns) /O (sort order )
/A(ttribute select) /P(ause)
/B(are) /S(ubdirectories)
/C(ase -- upper case) /T (aTtributes or Time)
/F(ull path) /U (sUmmary information)
/J(ustify names) /V(ertical)
/K (suppress header) /W(ide)
/L(ower case) /X (display short & long names)
/Z (use FAT format)
Usage: The DIR command is the same in 4DOS/NT and 4DOS,
except that the /N option has a new meaning and the
/T:acw and /Z options have been added. The 4DOS /N
option, which resets DIR to default values, has no
equivalent in 4NT.
In 4NT, DIR can display the directory in either the
Windows NT File System (NTFS), the OS/2 high
performance file system (HPFS) or traditional DOS-
compatible FAT format
4NT's DIR can also display descriptions up to 200
characters long, with word wrap.
Options: /N: Display the directory in NTFS or HPFS format.
/T:acw Specify which of the date and time fields on
NTFS and HPFS drives should be displayed and used for
sorting:
A - last access time
C - creation time
W - last write time
/X: Display both the short (8.3) and long filenames
on an NTFS drive.
___________________________________________________________________
Copyright 1993, JP Software Inc. 4DOS for Windows NT / 26
CHAPTER 5 / COMMAND REFERENCE GUIDE / DIR
___________________________________________________________________
/Z: Display the directory in DOS-compatible FAT
format. Long names on NTFS and HPFS drives will be
truncated to 11 characters. The name will be followed
by a solid right arrow symbol to show that one or more
characters have been truncated.
___________________________________________________________________
Copyright 1993, JP Software Inc. 4DOS for Windows NT / 27
CHAPTER 5 / COMMAND REFERENCE GUIDE / DPATH
___________________________________________________________________
DPATH (Compatible)
Purpose: Specify the subdirectories which applications will
search to find files that are not in the current
directory.
Format: DPATH [directory[;directory...]]
directory: The full name of a directory to include in
the DPATH (data path) setting.
See also: PATH, SET, and ESET in the 4DOS Reference
Manual.
Usage: When most Windows NT applications try to open a data
file, they look for the file in the current directory
first. If they fail to find the file there, they
search each of the directories in the DPATH setting in
the order that they are included. 4DOS/NT internal
commands like TYPE do not search the DPATH directories
for files.
For example, the following DPATH command directs
applications to look for files in the following order:
the current directory, the INIT directory on C, and
the CONFIG directory on D:
[c:\] dpath c:\init;d:\config
The listing of directories to be searched can be set
or viewed with the DPATH command. The list is stored
as an environment string with the variable name DPATH,
and can also be set or viewed with the SET command and
edited with the ESET command.
Directory names in the DPATH must be separated with
semicolons [;]. 4NT will not shift directory names in
the DPATH to upper case as it does with those in the
PATH setting. If you want the names in the DPATH to
be in upper case you must enter them that way.
If you enter DPATH with no parameters, 4NT displays
the current DPATH search list.
___________________________________________________________________
Copyright 1993, JP Software Inc. 4DOS for Windows NT / 28
CHAPTER 5 / COMMAND REFERENCE GUIDE / KEYS
___________________________________________________________________
KEYS (Enhanced)
Purpose: Enable, disable, or display the history list.
Format: KEYS [ON | OFF | LIST]
See also: HISTORY in the 4DOS Reference Manual.
Usage: This command emulates the CMD.EXE KEYS command, which
controls the history list. It is provided for
compatibility with CMD.EXE. The same functions are
available by setting the HistMin directive in 4NT.INI
and by using the HISTORY command in 4NT.
The history list collects the commands you type for
later recall, editing, and viewing. You can view the
contents of the list through the history list window
or by typing any of the following commands:
[c:\] history
[c:\] history /p
[c:\] keys list
The first command displays the entire history list.
The second displays the entire list and pauses at the
end of each full screen. The third command produces
the same output as the first, except that each line is
numbered.
You can disable the collection and storage of commands
in the history list by typing
[c:\] keys off
Once the history has been turned off, you can turn it
back on by typing
[c:\] keys on
If you issue the KEYS command without any parameters,
4NT will show you the current status of the history
list.
___________________________________________________________________
Copyright 1993, JP Software Inc. 4DOS for Windows NT / 29
CHAPTER 5 / COMMAND REFERENCE GUIDE / SETDOS
___________________________________________________________________
SETDOS (New)
Purpose: Display or set the 4DOS/NT configuration.
Format: SETDOS [/C? /E? /I+|- command /M? /N? /P? /R? /S?:?
/U? /V?]
/C(ompound) /P(arameter character)
/E(scape character) /R(ows)
/I(nternal commands) /S(hape of cursor)
/M(ode for editing) /U(pper case)
/N(o clobber) /V(erbose)
Usage: The SETDOS command is the same in 4DOS/NT as it is in
4DOS, except that two of the optional parameters are
not available in 4DOS/NT and their values are not
reported.
The /A(NSI) option and the ANSI directive in 4NT.INI
are not available because Windows NT does not support
ANSI screen attributes.
The /L(ine) option and the LineInput INI file
directive are not available because the "line input"
capability is not required for compatibility with
Windows NT applications, as it may be under DOS.
In all other respects, the commands are the same. See
the 4DOS Reference Manual for a full description of
SETDOS.
___________________________________________________________________
Copyright 1993, JP Software Inc. 4DOS for Windows NT / 30
CHAPTER 5 / COMMAND REFERENCE GUIDE / START
___________________________________________________________________
START (Enhanced)
Purpose: Start a program in another window.
Format: START ["program title"] [/B /C /Dpath /HIGH /I /INV /K
/L /LA /LH /LOW /MAX /MIN /NORMAL /PGM progname
/POS=row,col,width,height /REALTIME /SIZE=rows,cols
/WAIT] [command]
program title: Title to appear on title bar
path: Startup directory
progname: Program name
command: Command to be executed
/B (no new console) /LH (local history list)
/C(lose when done) /MAX(imized)
/D(irectory) /MIN(inimized) (program name)
/HIGH (priority) /NORMAL (priority)
/I(nherit environment) /PGM (program name)
/INV(isible) /POS(ition of window)
/K(eep when done) /REALTIME (priority)
/L(ocal lists) /SIZE (of screen buffer)
/LA (local aliases) /WAIT
/LOW (priority)
See also: DETACH in this manual.
Usage: START is used to begin a new window and, optionally,
to run a program in that window. If you use START
with no parameters, it will start a new 4DOS/NT
window. If you add a command, START will open a new
window and execute the command that you have
specified.
The program title, if it is included, will appear on
the title bar. The program title must be enclosed in
quotation marks and cannot exceed 127 characters in
length. If the program title is omitted, the program
name will be used as the window title.
Options: /B: Don't create a new window and console.
/C(lose): The window is started using 4NT.EXE and is
closed when the application ends.
/D(irectory): Specifies the startup directory.
/HIGH: Start as high priority.
___________________________________________________________________
Copyright 1993, JP Software Inc. 4DOS for Windows NT / 31
CHAPTER 5 / COMMAND REFERENCE GUIDE / START
___________________________________________________________________
/I(nherit environment): Inherit the original
environment passed to 4NT rather than the current
environment.
/INV(isible): Start the window hidden.
/K(eep window at end): The program is run using
4NT.EXE, and the 4NT window remains after the
application program ends. Use the EXIT command to
close the window.
/L(ocal lists): Start 4NT.EXE with local alias and
history lists. This option combines the effects of
/LA and /LH.
/LA (Local Alias list): Start 4NT.EXE with a local
alias list. If you don't use this option, the new
copy of 4NT will share the alias list of the current
4NT shell, unless a LocalAliases=No directive is used
in 4NT.INI or on the command line.
/LH (Local History list): Start 4NT.EXE with a local
history list. If you don't use this option, the new
copy of 4NT will share the history list of the current
4NT shell, unless a LocalHistory=No directive is used
in 4NT.INI or on the command line.
/LOW: Start as low priority.
/MAX(imized): Start the window maximized.
/MIN(imized): Start the window minimized.
/NORMAL: Start as normal priority.
/PGM (ProGraM name): The string following this option
is the program name. The first quoted string on the
line will be used as the window title only, and not as
the program name.
/POS(ition): Start the window at the specified screen
position. The full syntax is /POS=row, col, width,
height where the row and column are specified in
pixels from the bottom left corner of the window, and
width and height are specified in characters.
/REALTIME: Start as realtime priority.
___________________________________________________________________
Copyright 1993, JP Software Inc. 4DOS for Windows NT / 32
CHAPTER 5 / COMMAND REFERENCE GUIDE / START
___________________________________________________________________
/SIZE: Specify the screen buffer size in row and
columns. The full syntax is /SIZE=rows, cols.
/WAIT: Wait for the program to finish before
returning to the prompt. This is similar to running a
program directly from the prompt (without START), but
allows you to use options like /MAX or /POS, which are
not available when a program is run directly.
___________________________________________________________________
Copyright 1993, JP Software Inc. 4DOS for Windows NT / 33
CHAPTER 5 / COMMAND REFERENCE GUIDE / TITLE
___________________________________________________________________
TITLE (Compatible)
Purpose: Change the window title.
Format: TITLE title
Usage: TITLE changes the text that appears in the caption bar
at the top of the 4DOS/NT window. You can also change
the window title with the WINDOW command.
___________________________________________________________________
Copyright 1993, JP Software Inc. 4DOS for Windows NT / 34
CHAPTER 5 / COMMAND REFERENCE GUIDE / WINDOW
___________________________________________________________________
WINDOW (New)
Purpose: Minimize, maximize, or restore the default window
size, or change the window title.
Format: WINDOW max | min | restore | "title"
Usage: If you specify a new title, the title text must be
enclosed in double quotes. The quotes will not appear
as part of the title text.
Options: max: Maximize the window.
min: Minimize the window.
restore: Restore the window to its default size.
"title": Set the window title to the specified text.
___________________________________________________________________
Copyright 1993, JP Software Inc. 4DOS for Windows NT / 35