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From: psfales@ihlpe.ATT.COM (Pete Fales)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.att
Subject: Re: Disabling PC 6300 video
Message-ID: <2088@ihlpe.ATT.COM>
Date: Fri, 25-Sep-87 13:53:27 EDT
Article-I.D.: ihlpe.2088
Posted: Fri Sep 25 13:53:27 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 27-Sep-87 03:00:19 EDT
References: <371@ssbn.UUCP> <2898@whuts.UUCP> <1384@homxc.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories - Naperville, Illinois
Lines: 34
Summary: True, but...

In article <1384@homxc.UUCP>, rps@homxc.UUCP (R.SHARPLES) writes:
> In article <2898@whuts.UUCP>, post@whuts.UUCP (MILARA) writes:> > 
> > Would someone that has the source for the patch that will change
> > that bloody annoying "\" to a much more convenient "/" in DOS. I'll
> > be eternally greatfull!
> 
> You better watch out, some programs use the "\" automatically in thier
> paths and if you have switched them, these programs will fail.

Once you have turned off / as the switch character (several ways to do 
this) both / and \ are valid as path separators, so programs that
continue to use \ will normally work fine.  There are still a few
things to watch out for though:

- Many batch files use commands with command switches given by / (e.g.
DIR /W, FORMAT /S).  This will not work unless they are changed to
DIR -W, etc.

- Programs such as editors that allow you to spawn a DOS "subshell"
generally work by internally executing "COMMAND.COM /C" This may present
a problem unless the program is patched.

- If you create a DOS BACKUP without the standard switch character, the
backup will be unusable by the DOS RESTORE.

- There may be other problems as well, but I find the benefits of being
able to use the same kinds of paths on DOS and UNIX to overshadow any
disadvantages.

-- 
Peter Fales		UUCP:	...ihnp4!ihlpe!psfales
			work:	(312) 979-7784
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