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From: consp21@bingsunl.cc.binghamton.edu (Ken Hoover)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.programmer
Subject: Re: How do I make my path bigger?
Message-ID: <3124@bingvaxu.cc.binghamton.edu>
Date: 10 Mar 90 19:36:08 GMT
References: <1990Mar10.165143.20886@Octopus.COM> <1941@v7fs1.UUCP>
Sender: usenet@bingvaxu.cc.binghamton.edu
Reply-To: consp21@bingsunl.cc.binghamton.edu (Ken Hoover)
Organization: SUNY Binghamton
Lines: 44

In article <1990Mar10.165143.20886@Octopus.COM>, stever@Octopus.COM
(Steve Resnick ) writes:
>
>I want to have a path that is almost 150 characters long.  Unfortunately,
>DOS truncates the path I specify in my autoexec, if it gets too long.
>
>There must be a work around, no?
>

	DOS has a 60-character limit on paths, if I remember correctly.

	Keep in mind that when you specify a path, the computer will search
through ALL of the directories you specify (in order) to look for a
command (filename) that you type.  a 150-character path is IMMENSE! 
Your system response time will be lousy.

	A better idea than increasing the length of the path string is to put
just three or four directories in your path (your misc. utilities
directory, your DOS stuff, your root dir if necessary, and a directory
full of batch files for all the other programs that you use and would
want in your path.  If, for instancs, you have WordPerfect in a
directory called C:\WP50, then you can make a batch file called WP.BAT
that contains the two lines:

	cd \wp50
	wp %1

	And stick it in your batch file directory.  That way, you type WP, it
looks through two or three dirs (instead of 15 or 16) finds the batch
file, and off you go into WP.  If your batch file directory is the first
one in the path, you only have to look in one dir to hit the batch file,
and your system response time disappears.  If you do this for all of
your programs that require that their directory be in the path, you'll
make your life a lot easier.

	If you have any questions about batch file language look in your DOS
manual or write me directly and I'll assist as best I can.

						- Ken

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Ken Hoover [ consp21@bingsuns.pod.binghamton.edu | consp21@bingvaxa.BITNET ]
     Senior undergraduate consultant, SUNY-Binghamton Computer Center
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