ADVANCED BATCH FILE SEMINAR 3. The distribution files contain a number of shareware utilities and/or public domain programs. Please read and honor the shareware agreements contained in these programs. All programs written by the author, W.B. Malthouse, are to be considered public domain software and are furnished for your enjoyment and use without payment or license, and with no donation requests. 4. The batch files below are included ONLY to illustrate certain rather peculiar language features in a high-impact manner, and to show some ERRORs that can occur in even such a simple programming language as the DOS batch file language. These programs are NOT intended in any way to encourage "hacking" or anti-social programming attempts such as have resulted in the distribution of VIRUS-loaded software. WORM.BAT -- A very dumb "Worm" BATCH File that just GROWS ... BOMB.BAT -- A version of WORM that doubles and doubles ... (The author will personally TERMINATE any dummy who uses these things as a model for mischief ... as soon as he can FIND that #$@! idiot!) ADVANCED BATCH FILE SEMINAR 5. The presentation makes use of several of the author's software tools such as his favorite editor etc. in a support role. These tools are NOT included in the distribution, but are not necessary to review the text notes or use the example batch files. If by some stupidity I messed up and left anything on the disk which is clearly a commercial product etc., please erase it and let me know that it got left there by accident. I have tried hard to delete all the junk, but after all, even BATMAN is human! 6. Every effort has been made to use ONLY those features of DOS which work in Version 3.3+, supplemented only by some very simple programs such as ASK to get keyboard input into a program and IPL to reboot a machine without the user having to press CTRL-ALT-DEL, rather than relying on public-domain, shareware or commercial utility programs which are "batch enhancers". Accordingly, the examples are rather "plain vanilla" in their use of graphics, screen color, musical "beep"s etc., all of which can be added quite simply with one or more of these "enhancers" such as the PC-Magazine "BATCHMAN" utility. Such "dress-up" changes are left to the reader as an exercise if that is desired, and I recommend that you do use these utilities to solve your problems in "real" batch files. However, there is a PRICE for everything, and that price is exacted in terms of reduced execution SPEED when using such enhancements! Sure, it's only a LITTLE tiny bit slower, but have a heart for the guy with an XT running at 4.77 Mz with an 85 msec hard disk! Batch files should make things both EASY and QUICK ... use a programming language for really heavy-duty stuff with fancy windows, colors etc. Ok, enough chatter, lets get on with the show ...