Re: .pif vs. lnk

[Michael Norman mn2@xxxxxxxx]

At 01:00 AM 4/13/2006, Harry Binswanger wrote:
> Along with my general confusion about .pif and .lnk, per my previous post...
> And is there any difference between a shortcut on the desktop and
> that same shortcut when pulled down into the Quick Launch area?
>
> Confusedly,
> Harry


Patricia pulled together some of Robert's posts on this subject at

http://xywrite.org/msg01161.htm

Here's a straight-forward explanation of a .pif file.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Program_Information_File

A .lnk is simply a shortcut to a WIN program, introduced, I think with W95.

I somewhat understand the difference between .lnk and .pif and I'm
sure someone here will either correct and/or extend this,
but...essentially...the pif, *program information file,* establishes
the terms/limits whatever of the dos environment in Windows for the
particular dos program you want to run. The various tabs in a pif's
properties versus the tabs in a .lnk's properties make this somewhat
clear. Both are *shortcuts,* as that word commonly applies, but
perhaps in computereze there's a distinction. (Again, beware my limits.)


From your various posts, it sounds as if you might be creating your
pif incorrectly. You wrote: *Isn't that what I did? I created the
desktop shortcut by right clicking on an empty part of the desktop,
then doing New/Shortcut. That brings up one of those damnable
wizards, which allows me to finish creating the shortcut.*


Harry, some of your TAME problems may stem from the procedure you
used. Please try this procedure instead: 1. Delete all your current
XY shortcuts (forget about .lnk or .pif for now). Using explorer or
your file manager, go to the directory with editor.exe. Right click
on it. Select "create shortcut." That will give you a file named
"Shortcut to Editor.exe" in that directory. If you look at the file
specs, you will see it's a .pif. Drag that shortcut (pif) onto the
desktop. Right click on it and then click on "properties." Click on
the "Program" tab. In the box labeled *Cmd line* you should see
[Drive letter]:\[Xywrite Dir]\Editor.exe. Erase that. Insert the name
of the .bat file you wrote that invokes TAME then XY, to wit [Drive
letter]:\[Xywrite Dir]\[XYbat.].bat. Run this in *Normal Window.*
Click on the font tab. Select *Both types* and *auto.* Click on the
*memory* tab. Set :*Conventional Memory*=Auto; Expanded=5120;
Extended=None (and check the box); MsDos=Auto; intitial enviro=auto.
Go the the *Misc* tab. UNCHECK *always suspend* (very important for
CLIP) and *exclusive mode.* Everything else is checked. Go to the
*screen* tab and make sure *Window* is checked. Now, APPLY then OK.
And you have a .pif for the .bat that starts TAME and XY. Start XY
using this .pif and try again with the TAME console dialog/drop down menus.


michael.norman@xxxxxxxx