Make VDos window automatically close

[Sherro]

Firstly, my thank to Jos for VDos.  It has solved a problem that I have in running a very old DOS program and being able to print to USB printers.

My only issue is that I cannot work out how to have the VDos window automatically close after I exit the dos program running in it.

Below is the simple autoexec.txt that I use to make the program run.

CD \DKAUTO
GO.BAT
EXIT

No commands that I have tried adding to it will make the VDos window automatically close.

Can you suggest a fix?

Thank you

[Herman]

Have you try the last row in your GO.BAT batchfile with EXIT ?


Herman

[Sherro]

Herman,

Yes I have in both upper and lower case.

Does not make the VDos window close on program exit.

Thanks nonetheless.

Sherro

[Jos]

The second line “GO.BAT” transfers control to that batch file, it won’t be transferred back to autoexec.txt. Like Herman said, a last “EXIT” line in GO.BAT should however also exit vDos (close its window).
Eventually you can replace ”GO.BAT” by “CALL GO.BAT”, or just add the lines of GO.BAT to autoexec.txt.

Jos

[Sherro]

Jos,

I have tried this but no luck.

All I end up with is the VDos window with the following text at the bottom

Bad command or file name

C:\DKAUTO>

I have also tried putting the go.bat content into the autoexec.txt file - same result.

Any other thoughts?

Sherro

[Sherro]

Jos,

Problem solved.

After a forensic dig around in the "hidden" subroutines that are triggered in this software during use of some of the options, I found one that ran on after shutdown of the main tasks. Bad code structure by the author!

Anyway, I rewrote the string which started the subroutine and included a forced close down when the main operations were closed.

Problem gone - VDos window now closes on program exit.

Just another niggle that never causes a problem except when running in VDos.

Many thanks for your time and suggestions.

Sherro

[Herman]

"Just another niggle that never causes a problem except when running in VDos."

There will always be small differences because the connection to the basic operating system will cause this.

DOS program in a x64 emulator environment or in a NTVDM MS-DOS x86 environment, there will be always a small deviation.

The art for Jos is to connect this seamlessly.

He determines how important that is.

Herman

[Sherro]

Herman,

I fully understand your comments.

I hope that neither you nor Jos felt that my "Niggle" comment was in some way derogatory towards Jos or VDos. It was not.

It was a frustration vent by me about the original bad code error by the original program writer made 35 years ago.

Again, my thanks for your help.

Sherro