Path: utzoo!attcan!lsuc!ncrcan!ziebmef!mdfreed
From: mdfreed@ziebmef.uucp (Mark Freedman)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: How to change DOS "\" to "/"
Keywords: DOS path separator
Message-ID: <1989Feb4.105803.26039@ziebmef.uucp>
Date: 4 Feb 89 15:58:01 GMT
References: <5927@phoenix.Princeton.EDU>
Reply-To: mdfreed@ziebmef.UUCP (Mark Freedman)
Organization: Ziebmef Public Access Unix, Toronto, Ontario
Lines: 79

In article <5927@phoenix.Princeton.EDU> mrwittma@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (Martin R. Wittmann) writes:
>I read one can change the DOS path separator, "\", to "/", allowing
>(easier typing and) "-" to be used for DOS command options, but I didn't
>read how.  Could someone please email me the standard response?
>
>Thanks,					martin wittmann


   (there were several requests, including one to post rather than E-mail)
   I believe that you want the undocumented MS-DOS "switch char"
function. Changing this CAN cause problems, as many DOS commands
simply become confused (e.g. format a: -v doesn't work, while
DIR c:/dos -w  produces a wide listing of the subdirectory).
 
   BRAVO Microsoft !!! :-) 
 
/*  ==============   SW_CHAR.C  =========================== */
 
/*  tested with PC-DOS 3.2, Turbo C 2.0 */
 
/** Change MS-DOS Switch char via int 0x21 function 0x37  ***/
/*   usage:   sw_char x        (x is the new switch char)   */
/*                                                          */
/*    N.B. 0x37 is "undocumented" and may cause problems    */
/*         some DOS commands won't work with the new switch */
/*         DIR seems to (e.g. DIR c:/dos -w   works)        */
 
#include "dos.h"
#include "stdio.h"
 
void print_usage();
 
void main (int argc, char *argv[])
{
char old_switch, *new_switch;
 
   if (argc == 2)
      {
      new_switch = argv[1];
      if (strlen (new_switch) != 1)
         {
         print_usage();
         return;
         }
      }
   else
      {
      print_usage();
      return;
      }
 
/* al = 0 (get switch char);   switch char returned in dl */
 
   bdos(0x37, 0, 0);
   old_switch = (char) _DL;
   fputs ("\nold switch char is ", stderr);
   fputc (old_switch, stderr);
 
/* al = 1 (set switch char); dl contains new character */
 
   bdos (0x37, *new_switch, 1);
 
/* al = 0 (get switch char);   switch char returned in dl */
 
   bdos(0x37, 0, 0);
   old_switch = (char) _DL;
   fputs ("\nnew switch char is ", stderr);
   fputc (old_switch, stderr);
   fputs ("\n", stderr);
 
}
 
void print_usage()
{
   fputs ("\nUsage: sw_char x", stderr);
   fputs ("\n       where x is the new switch character", stderr);
   fputs ("\n", stderr);
   return;
}