Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!apple!vsi1!octopus!stever
From: stever@Octopus.COM (Steve Resnick )
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.programmer
Subject: Re: Setting the path variable in autoexec.bat
Keywords: path
Message-ID: <1990Jul3.201009.11781@Octopus.COM>
Date: 3 Jul 90 20:10:09 GMT
References: <1102@valinor.ACA.MCC.COM> <1990Jun28.211556.10833@Octopus.COM> <857@bbt.UUCP>
Reply-To: stever@octopus.UUCP (Steve Resnick )
Distribution: usa
Organization: Octopus Enterprises, Cupertino CA
Lines: 43

In article <857@bbt.UUCP> djb@bbt.UUCP (beauvais) writes:
>In article <1990Jun28.211556.10833@Octopus.COM> stever@octopus.UUCP (Steve Resnick ) writes:
>>In article <1102@valinor.ACA.MCC.COM> hang@valinor.ACA.MCC.COM (Hang Ho Ng) writes:
>>>I have a number of paths that I want to include in the PATH variable in
>>>autoexec.bat file. Could someone tell me how to do it?
>>
>>This was covered a couple of months ago. The DOS limitation on command
>>strings (PATH=<foo> for instance) is 128 bytes. If your path is longer than 
>>that you will either need some program to allow you to enter a longer string.
>>(Of which I don't know of any) or you will need to limit your path to a smaller
>>size and use batch files to assist in navigation.
>
>True, a DOS command line IS limited to 128 characters.  So, use more than
>one command line!  Try something like this...
>
>path=c:\dos;c:\;d:\utils
>path=%path%;d:\wp;d:\edit
>
>The %path% means "whatever the current path is."  The second line appends
>the new stuff to the value of %path%.  This works fine in DOS 3.3 - I use
>it all the time for paths longer than 132 characters.
>

I don't know what you are running, but my version of DOS (Generic MS DOS 3.30)
will not do this. There is a good reason, it has to do with the way that
COMMAND.COM expands environment variables. When command encounters a word
enclosed in percent symbols it substitutes the value of the environment variable
(or "" is it doesn't exist). Once all expansions are done the command gets 
executed (I know I missed a few items in there). The point is that the command
string is >128 bytes before it gets executed. I don't know what version of DOS
you are running, but the stuff from Microsoft will not do a path (or any other
command) greater than 128 bytes.
 
  
  Cheers!
  Steve


-- 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Steve Resnick -<stever@octopus.COM apple!octopus!stever sun!vsi1!octopus!stever>
408/241-1533 Process Scientific, Inc.
"0x2B|~0x2B THAT is the question!"