Introduction
The Contents
Technical Notes
Hardware
Book Defaults
About the Author
Note to Readers
About The Book
Disclaimer
Chapter 1: Anatomy of a Batch Files
Too Much Documentation Is Never Enough!
Self Documentation
Starting Off Right
A Different Kind Of Top
Speaking Of Capitalization
Spacing
Section Markers
Indenting Sections
Message Length
Summary
Chapter 2: Hiding Everything a Batch File Does
Logging Computer Usage
Better Messages
Password Protection
A Less Powerful Approach
Warning
Summary
Chapter 3: Batch File Help
Help Files
Customized Help
Customized and Specific Help
Summary
Chapter 4: Batch Files That Use Less Space
Dealing With The Problem
DOS Upgrade
Combining Batch Files
Compressing The Batch Files
Technical Notes
Summary
Chapter 5: Counting In Batch Files
Simple Adding and Subtracting
Math Rules
The Batch File
Finding A Unique File Name
Looping
A Brute Force Approach
Stripping Off The Digits
Utility Programs
Summary
Chapter 6: Running Multiple Commands And Other Command Line Enhancements
You May Not Need A Batch File!
Entering Multiple Commands On the Command Line
When The Command Line Isn't Enough
MULTI1.BAT
MULTI2.BAT
MULTI3.BAT
MULTI4.BAT
Reusing Commands
Keyboard Macros
Storing Them In The
Environment
Storing Them In A Batch File
Reusing A Command Line
Storing Them In The
Environment
Storing Them In A Batch File
Summary
Chapter 7: Making DOS Run Smoother
More Intelligent AUTOEXEC.BAT Arrangement
Unloading Memory Resident Programs With Batch Files
Shelling Out to DOS
Running Inflexible Programs
Running Commands Occasionally
Running Even More Commands Occasionally
Running Under Different Versions
Summary
Chapter 8: Working With Subdirectories
Changing Subdirectories
A Custom Batch File For Each
Subdirectory
Returning Home
Quick Changes
Quick Changes Two
Quick Changes Three
Quick Change To A New
Subdirectory
Finding Files
Summary
Chapter 9: DOS-Based Virus Protection
Write-Protect Program Files
Hide COMMAND.COM
Test Your Critical Files
DOS 5.0
Summary
Chapter 10: Miscellaneous Batch Files
Batch File Floppy Diskette Catalog
Stopping Your Batch File
Making CHKDSK Smarter
Counting Backup Files
Summary
Chapter 11: Booting With Custom Configurations
The Basic Approach
Putting It Together
Environmental Surveying
Conditionally Loading Memory Resident Software
DR DOS Is Even Better!
As Close As MS DOS Can Come
Summary
Chapter 12: Accessing Global Information
Date and Time
Volume Label
Serial Number
Using Batcmd
Calling Technical Support
Summary
Chapter 13: Working With Your Path
Adding To Your Path
Deleting From Your Path
Summary
Chapter 14: Modifying DOS Without DOS 5.0
A word of warning
Your AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files
Read Only
Changing DOS
Changing commands
Summary
Chapter 15: Modifying DOS 5.0 With DOSKEY
DOSKEY Basics
What Can I Do With DOSKEY?
Putting It Together
Command Line Recall
I've Had It!
Summary
Chapter 16: The DOS Environment
What Is It?
The SET Command
SET PROMPT
SET COMSPEC
SET PATH
Using SET Variables in Batch Files
Increasing the Size of the Environment
Testing The Environment
Summary
Chapter 17: The DOS Errorlevel
The Brute Force Approach
Combining IF Statements
Shorter ERRORLEVEL Tests
Programs That Use Errorlevel
Summary
Chapter 18: ANSI Escape Sequences
ANSI Tutorial
The Keyboard
Summary
Chapter 19: Advanced Batch File Techniques
Case Construction
Creating A Boot Disk
Dealing With Capitalization
GOTO %1
A Practical Example
Environmental Variables
The PATH
Environmental Variables
FOR Command Tricks
Nested FOR Statements
Using FOR to Add Wildcard
Support
Running Commands With A
FOR-Loop
Label Testing
Nesting IF Statements
Quicker Than GOTO END
Quotation Marks
Replacing Commands With Environmental Variables
Subroutines in Batch Files
Tricking Early DOS to Run
Subroutines
DOS 3.3 And Later
Why Use Subroutines?
Subroutine Batch Files Inside The Calling Batch File
Using Reserve Names in Batch Files
Writing Batch Files With A Spreadsheet
Zero-Length Files
Summary
Chapter 20: Batch File Documentation
01.BAT Chapter 11
02.BAT Chapter 11
1-LOG.BAT Chapter 2
ANSIDEMO.BAT Chapter 18
ANSIHIDE.BAT Chapter 2
AUTOASK.BAT Chapter 11
AUTOBOOT.BAT Chapter 11
BIGMENU.BAT Chapter 4
BLANK.BAT Chapter 18
CAPITAL1.BAT Chapter 19
CAPITAL2.BAT Chapter 19
CAPITAL3.BAT Chapter 19
CAPITAL4.BAT Chapter 19
CAPITAL5.BAT Chapter 19
CASE.BAT Chapter 19
CATALOG.BAT Chapter 10
CHECKERR.BAT Chapter 17
CHECKER2.BAT Chapter 17
CHKDSKCD Chapter 8
CL.BAT Chapter 6
CL2.BAT Chapter 6
CNTBOOTS.BAT Chapter 7
CNTFILES Chapter 10
CONFIG.BAT Chapter 11
CONFIG.DR0 Chapter 11
CONFIG.DR1 Chapter 11
CONFIG.DR2 Chapter 11
CONFIG.DR3 Chapter 11
CTTYKEY.BAT Chapter 11
CURRENT.BAT Chapter 12
CURRENT1.BAT Chapter 12
DEL.BAT Chapter 14
DIGIT-1.BAT Chapter 17
DIGIT-2.BAT Chapter 17
DIGIT-3.BAT Chapter 17
DIRECTOR.BAT Chapter 8
EDIT1.BAT Chapter 13
EDIT2.BAT Chapter 13
EDITPAT2.BAT Chapter 13
EDITPATH.BAT Chapter 13
ENV_SIZE.BAT Chapter 19
FASTFIND.BAT Chapter 8
GET-TIME.BAT Chapter 12
GETVOL.BAT Chapter 12
HELP.BAT Chapter 3
HELP1.BAT Chapter 3
HELPBAT.BAT Chapter 3
HELPBAT2.BAT Chapter 3
HELPBAT3.BAT Chapter 3
KEYASSGN.BAT Chapter 15
KEYERASE.BAT Chapter 15
LOCK.BAT Chapter 2
LOGBOOT.BAT Chapter 2
LOTUS.BAT Chapter 7
LOTUS1.BAT Chapter 7
MACRO.BAT Chapter 6
MACRO2.BAT Chapter 6
MATH.BAT Chapter 5
MATH1.BAT Chapter 5
MATH2.BAT Chapter 5
MOVEIT.BAT Chapter 15
MULTI.BAT Chapter 6
MULTI1.BAT Chapter 6
MULTI2.BAT Chapter 6
MULTI3.BAT Chapter 6
MULTI4.BAT Chapter 6
NEST1.BAT Chapter 19
NEST2.BAT Chapter 19
NEXTFILE.BAT Chapter 5
NICEPROM.BAT Chapter 18
NOT-DEL.BAT Chapter 2
NUMBER.BAT Chapter 5
NUMBER1.BAT Chapter 5
NUMBER2.BAT Chapter 5
NUMBER3.BAT Chapter 5
NUMBER4.BAT Chapter 5
NUMBER5.BAT Chapter 5
NUMBER6.BAT Chapter 5
NUMBER9.BAT Chapter 5
OCCASION.BAT Chapter 7
PASSWRD2.BAT Chapter 2
PATH1.BAT Chapter 13
PATH2.BAT Chapter 13
PATH3.BAT Chapter 13
PATH4.BAT Chapter 13
PHONE.BAT Chapter 19
PREPARE.BAT Chapter 2
QCD.BAT Chapter 8
RCD.BAT Chapter 8
RECONFIG.BAT Chapter 11
REMOVE.BAT Chapter 10
RETURN.BAT Chapter 8
RETURN2.BAT Chapter 8
RETURN3.BAT Chapter 8
RMD.BAT Chapter 8
SAVE-ERR.BAT Chapter 17
SAVESPAC.BAT Chapter 19
SENDANS2.BAT Chapter 18
SENDANSI.BAT Chapter 18
SERIAL.BAT Chapter 12
SETPATH.BAT Chapter 13
SHOWLOOP.BAT Chapter 5
SMALLBAT.BAT Chapter 4
SMARTCHK.BAT Chapter 10
SP.BAT Chapter 13
STARTAPP.BAT Chapter 11
STARTDAT.BAT Chapter 7
STARTWOR.BAT Chapter 7
STORE.BAT Chapter 5
STOREVOL.BAT Chapter 12
TECH-AID.BAT Chapter 12
TESTCOM5.BAT Chapter 9
TESTCOMM.BAT Chapter 9
TESTENVI.BAT Chapter 19
TESTGOTO.BAT Chapter 19
TEXTFND4.BAT Chapter 19
TEXTFND5.BAT Chapter 19
TP.BAT Chapter 13
UNBLANK.BAT Chapter 18
USEOVER.BAT Chapter 6
VERSION.BAT Chapter 7
VOLUME.BAT Chapter 12
VOLUME1.BAT Chapter 12
Chapter 21: Batch File Utilities
BatScreen
Batcmd
AD Add One to Math
Environmental Variable
BE Beep The Speaker
BS Blank The Screen
CC Check Conventional Memory
CE Check Environmental Memory
CH Check Number of Hard
Drives
CL Check LIM Memory
CM Check Mouse
CS Check Space
EX Exit
GE Get To Environment
GF Get From List
GK Get Key
GL Get Letter
GN Get Number
GU Get Uppercase Letter
PC Position Cursor
RB Reboot The Computer
SD Store Day
SH Store Hour
SL Skip Line
SM Store Minute
SO Store Month
SS Store Second
SU Subtract One from Math
Environmental Variable
SY Store Year
YN Yes No
LHA Version 2.13
Commands
Summary
The information for this book was taken from the last draft I submitted to the publisher. Since the publisher performed minor editing, the version you purchase in the store will be slightly different.
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© 2002 by Ronny Richardson, All Rights Reserved