MS-DOS Batch Files

[chrisr]

My legacy MS-DOS software is running OK in a Windows XP virtual computer. But with an identical folder and file structure for vDos it is not.

In Windows XP, the software is started using the command C:\OASYS\RUNO.BAT SET, GEO1,GEO contained as the target in the shortcut. SET, GEO1 and GEO are supposed to be replaceable parameters in the batch file RUNO.BAT. What I get is the following:



A few return keys ends up at a command prompt and then I can exit from vDos.

What appears to be happening is that the replaceable parameters are not being recognised as such by vDos and not passed to the batch file. The rest of the responses illustrated are just failures of the batch file to do what it is supposed to do.

Obvious answer is to revise the batch file as most of these particular parameters are fixed for a fixed folder/file structure. But the way the software is run is by creating other batch files with different parameters as a means of passing control to menu software, then individual applications, then return back to the menu, then finish, makes this difficult. Some of these batch files are run by the software executables; some by other batch files. So if the first batch file fails, then others will as well.

This is the contents of the vDos.log file:

vDos 2020.03.01
C: => (Local) C:\vDos\OASYS\
C: => (Local) I:\DOS\

4.64 Execute: \OASYS\GETDRIVE.COM

Execute: driveset.EXE - C:\OASYS
Int 0 => 1bd:00e7
Int 0 => original
5.09 Delayed logging, set w/o DOS call:
Int 22 => original

264.78 Execute: \OASYS\GETDRIVE.COM
Invalid path reference: A:OL1.BAT

Execute: QUIZ.EXE - A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Int 0 => 299:00df
Int 23 => 299:00e6
Int 24 => 299:00ae
Int 3F => 299:00d7
264.82 Int 1B => 237:012d
268.10 Int 0 => original
Int 1B => original
Int 23 => original
Int 24 => original
Int 3F => original
273.81 vDos ended by EXIT (0)

Not sure that any of this helps except it seems to confirm some of the software tools are being run successfully [although the batch file should have bypassed some of these].

My question therefore is whether I am interpreting the problem correctly and it is an issue with batch file replaceable parameters, or whether I should be looking elsewhere.

Attachments:

[Jos]

You start the application by:
CD OASYS
RUNO.BAT SET, GEO1,GEO

Supposing the Start in directory of the XP shortcut is C:\OASYS. That sets the current work directory, so the first CD OASYS.
SET, GEO1 and GEO are already set in Windows XP before the application starts?
If so, set them accordingly in autoexec.txt by SET SET=… etc.

Jos

[chrisr]

Sorry. The three parameters are as typed; SET, GEO1 and GEO. These are not environment variables, but parameters. I have now tried every combination I can think of including setting these three parameters by using SET SET=SET, SET GEO1=GEO1 and SET GEO=GEO in the Autoexec.txt file before calling the batch file RUNO.BAT, but also by setting a new START batch file in the OASYS folder to set these values, then calling RUNO.BAT. In every case, RUNO.BAT is opened, but then the entire contents is displayed in the vDos window line by line. The parameters are not being recognised as parameters, so every line that can be actioned is being called, but it seems that %1, %2 and %3 are not being recognised as the parameters SET, GEO1 and GEO. An extract from the vDos window as follows:

C:\OASYS>echo Please wait ...

Please wait ...

C:\OASYS>echo .

.

C:\OASYS>IF %1 == SET GOTO SET

C:\OASYS>if a%oa1%==ay set oasys1=%oasys%\

C:\OASYS>if a%oa1%==a set oasys1=%oasys%

C:\OASYS>IF A%2 == A GOTO R3

C:\OASYS>cd\

C:\>CD %OASYS%>nul

C:\>cd %2

Invalid directory

C:\>IF NOT EXIST %1.EXE GOTO NONE

C:\>ECHO Program %1 is not available

Program SET, is not available

C:\>PAUSE

Press any key to continue . . .

I have highlighted the line above in red which does not seem to be accepting the parameter 'SET'.

Just wondering if there is anything else you can suggest.

[Jos]

I assumed SET, GEO1 and GEO would be the environment variables used by the program and batch files to pass on parameters.

Did you verify RUNO.BAT was started in XP with C:\OASYS set as the current work directory (Start in property), add added CD OASYS to autoexec.txt. Seems like a directory structure mismatch.

Eventually submit your autoexec.txt, RUNO.BAT file and a listing of vDos C: drive (Windows I:\DOS\).

Jos

[chrisr]

Thanks. I will look tomorrow and set more detail including the XP shortcut details.

[chrisr]

OK. First is the properties of the XP shortcut:

---

My Autoexec.txt file:
USE C: I:\DOS\

CD OASYS

Runo.bat SET, GEO1,GEO

This basically mirrors what is in the XP shortcut.

This runs the batch file Runo.bat, but does not seem to treat SET, GEO1 and GEO as batch file parameters, but as additional DOS commands.

---

Listing of Runo.bat:
@echo Off



rem :17/12/98 driveset

rem : 11/11/98 : 3.45pm : GO1.BAT fix for SAFQU added

rem : oaoff.bat and setoff1.bat incorporated.

rem : running GEM V2 (NOT GEM V3 in AP+) in NT prevented with message added

rem : pgver = Standard ; DRIVESET added to ensure that correct drive is set.



set t=

cls



echo Please wait ...

echo .



IF %1 == SET GOTO SET



if a%oa1%==ay set oasys1=%oasys%\

if a%oa1%==a set oasys1=%oasys%



rem 22 Jun 1998 (1of2) for SAFQU (only)

rem IF EXIST %RD%\GO.BAT DEL %RD%\GO.BAT



IF A%2 == A GOTO R3



:R2 Local no GEM

cd\

CD %OASYS%>nul

cd %2

IF NOT EXIST %1.EXE GOTO NONE

IF NOT %2 == AP GOTO R4

if a%rd1%==ay IF NOT EXIST %RD%\STDAT*.DAT COPY STDAT*.DAT %RD%\ >NUL

if a%rd1%==a IF NOT EXIST %RD%\STDAT*.DAT COPY STDAT*.DAT %RD% >NUL

if a%cf1%==ay IF NOT EXIST %CFG%\OASYS.CNF COPY OASYS.CNF %CFG%\ >NUL

if a%cf1%==a IF NOT EXIST %CFG%\OASYS.CNF COPY OASYS.CNF %CFG% >NUL

if a%cf1%==ay IF NOT EXIST %CFG%\APPLUS.ADS COPY APPLUS.ADS %CFG%\ >NUL

if a%cf1%==a IF NOT EXIST %CFG%\APPLUS.ADS COPY APPLUS.ADS %CFG% >NUL





%oasys%\gemfix %rd%\repath.bat

if exist %rd%\repath.bat call %rd%\repath.bat

GEMVDI -AP1

cd\

CD %OASYS%>nul

cd %2

GOTO R5



:R4

%1

GOTO R5



:R3 Local with GEM

cd\

CD %OASYS%>nul

%oasys%\gemfix %rd%\repath.bat

if exist %rd%\repath.bat call %rd%\repath.bat

OAGEM/%1



:R5



IF NOT EXIST %RD%\GO.BAT GOTO END



rem 22 Jun 1998: for SAFQU (only)

rem %RD%\GO

COPY %RD%\GO.BAT %RD%\GO1.BAT

%RD%\GO1.BAT



:NONE

ECHO Program %1 is not available

PAUSE

MENU



:SET



rem - added for running programs from windows directly

rem call oaoff

REM get drive letter from command line used to invoke this batch file

DRIVESET.EXE %0

\OASYS\GETDRIVE.COM

IF ERRORLEVEL 25 IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 26 SET hdr=Z

IF ERRORLEVEL 24 IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 25 SET hdr=Y

IF ERRORLEVEL 23 IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 24 SET hdr=X

IF ERRORLEVEL 22 IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 23 SET hdr=W

IF ERRORLEVEL 21 IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 22 SET hdr=V

IF ERRORLEVEL 20 IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 21 SET hdr=U

IF ERRORLEVEL 19 IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 20 SET hdr=T

IF ERRORLEVEL 18 IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 19 SET hdr=S

IF ERRORLEVEL 17 IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 18 SET hdr=R

IF ERRORLEVEL 16 IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 17 SET hdr=Q

IF ERRORLEVEL 15 IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 16 SET hdr=P

IF ERRORLEVEL 14 IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 15 SET hdr=O

IF ERRORLEVEL 13 IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 14 SET hdr=N

IF ERRORLEVEL 12 IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 13 SET hdr=M

IF ERRORLEVEL 11 IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 12 SET hdr=L

IF ERRORLEVEL 10 IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 11 SET hdr=K

IF ERRORLEVEL 9 IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 10 SET hdr=J

IF ERRORLEVEL 8 IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 9 SET hdr=I

IF ERRORLEVEL 7 IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 8 SET hdr=H

IF ERRORLEVEL 6 IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 7 SET hdr=G

IF ERRORLEVEL 5 IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 6 SET hdr=F

IF ERRORLEVEL 4 IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 5 SET hdr=E

IF ERRORLEVEL 3 IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 4 SET hdr=D

IF ERRORLEVEL 2 IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 3 SET hdr=C

IF ERRORLEVEL 1 IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 2 SET hdr=B

IF ERRORLEVEL 0 IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 1 SET hdr=A



SET OASYS=%hdr%:\OASYS



SET LOCAL=c:\OASYS

SET OASINI=%OASYS%\OASYS.INI

SET RD=%LOCAL%\TEMP

SET CFG=%LOCAL%\CFG



CALL CHD %LOCAL%

CALL CHD %RD%

CALL CHD %CFG%



SET hdr=

rem SET LOCAL=



if a%cf1%==ay if not exist %cfg%\oasys.sys copy oasys.sys %cfg%\ >nul

if a%cf1%==a if not exist %cfg%\oasys.sys copy oasys.sys %cfg% >nul

if a%cf1%==ay if not exist %cfg%\oalog.det copy oalog.det %cfg%\ >nul

if a%cf1%==a if not exist %cfg%\oalog.det copy oalog.det %cfg% >nul

if a%rd1%==ay if not exist %rd%\oasys.sys copy oasys.sys %rd%\ >nul

if a%rd1%==a if not exist %rd%\oasys.sys copy oasys.sys %rd% >nul



:IF NOT EXIST %RD%OLDPATH.BAT ECHO SET PATH=%PATH% >%RD%\OLDPATH.BAT



cd\

CD %OASYS%>nul

if a%rd1%==ay if a%oa1%==ay PATH=%RD%\;%OASYS%\%3;%OASYS%\

if a%rd1%==ay if a%oa1%==a PATH=%RD%\;%OASYS%\%3;%OASYS%

if a%rd1%==a if a%oa1%==ay PATH=%RD%;%OASYS%\%3;%OASYS%\

if a%rd1%==a if a%oa1%==a PATH=%RD%;%OASYS%\%3;%OASYS%



COPY RUNO.BAT %RD%\RUN.BAT >NUL

SET PGVER=Standard

driveset %oasys%



cd\

cd oasys



CD %3



IF EXIST %2.EXE GOTO S3

CD\



ECHO File %2.EXE is not in \%3 on hard disk

ECHO Please UPDATE with all necessary disks

PAUSE

UPDATE



:S3



IF A%4 == A RUN %2,%3



rem ---------------------------

rem : prevents GEM-graphics programs being run in NT

if "%OS%"=="Windows_NT" goto NT-yes

goto NT-no

:NT-yes



\oasys\coltex 14 0. %2

echo.

echo.

\oasys\coltex 4 0. Sorry !! This program will not run on NT Workstation.

echo.

\oasys\coltex 4 0. (as it contains GEM v2 graphics)

echo.

echo.

\oasys\coltex 2 0. Please use Windows 3.1/95/98 or DOS instead.

echo.

echo.

pause

goto end



:NT-no

rem ----------------------------



IF A%4 == AGEM RUN %2



%2 %4

GOTO R5



:END

---

In my defence, I did not write this batch file. It was supplied by the developer and certainly runs on my Windows XP virtual computer [and did run for many years on Windows 98 and Windows XP computers before Windows 8 and 10 destroyed the software].

Part of the reason the batch file is complex is that it [presumably] was designed to work on a large number of hardware platforms running different OSs and with different hardware and folder arrangements. The second reason is that the same batch file is used several times to allow running a menu, choosing a particular application, running the application, then returning to the menu. This is done by copying Runo.bat [and renaming] to a temporary folder in conjunction with other batch files and calls from the applications themselves with different replaceable parameters. This part of the batch file seems to be doing what it is supposed to do. But for some reason, parameters are not being passed to the batch file [and presumably none of the other batch files].

The first parameter %1 should be equal to 'SET', and then [line 16] picks this up with an IF and GOTO and redirects to a different section in the batch file. But the vDos output shows this is not happening.

I anticipate that it would be possible to rewrite the batch file [and others], but this all depends on being able to pass parameters to the batch file.

---

If you need the I:\DOS listing or the full I:\DOS folder contents, it might be easier to provide via a private e-mail or web transfer.

Chris

Attachments:

[Jos]

Somewhat unexpected: vDos only recognizes white space as parameter separators, not a comma. Will fix that, meanwhile try this:

autoexec.txt:
Runo.bat SET, GEO1,GEO
->
rem c:\ in front for DRIVESET.EXE and \OASYS\GETDRIVE.COM to function?
c:\oasys\Runo.bat SET GEO1 GEO

runo.bat:
@echo Off
->
rem @echo Off

cls
->
rem cls

IF A%4 == A RUN %2,%3
->
IF A%4 == A RUN %2 %3

[chrisr]

Yes, that got things moving a lot further. Runs the GEO menu program and exits out nicely from this.

BUT. When selecting an application , the menu program outputs a batch file GO.bat to the Oasys\temp folder as follows:

REM batch file written with GEO

RUNO FREW,GEO

[FREW is the particular application chosen in the menu but this could be any of the other options]. vDos then attempts to action this batch file and crashes. [Need Task Manager to stop, so I think vDos is stuck in a never ending loop probably because it does not recognise the ',' separator between the two parameters. The vDos.log file just grows and grows].

So it looks like vDos does not recognise the comma. This is a bit of a problem as I have no way of editing this out of GO.bat and other batch files.

[Jos]

Will be caused by %1 not being "SET" ("FREW,GEO") and the missing %2, the goto’s entering an endless loop in RUNO.BAT.

I’m a bit preoccupied at the moment, will try to send you a vDos.exe this evening with the comma separator added.

Jos