Robert Holmgren wrote:
You're doing something wrong. What does the BATfile say?
Indeed I am, and I think I've figured out what, though not yet how to
fix it. The problem is that I don't know all the commands/parameters
of NT batch language, so I'm omitting something from the file.
In DOS and W9x, if a batch file calls an application, the application
opens and STAYS open until it is closed by its own internal close
command (in Xy, Quit) Not so in W2K/XP (and, I'm assuming, NT): a
batch file runs and that's it. IF it calls an app, the app opens and
closes again, instanter.
So when I launch Xy with a batch file, it opens--and closes again
immediately. I need to find out what command I have to include to make
it stay open. (By the by, this is very promising: I could not get
dBase 5 for DOs to stay open in W2K, and assumed it was just
incompatible. But one has to launch that with a batch file, as there
are several parameters and values that have to be set beforehand. So
if I can find the command to embed, I may be able to use it still.)
Note that in W9x, there's a checkbox on the Program tab of the pif
properties window giving one the choice to "close on exit" or not. In
W2K and XP, that checkbox occurs on the properties window of a
shortcut to an EXECUTABLE (e.g., editor.exe) but NOT to that of a
batch file.
Those interested in debugging techniques might be interested in HOW I
arrived here. I created a simple batch file, using copy con to assure
that no extraneous characters were getting in there. It consisted of
the single command
dir e:\*.wpd /sWhen I double-clicked on it, something flashed on the screen, too
quickly for me to see (this is an Athlon duo, remember; pretty fast
system). I then created a shortcut to it, and played around with the
shortcut properties (all from the right=click on the desktop icon tab,
since it neer stayed open long enough to get at the title bar).
I then modified the batchfile to read
dir e:\*.wpd /s>h:\wpdir.txt
When I double clicked again, and then clicked View->Refresh in the
Explorer window, wpdir.txt was there. So obviously the batch file was
running--just too fast for human eyes to see.
--
Patricia M. Godfrey
PriscaMG@xxxxxxxx