Notes from contributors....

Notes from Hans B Pufal <hansp@digiweb.com>:

Here is my package of changes to COMMAND, my coding was based on version

74B, but I downloaded version 74D and modified my files accordingly.

I use BC 4.5 and had some problems with the makefile, it was generating
a .COM file of 102Kb!. I have included my modified makefile for your
reference.

For the files I have modified, I have reformatted them to my style (sorry).
Take a look and see if you can live with it. I find that procedure headers
are easier to find and that putting the history in reverse order helps
quickly find the latest changes.

File Description

batch.c A new version, implements CALL, ECHO, GOT, IF, PAUSE, SHIFT
and BEEP. There is a stub for FOR but that's all.

cmdtable.c New file to keep the internal command table. I plan on

getting rid of the table real soon now and replacing it
with a dynamic mechanism.

command.c A new (improved ;) version. Conforms closely to MS-DOS

specs. Cleaned up (and fixed) the redirection handler.

command.h Your version D with changes. Look for the HBP tag.

makefile My version of the makefile, for BC 4.5. Sorry don't use

the IDE so could not make a .prj file.

notes.txt This file...

redir.c Modified file, now supports append redirects.

where.c Modified, made it a little safer and quicker...

The test subdirectory has some
runs the test and sends output
for a COMMAND.COM on the patch
C:\COMMAND.COM, presumed to be
MSDOS.OUT and FDOS.OUT to look
batch file tests. I run T.BAT which uses
to a file. The tests are run twice once
(presumably ours) and once with
the MSDOS version. Compare the outputs in
for any problems.

That's about it, ask if you have any questions.

Regards,

Hans <mailto:hansp@digiweb.com>

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

10-Aug-1998 0.75b Steffen Kaiser <skaise2a@smail.inf.fh-rhein-sieg.de>

+ Corrected ^Break handling in batch.c

 Try something like this:
===== File batch1.bat
@echo off
echo Hi Batch1.bat
echo Hi Batch1.bat
===== File batch2.bat
@echo off
:loop
call batch1.bat
goto loop
=====
The press ^Break or ^C. Most of the time you are asked to
terminate BATCH1.BAT (Y/N/A), if you press 'Y', you only terminate
BATCH1, but BATCH2 continue. But if you press 'A' (or ^C),
even BATCH2 is terminated.

+ added modifyable batch scripts (following the standard)

+ bug: nested comments in old split()

+ bug: DEL memory allocation

+ added ^Break checks to cmd_type(), cmd_dir()

+ added: chkCBreak(0) [aka "cbreak"] is a generic form that autodetects

if currently a batchfile is active and displays the batchfile
prompt, if so.
The batchfile prompt now displays the name of the batchfile.

+ echo off on command line --> frozen computer

+ The initialization code init() is still broken (included in my last

patch).

+ In init() the errorlevel of the processed command is returned.

This is a nice feature, however, MS COMMAND returns '0' to
indicate a successful run of COMMAND itself. It's non-standard,
offer an option.

+ fixed DEL char **arg allocation --> allocating a dynamic memory area
for each arg[] element, however, split() simply overwrites them and
they are no dynamic pointers for their own.

+ The DEL access()/stat() stuff is still broken (included in my last

buglist report)

+ The find_which() is still broken as it searches through PATH prior

testing all extensions within one directory.

+ Someone removed the ^Break catcher. It makes not much sense to incorporate
^Break checks, but running without a ^C catcher. Therefore I have
re-added the catcher, this time using signals (the DOS emulation of
them, however).

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
COPY.TXT
Rob Lake
Aug-19-98
Notes:
o Crashes when returning from cmd_copy. Works fine on its own
(see mod_copy.zip). I can't figure out why myself. I think that
there is a memory allocation problem somewhere. Hopefully someone
more experienced can track it down.

o I named the module version of copy `cp' to resolve possible abiguity of

naming it copy.

o I don't remember exactly what time I started writing, so I figured around

Aug 1.

o Although the program accepts the /Y or /-Y switches, it does not do

anything with them, yet.

o The default mode for copying is BINARY

o Specify /a before or after the destination file, if one is given,

will append the destination with a ^Z character. Place appropriate
warning here. Ex. These commands will add the ^Z character:
cp "/a cp.com cp.txt"
cp "cp.com + /a cp.obj cp.txt"
cp "cp.com /a cp.txt"
cp "cp.com cp.txt /a"

o You can define the mode for all files in the command line. Ex.
cp "/b cp.com + /a copy.c + /a copy.obj /b cp.txt"
works (for whatever reason someone would want to do that:-).

o The following commands where tested with the module copy:

cp c:\autoexec.bat
cp "c:\autoexec.bat test.bat"
cp "..\ temp"
- Given that ..\ has files. If temp is a directory, will copy all files
to it. If temp is a file or does not exist, all the files with be copied
to .\temp. NOTE: Appended to temp, not over written each time.
cp "cp.com test.com"
cp "/a cp.com cp.txt"
cp "file1+file2+file3 file4"
- Will ask to overwrite file4 after file1 has been copied. This will be
fixed later.
cp "file5+file1+file2+file3"
- This appends file1, file2 and file3 to file5. Will ask to overwrite
file5 when file2 has been copied, if file5 does not exist. Will be fixed
later.
- MS-DOS copy doesn't create file5 if it does not exist. It
concatenates all to file1, it should print an error message. This copy
creates a file5 if one does not exist. This can be changed later.

o This command doesn't work yet:

cp "*.c+*.h *.txt"
- If tried, will print "NOT IMPLEMENTED YET" message. This command may be
kind of confusing. Take for example you have a directory with these files:
file1.c file1.h
file2.c file2.h
The command above will copy file1.c and file1.h to file1.txt and file2.c
and file2.h to file2.txt. If, say, file1.h does not exist, copy will
produce the messages:
FILE1.C
FILE1.H
File not found - FILE1.H
Invalid handle - FILE1.TXT
0 file(s) copied
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------