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-
- «MDUL»«MDNM»SETMODE
- Command
-
- Tom Kihlken 1988 No. 13 (Utilities)
-
-
- Purpose:Provides menu-driven setup and change of video modes and
- communications parameters.
-
- Format:SETMODE
-
- Remarks: SETMODE is a memory-resident utility that may be loaded either at the
- DOS prompt or by being included as a line in an AUTOEXEC.BAT file. It takes
- no parameters. Its default hotkey is Alt-M, and it will pop-up either in text
- or graphics modes.
-
- The SETMODE window displays the current settings (bps, parity, data
- bits, stop bits), for up to four installed serial ports. Settings can be
- changed by moving the bar menu highlight to the desired parameter with the
- cursor arrow keys and using the plus or minus keys to increment or decrement
- the value. Pressing either Esc or Enter removes the SETMODE screen and
- implements any communications parameter changes. The status of the Data Set
- Ready (DSR) line, which should indicate Yes when a printer or modem is
- attached and powered up, is also shown in the window, though it cannot be
- changed through SETMODE.
-
- The current video mode is also displayed in the SETMODE pop-up window
- and can be changed by moving the menu bar to the desired mode and pressing
- Enter. Note that modes not supported by the display adaptor(s) in the user's
- system cannot be selected. When a video mode change is made, the screen is
- initially left blank; pressing Enter a second time will restore the normal
- prompt.
-
- Note: Although SETMODE will pop up over most existing applications,
- video mode changes should normally be made only from the DOS prompt, as many
- programs will crash if the mode is changed while they are running. Similarly,
- changes in communications protocols should not be made while a file transfer
- is in progress. Text characters beneath the SETMODE window are preserved if
- the mode is left unchanged, but graphics images are not.
-
- Instructions for changing the default Alt-M hotkey are contained in
- the article.
-