Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!peregrine!ccicpg!mahrk
From: mahrk@ccicpg.UUCP (MHR {who?})
Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.misc
Subject: Re: Where is the long awaited MS DOS 5.0 ?
Summary: In some cases.
Message-ID: <11372@ccicpg.UUCP>
Date: 15 Jan 91 02:48:02 GMT
References: <10110@lanl.gov> <9354@ccicpg.UUCP> <1991Jan14.071740.5103@mks.com>
Organization: ICL North America
Lines: 24

In <1991Jan14.071740.5103@mks.com>, andy@mks.com writes:
> 
> However, if one has `switchar=-' in their config.sys file then one can
> use `-' as the switch character and `/' as the directory separator
> (this works on my Toshiba T1000 with DOS 2.11).

This is true as far as it goes.  What happens if you do this is that DOS
and any program which recognizes the SWITCHAR environment variable and
acts accordingly will use these conventions (-/ instead of /\).  I don't
know how much software there is out there that handles pathnames and
recognizes this.  I suspect, from Andy's email address, that the MKS
toolkit does, and I know 4DOS does, but as for the rest (applications,
databases, etc.) I dunno.  There's a whole lotta software out there that
was written before the identity (and usefulness) of the switchar
conventions became known, and some people actually like the \ character
for a pathname separator.

Anyone know more about what does/doesn't recognize SWITCHAR?

-- 
Mark A. Hull-Richter    Witty comment (identified for those who lack wit):
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