APPEND

Detailed Command Description

APPEND

Enables programs to open data files in specified directories as if the files

were in the current directory. Do not use this command when Windows is

running.

The specified directories are called appended directories because, for the

sake of opening data files, they can be found as if they were appended to

the current directory.

Syntax

APPEND [[drive:]path[;...]] [/X[:ON|:OFF]][/PATH:ON|/PATH:OFF] [/E]

To display the list of appended directories, use the following syntax:

APPEND

To cancel the existing list of appended directories, use the following

syntax:

APPEND ;

Parameters

[drive:]path

Specifies the drive (if other than the current drive) and directory that

you want to append to the current directory. You can specify multiple

entries of [drive:]path, separating the entries with semicolons.

;

When used by itself (APPEND ;), cancels the existing list of appended

directories.

Switches

/X[:ON|:OFF]

Specifies whether MS-DOS is to search (/X:ON) or not search (/X:OFF)

appended directories when executing programs. You can abbreviate /X:ON

to /X. If you want to specify X:ON, you must do it the first time you

use APPEND after starting your system. After that, you can switch

between X:ON and X:OFF. The default value is /X:OFF.

/PATH:ON|/PATH:OFF

Specifies whether a program is to search appended directories for a data

file when a path is already included with the name of the file the

program is looking for. The default setting is /PATH:ON.

/E

Assigns the list of appended directories to an environment variable

named APPEND. This switch can be used only the first time you use APPEND

after starting your system. If you use /E, you can use the SET command

to display the list of appended directories. For information about

environment variables, see the SET command.

Caution

Do not use Append with Microsoft Windows or the Windows Setup program.

Related Command

To set a search path for executable files, see the PATH command.

APPEND--Notes

Running APPEND with Microsoft Windows

Do not use Append with Microsoft Windows or the Windows Setup program.

Running APPEND multiple times

You can use APPEND as many times as you want after starting your system.

However, note the following:

The /E switch is valid only the first time you use APPEND after starting

your system.

The second and subsequent times you run APPEND, you must omit the .EXE

filename extension. If you try to run APPEND by typing APPEND.EXE, it

will not load more than once.

Storing the list of appended directories in the environment

You can use the /E switch with APPEND to assign the list of appended

directories to an environment variable named APPEND. To do this, first use

the APPEND command with only the /E switch. Then use APPEND again, this time

including the directories you want to append. You cannot specify /E and

[drive:]path on the same command line.

Specifying multiple appended directories

To append more than one directory, separate multiple entries with

semicolons. If you use the APPEND command with the [drive:]path parameters

again, the specified directory or directories replace any directories

specified in a previous APPEND command.

Appended directories and the DIR command

If you specify the DIR command, the resulting list does not include

filenames from appended directories.

Filename conflicts

If a file in an appended directory has the same name as a file in the

current directory, programs open the file in the current directory.

Using APPEND with programs that create new files

When a program opens a file in an appended directory, the file can be found

as if it were in the current directory. If the program then saves the file

by creating a new file with the same name, the new file is created in the

current directory (not the appended directory). APPEND is appropriately used

for data files that are not to be modified or that are to be modified

without creating new copies of the files. Database programs often modify

data files without making new copies. Text editors and word processors,

however, usually save modified data files by making new copies. To avoid

confusion, do not use APPEND with these programs.

Using the /X:ON switch and the path command

When /X:ON is specified, you can run a program located in an appended

directory by typing the program name at the command prompt. Usually, you use

the PATH command to specify directories that contain programs. However, when

your program is in an appended directory, you do not need to use the PATH

command to specify that directory. MS-DOS finds a program in an appended

directory by following the usual order in which MS-DOS searches for a

program; that is, first in the current directory, then in the appended

directories, and then in the search path.

MS-DOS functions that always use appended directories

Even when the /X:ON switch is not specified, appended directories are used

when programs call the following MS-DOS Interrupt 21h functions:

Open File (0Fh)

Open File Handle (3Dh)

Get File Size (23h)

When /X:ON is specified, appended directories are used when programs call

any of the Interrupt 21h functions in the preceding list or any of the

Interrupt 21h functions in the following list:

Find First Entry (11h)

Find First File (4Eh)

Execute Program (EXEC) (4Bh)

Using APPEND with network drives

You can use the APPEND command to append directories that are located on

network drives.

APPEND--Examples

To allow programs to open data files in a directory named LETTERS on the

disk in drive B and in a directory named REPORTS on the disk in drive A as

if the files were in the current directory, type the following command:

append b:\letters;a:\reports

To append the same directories and keep a copy of the list of appended

directories in the MS-DOS environment, type the following commands:

append /e

append b:\letters;a:\reports

These must be the first APPEND commands you use after starting your system.

Contact CustomCodeInc@yahoo.com with comments or questions regarding this site. 
© Copyright, Custom Code,Inc., All rights reserved.