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From: connery@bnrmtv.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: ECHO blank line?
Message-ID: <2375@bnrmtv.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 13-Aug-87 13:02:16 EDT
Article-I.D.: bnrmtv.2375
Posted: Thu Aug 13 13:02:16 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 15-Aug-87 16:59:02 EDT
References: <278@laticorp.UUCP>
Organization: Bell Northern Research, Mtn. View, CA
Lines: 24
Keywords: echo, blank
Summary: Use ECHO \0xFF

In article <278@laticorp.UUCP>, sarah@laticorp.UUCP (Sarah Groves Hobart) writes:
> Does anyone know the definitive way to get ECHO to echo a blank line?
> I have tried "ECHO ", "ECHO  ", ECHO ." and "ECHO".  All of these cause
> one version or another of DOS to echo something rather than a blank line.
> 
> Sarah Groves Hobart

The only way I know of that works in all cases is the form "ECHO x" where
x is ascii character decimal 255.  It can be generated by holding down the
ALT and SHIFT keys and typing 2,5,5 on the numeric pad and then letting
them both go.  The cursor will advance one space to the right but the
character you typed will not be distinguishable from a space.  The problem
with this method of course is that you can move the last character to a
new line by mistake in an editor and not notice it.

I believe "ECHO." (no spaces) works on a number of versions of DOS as well,
it certainly works on my current DOS 3.30, but I am quite certain that it
failed on previous versions.  There are also patches to make "ECHO  " work
on all versions of DOS but these seem sort of questionable since the effect
can be achieved in other ways which are standard.
-- 

Glenn Connery, Bell Northern Research, Mountain View, CA
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