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From: dubner@hpspkla.spk.hp.com (Joe L. Dubner)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc
Subject: Re: MSDOS Function Keys...
Message-ID: <6470007@hpspkla.spk.hp.com>
Date: 2 Oct 90 20:16:45 GMT
References: <47@abode.UUCP>
Organization: Hewlett Packard Company, Spokane, Wa.
Lines: 30

eric@abode.UUCP (Eric C. Bennett at Abode Xenix Restricted Access System) 
writes:

> I am wondering if MSDOS (3.2 or 3.3) supports programming of fuction keys?
> Is there a way to set them up to do certain things? I know they are set
> up to do certain things in Dos until a program or application is loaded
> that tells them to do otherwise. What I would like to do is set up about
> 5-6 function keys with zip codes for use with a mailing list program. Instead
> of having to enter the zip code each time I could just hit a certain
> function key.

Yes, MS-DOS does, but it's not really what you want.  In some convoluted
way (using either ANSI.SYS or PROMPT, or both - I can't recall) you can
assign strings to function keys.  It should be possible to figure out
how to do so from your DOS manual, but it's not particularly useful
except for entering strings at the DOS prompt and a small number of
other programs that use INT 21h, function 0Ah for input (DEBUG and EDLIN
are the only two that come to mind).

If you simply want to program the function keys (or most other keys for
that matter), a much easier way is to use a keyboard macro program.
This type of program allows you to define any sequence for any key for
any application (almost!).

One of the first and best such programs is SUPERKEY from Borland.  I
stopped using it a couple of years ago because it uses too much memory
to suit my needs.  Other commercial and shareware keyboard macro
programs are available too: DKEY and SMARTKEY come to mind.

... Joe