Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!ames!umd5!uvaarpa!mcnc!ecsvax!mvolo From: mvolo@ecsvax.UUCP (Michael R. Volow) Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc Subject: Re: What's faster than 'type'-ing a menu screen Message-ID: <4745@ecsvax.UUCP> Date: 9 Mar 88 05:02:30 GMT References: <4742@ecsvax.UUCP> <62@dogie.edu> <10604@ut-sally.UUCP> <630@srs.UUCP> Distribution: na Organization: UNC Educational Computing Service Lines: 37 Keywords: MSDOS type batch file Summary: Overjoyed -- it worked!! In article <630@srs.UUCP>, dan@srs.UUCP (Dan Kegel) writes: > Somebody asked, > >>> How can I display menu screens quickly? The DOS 'type' command takes > >>> about 4.0 (not 1.0) seconds. > > It isn't that hard, really! If you have nansi.sys installed, you can use > the DOS 'copy' command to type a file to the screen in "raw" mode, vis: > COPY /b MENU.TXT CON: > This blasts the file MENU.TXT on the screen in 1/10 sec or so. > ( The /b parameter makes COPY ignore ^Z (the old CP/M EOF char), and also > sets the output handle to "raw" mode. ) > > For best speed, each menu screen file should start with the four characters > [ 2 J > to clear the screen and home the cursor. This avoids scrolling, which is > about the same speed in nansi.sys as in ansi.sys. > -- > Dan Kegel I'm flabbergasted. It worked and worked well. I did just as Dan Kegel suggested, put nansis.sys (I have a snowy Plantronics CGA) in config.sys and root directory. Included [ 2 J in the first line of the menu screen and in the batch file replaced TYPE MENU.TXT with: COPY /B MENU.TXT CON: >nul The >nul is to prevent "1 file copied" from appearing on the screen. The menu zips on screen like greased lightning. I'm really appreciative of Dan's suggestion and all others who replied to me, thanks. Only one minor glitch, now. At the end of the menu screen is small, rightward-pointing arrow (-->, ASC 026 I think) which I cannot get rid of, but am not terribly bothered by. Michael Volow, M.D. Dept of Psychiatry, Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, N.C. 27705 919 286 0411 mvolo@ecsvax.UUCP