Programmer 7500/MAX_PROGRAMMERS.iso/PROGRAMS/UTILS/DOS_HELP/PCLEARN.ZIP/DOS2.TUT

Text File | 1988-12-13 | 7.7 KB | 159 lines

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DOS ADVANCED COMMANDS AND SHORTCUTS . . . .
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Life gets more interesting the longer you stay in the game. DOS
tries to offer you some shortcuts from time to time. The function
keys labelled F1 through F10 on your keyboard access a special storage
area of DOS. Additional key combinations offer other shortcuts.

F1 repeats one character per keystroke of the LAST command typed
F2 repeats the number of characters specified
F3 repeats the entire LAST command ------>  USEFUL!
F4 skips over character(s) up to the character specified
F5 makes the new line the new command in memory

Insert key puts keyboard into insert mode
Delete key deletes character to left of cursor
Escape key voids the current input
Backspace key removes last character typed
Left and right arrow keys move cursor left and right without deleting

Control C or Control Break Aborts current DOS command -----> USEFUL!
Control H or backspace removes last character typed
Control P or Control PrtSc sends output to printer until turned off
        (by typing same key combination (Control P) a second time)

Shift PrtSc prints one screen of data
Control Numlock or Control S suspends output to screen. Press any key
        to continue.
Control Alt Delete (all three keys at once) Resets and empties
        entire computer data!  ALL DATA AND PROGRAMS LOST!
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Next some of the more advanced (and useful) DOS commands . . .


==MODE (external) is a command to setup the printer, display and
communications outputs of your computer. Use mode when you have several
printers, two or more monitors, several display types (color and mono-
chrome). Example: a>mode co80 (meaning set display mode to color,
80 columns wide). Example: b>mode lpt1=com1  You can also set modem
transmission settings such as parity and baud rate.
Example: a>mode com1:10,n,8,1,p

==MORE (external) causes the display to pause when full when reading
a long file or directory. More is always combined with other DOS commands.
Type and dir are examples of commands more is used with. A special
vertical bar | is used to facilitate this. Example a>dir|more
Example: b>type letter.txt|more

== F1 and F3 are useful function keys. F1 repeats your last DOS command
one character at a time. The more useful F3 key repeats your entire
command.

==  < and > are input/output symbols. They help DOS send and receive
signals properly. Example: a>sort<letter.txt>letter.new
Example: b>dir>prn (meaning produce a directory listing, but send
the output to the printer, rather than the screen).
Example: format b:<special.fil (format a floppy and accept input
keystrokes from the file special.fil rather than input from the
keyboard.)

==SORT (external) sorts data lists in alphabetical or reverse order.
Example: a>dir|sort    Example: sort<letter.doc>new.doc

==GRAPHICS (external) allows you to print the contents of a graphics
display (e.g., a lotus graph on the screen) while using the SHIFT-PRTSC
key combination mentioned earlier. Graphics mode display programs
use high resolution or color displays - - Reflex, graphing programs
and others. Example: a>graphics

==FIND (external) searches for words and phrases in a file. You cannot
use wild cards (? and *).
Example: a>find "lovely candy bars" letter.l letter.2 lts.wks
(meaning find the phrase in quotes in the three files listed)

==ASSIGN (external) tells DOS to send disk requests for one drive
to the other. Effectively renames your a drive the b drive and
vice versa. Allows you to access only certain drives for security
reasons (remote modem use, for example). By itself, assign
simply restores the normal drive configurations and names.
DISKCOPY and FORMAT commands ignore assign!
Example: b>assign c=a

Tip---> Use of assign command is rare.

==PATH (internal) tells DOS where to search for executeable files
in the subdirectories you specify. Allows simultaneous searching
of many subdirectories at once. Path eliminates the need to copy
files to and search through many directories manually. You can
establish a path command in your autoexec.bat file (more on this
later) to establish this process every time you startup the computer.
Example: c>path \letters;\finance;\utils

==PROMPT (internal) allows change of the DOS prompt - the typical
a>    The characters $P show the active directory. The characters $G
show the > symbol. This can be setup in the autoexec.bat file to
initialize the prompt every time you startup your computer.
Example: a>prompt $P$G.

==TREE (extrernal) shows the structure of the subdirectories on your
disc. You can check the arrangement of the root (main) and all
subdirectories. Tree/f shows all file names. Example: b>tree/f

==ATTRIB (external) allows a file to be set for "read only" (non-
eraseable). Attrib +r marks for read only. Attrib -r removes this.
Protects files from modification or removal. Attrib alone displays
file attributes. A small r appears to the left of a files directory
listing if that file is read only (protected). Only available in
DOS 3.0 and later. Example: a>attrib +r letters.doc

==BACKUP & RESTORE (external) used to making spare copies (backups)
of hard disc data. Copies groups of files to floppies. Restore
reverses the process and puts the files from floppies to hard disc.
Backup/m copies only files modified since the last backup. Backup/s copies
all subdirectories and their files. Backup/d copies files modified after
the date you specify. Backup/a adds files to a disc that already contains
other files. Files copied to floppies with backup can't be used
(they are "encoded") until they are restored ("unencoded").
Restore/s puts back all subdirectory files.
Example: a>backup c:\*.* a:/s
Example: c>restore a:\*.* c:/s

==EDLIN (external) is a little word processor which can prepare files.
Its output is ASCII (plain text). Example: a>edlin go.bat
Edlin is rudimentary. Other word processors (text editors) can
output ASCII files more quickly and easily, but edlin is good for
short jobs. The copy con command (discussed earlier) will do the
job also.

==VDISK (exteral) is a "ramdisk" which allows you to construct an
artifical "software" disc drive in computer memory. It is very fast
but does use computer memory. Also known as a virtual disc. VDISK.SYS
is usually placed in the configuration file (more on this in a bit)
with the device command.

Example: device=vdisk.sys 128   sets up a ramdisk of 128,000 bytes in
size. VDISK is available in DOS 3.0 and later.

==BATCH (external) refers to batch commands and files that contain a list of
instructions. You can use any DOS commands such as SORT, DIR, COPY and also
special commands unique to batch files such as GOTO, PAUSE and so forth.
We'll discuss batch files in greater detail later. Batch files always have a
BAT extension after the main file name. Batch files are started by typing
the name of the file. Example: type go to start a file named GO.BAT
A special batch file called AUTOEXEC.BAT (automatically execute) starts up
the computer and executes files and commands you specify.

==CONFIG.SYS (external) is a special file that tells DOS the "configuration"
or structure of your computer. It helps DOS determine the status of screens,
keyboards, ramdisks, hard drives and other "customizations" to your system.
Example: device=harddisk.sys  Example: device=vdisk.sys  You can create
a config.sys file in the same manner as creation of a batch file (with
the copy con instruction or with any ascii word processor or text editor).


End of file, now press escape key.