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From: glenn@anasazi.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.micro.pc,net.micro.ti
Subject: Re: Help with SWITCHAR
Message-ID: <584@anasazi.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 26-Feb-86 14:57:16 EST
Article-I.D.: anasazi.584
Posted: Wed Feb 26 14:57:16 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 1-Mar-86 23:18:01 EST
References: <2000@psuvax1.UUCP>
Reply-To: glenn@anasazi.UUCP (Glenn Ehrlich)
Distribution: net
Organization: Anasazi, Phoenix Az.
Lines: 24
Xref: watmath net.micro.pc:7230 net.micro.ti:171

In article <2000@psuvax1.UUCP> holland@psuvax1.UUCP (Fred Hollander) writes:
>I am using a 'more' program that was posted some time ago.  It allows you
>to enter the editor by typing 'e'.  It works fine but, when I add the line:
>	switchar=-
>to my config.sys file, trying to enter the editor from more causes the error:
>	Specified COMMAND search directory bad

Most programs which allow you to run other programs from within usually use some
variation of the dos exec (dos call 41B)to spawn off another copy of 
command.com that would look like this (that is if you entered if from 
the dos prompt):
C> command edt /c

Now, most C compilers do not look for the SWITCHAR variable when building up
this text string and blithely put in /c.  Thus, the problem is that when you
redefine switchar, '/' becomes a path spec, not an argument character, and
thus screws up command.com.

The solution?  Rewrite your C compiler's exec call to check the SWITCHAR
variable when doing an exec.

Glenn Ehrlich
International Anasazi
Phoenix, AZ