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- DOSKEY At a Glance
-
- DOSKEY is a memory-resident utility that extends the functions
- available at the DOS prompt to include changing foreground/background colors,
- a command stack that holds up to 15 immediately reissuable commands, and
- command macros keyed to function keys F3 through F12. In addition, editing
- functions have been added for the DOS command line and the CLS (Clear Screen)
- command has been modified to operate with color (CGA or EGA) and with
- displays of more than 25 lines.
-
- DOSKEY is normally loaded through a line in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file, but may be
- loaded from the command line using the following syntax:
-
-
- [d:][path]DOSKEY
-
-
- Operation After loading, pressing the F1 key successively cycles through the
- 16 foreground (text) colors, while F2 acts similarly for the 8 available
- background colors. Pressing the Shift key with either F1 or F2 reverses the
- direction of the cycling. CLS remembers the last-set color scheme. If a
- space is typed between CLS and Enter, the color will revert to the DOS
- defaults (black and white).
-
- Function keys F3 through F12 are assigned by default to the following command
- macros:
-
- F3 dir
- F4 type
- F5 copy
- F6 delete
- F7 chdir
- F8 path
- F9 browse
- F10 cls
- F11 backup
- F12 restore
-
- Any of these assignments may be changed using DEBUG, as described in
- the body of the article. The browse command (F9) was presented in PC
- Magazine Volume 5 Number 6. Use of the F11 and F12 keys requires an enhanced
- keyboard and appropriate BIOS support.
- The command stack uses the Up- and Down-Arrow cursor keys to bring
- previously-issued commands to the command line for reissue. The command line
- editor supports Left- and Right-Arrow cursor motion without deletion, Home
- and End keys for moving to the ends of the line, and Del and Backspace for
- character deletion. Pressing Esc clears the command line, and pressing Ins
- toggles between insert and overwrite modes.
-