Re: Further to XY under XP: finding config.xy

["Robert Holmgren" holmgren@xxxxxxxx]

** Reply to message from "Patricia M. Godfrey"
 on Wed, 15 Aug 2007 18:20:47 -0400


> And
> unless I am logged on to d:\xy4, Xy cannot find startup.int.

Of course it can -- from a DOS command line ANYWHERE on your
computer (or on the Shortcut's Program tab command line, NOT the
Working Dir line) you say:
 d:\path\editor.exe ,d:\path\startup.int
Note the comma: the initialization XPL program, wherever it is
and however filenamed, is the second argument (first argument,
namely document_to_open, is here null). Once launched, all
subsequent navigation to anywhichwhere is done via STARTUP.INT...

I don't wish to embarrass anybody by saying that this is
     ! INCREDIBLY FUNDAMENTAL !
so instead we'll skip right along to your next point:

> CD F:\XY4
> F:

Without again asking why you CHDIR in this backward way, and
then launch apps with a 1982-vintage command like F:APPNAME,
allow me only to observe that you save two characters by saying
 F:
 CD \XY4
and I think we can all agree that succinctness has inherent
merit. But in ANY case, you do NOT put those commands in the
AUTOEXEC file!!! They are accomplished in the Shortcut's
Program tab, via the "Cmd line" (is what it's called in Win2K,
or "Target" in WinXP) box. Put the command I wrote above
(d:\path\editor.exe ,d:\path\startup.int) on this line! It
sounds like in your case it should say
 Cmd line: d:\xy4\editor.exe ,d:\xy4\startup.int
 Working: {empty!}
 Batch file: {empty!}
 Shortcut: {empty!}
Just leave the bloody Working directory box empty, if it is a
source of confusion. Since STARTUP.INT is the default name of
the XPL initialization file, and since that's the filename you
are using, you could also say:
 Cmd line: d:\xy4\editor.exe
 Working: d:\xy4
 Batch file: {empty!}
and Editor will automatically look for STARTUP.INT in the
absence of an alternative filename.ext.

I think I'm repeating myself. What is so perplexing about all
this? Stop fiddling around with that damn batch file, or
applying a batchfile mentality here! Just try it my way.
Unless you've messed something up that we don't know about, this
method is going to work. Hundreds of millions of users would be
howling if it didn't work.

> How do you write commands that XP will read from a
> file? Because sooner or later I'm going to be setting diferent
> paths for different NTVDMs.

I don't understand the question. "commands that XP will read
from a file" means -- what? "sooner or later I'm going to be
setting different paths for different NTVDMs"? Hello? Earth to
Patricia -- come in, please.

-----------------------------
Robert Holmgren
holmgren@xxxxxxxx
-----------------------------