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From: nather@utastro.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.micro.pc
Subject: MS-DOS and the dumb "\" vs "/"
Message-ID: <228@utastro.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 12-Jun-85 12:19:35 EDT
Article-I.D.: utastro.228
Posted: Wed Jun 12 12:19:35 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 14-Jun-85 05:07:25 EDT
Distribution: net
Organization: U. Texas, Astronomy, Austin, TX
Lines: 34

We have been using MS-DOS as modified to resemble Unix command syntax
for some time, and have in general been happy, but there are a few
pitfalls.

If you include the command "switchar=-" in your config.sys file, then
the "-" character becomes your "switch" character, as in "format -8 a:"
but there are side effects.  A file named "PC-Write" will not be found,
because the dumb parser takes the dash as a switch.  You *can* find it
by the kluge "PC?Write" but try explaining that to a novice.

On the whole, we find the substitution "switchar=\" a better choice.
This means you must swap "/" for "\" (and vice versa) everywhere in
the DOS manual, but this causes less brain damage than constantly
fighting "/" vs. "\" in going between MS-DOS and Unix.

Beware that this substitution is *not* blessed by Microsoft &| IBM.

Another pitfall:  "backup" will write files to disk with "/" as the
separator, but "restore" can't read them, so your backup is essentially
useless.  (I spent one *very* long night changing "/" to "\" with a text
editor to recover 8 MB of files on 12 floppy disks, and I don't recommend
it).  But we never use "backup" and "restore" anyway, since they are
seriously unreliable.

Good things:  MS-DOS Kermit and several other smart programs accept
either "\" or "/" as path separators and remain unconfused.  And it *is*
soothing not to worry about which operating system you are talking to.


-- 
Ed Nather
Astronony Dept, U of Texas @ Austin
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