---------------------------------------------------------------- MINIMUM DOS COMMANDS FOR USING SHAREWARE ---------------------------------------------------------------- Before we move forward, a brief refresher course in several basic DOS operations without which a shareware disk is useless. DOS SYNTAX A DOS command must always use the same syntax illustrated below: COMMAND WHAT? WHERE? Example: COPY PCLEARN.TXT B: Example: TYPE PCLEARN.DOC In the second example DOS assume the WHERE is the screen. In the first example DOS needs to be told that a copy of a file is to be sent to the B: floppy drive. NOTE! Generally DOS commands, drive letters and filenames and be typed in upper or lower case or both, since DOS is not fussy in that respect. It is ok to use capital letters, small letters or any combination. THE DIR COMMAND An essential command which displays the names of the files on a disk. Example: A>DIR Lists files on the diskette your are in THE DEFAULT DRIVE, in this case is A: Example: A>DIR B: Lists files in the B: drive. We have omitted the since you already know this is necessary after a DOS command. Example: A>DIR /P List files in current default drive but pause after each screenful of information. Example: A>DIR B: /P Same as above, but list the files on B: drive with a pause. Example: A>DIR /W List current default drive but display in wide screen mode for numerous files. NOTE! With any DOS operation which rapidly fills and overflows the screen with data, try pressing CTRL-S (control or ctrl key plus the S key together at same time) to pause the screen. Any key touched resumes the scrolling display and CTRL-S repeated pauses again. Very handy! NOTE! Switching drives is easy. If you see this: A> and you want to change the default drive to this: B> then simply do this: A>B: Switching default drives is an essential skill! THE FORMAT COMMAND This prepares a blank disk to receive new information. You must format disks out of the package from the store before you can use them. Formatting tests a disk and installs magnetic tracks where information will later reside. Examples: C>FORMAT A: format floppy in A: A>FORMAT B: format floppy in B: C>FORMAT B:/S see below for explanation . . . The last example formats the disk in B: drive and also adds the special system files so that the disk can be self starting or self booting. Not essential with most disk you will work with. You MUST have the special file FORMAT.COM on your disk or hard drive to able to do this operation since FORMAT.COM normally resides EXTERNALLY on a floppy or in a special area of your hard drive. THE COPY AND DISKCOPY COMMANDS Moves, copies and even renames files as they pass from one disk to another. Examples: A>COPY *.* B: Copies ALL files (indicated by *.*) to the B: floppy drive. A>DISKCOPY A: B: This is a variation of the copy command. The above example will copy the ENTIRE contents of the diskette in the A: drive to the B: drive. DISKCOPY.COM is an external file and must be available to be used! The COPY command is an internal command (always resides in your computer's RAM memory and is thus ALWAYS AVAILABLE - unlike DISKCOPY.COM) A>DISKCOPY A: A: This is a variation of the diskcopy command. The above example will copy the ENTIRE contents of the diskette in the A: drive to the A: drive for those using ONLY a single floppy drive system and perhaps not having a B: or C: drive. In essence, this variation copies the SOURCE diskette into memory, allows you to remove the SOURCE diskette, insert a blank formatted TARGET diskette and transfer the files to that new floppy. Useful for those having only a single floppy drive. C>COPY A:*.* B: Copies all files from A: to B: while still in the C: default directory. C>COPY A:HAPPY.DOC B: Copies only the file HAPPY.DOC to B: NOTE! DISKCOPY is an external command and must be on the disk or in the default directory to work. COPY is an internal command and is always available at the DOS command line. We mentioned this before, but it is worth repeating . . . TYPE COMMAND Lets you view the internal contents of a file on the screen. If the file is in ASCII or english text (same thing) you will be able to read it. If the file is not ASCII then you will see symbols which are gibberish. Only text or ASCII files are readable for the most part. Examples: C>TYPE MANUAL.DOC Type the contents of the file MANUAL.DOC to the screen. Remember to use CTRL-S to pause, any key to resume scrolling and CTRL-S to pause again. A>TYPE B:MANUAL.DOC Type the file MANUAL.DOC which is located on the B: drive to the screen. PRINT COMMAND There are actually two ways to print text or documentation files on your printer. Examples: C>PRINT EXAMPLE.DOC Prints on your printer the contents of the file EXAMPLE.DOC. Note that PRINT command is an external file and must be present in the default drive to be used! C>TYPE EXAMPLE.DOC>PRN This is a useful alternative method of accomplishing the same result by using the TYPE command which is an internal command, always available and redirecting the output to a printer. The small > symbol is found as a shifted period mark on most keyboards and in other locations on your keyboard. Be sure to find and try the > symbol. NOTE! To stop printing use the CTRL-C key combination to stop the printing and completely abort. CTRL-C works to abort just about ANY DOS operation safely.