bingaman@dcc1.UUCP (George C. Bingaman) (03/04/86)
Does anyone have a program or a hack to COMMAND.COM that would install a UNIX style history mechanism in MS-DOS? Can anyone point me in the right direction? George =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= | / akgua \ George C. Bingaman | / cbosgd \ DeKalb Community College | ...!/ hplabs \!gatech!dcc1!bingaman 2101 Womack Rd. | \ ihnp4 / Dunwoody (Atlanta) Ga. 30338 | \ seismo / | \ ulysses/ =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= | / akgua \ George C. Bingaman | / cbosgd \ DeKalb Community College | ...!/ hplabs \!gatech!dcc1!bingaman 2101 Womack Rd. | \ ihnp4 / Dunwoody (Atlanta) Ga. 30338 | \ seismo / | \ ulysses/ =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
james@inmet.UUCP (03/19/86)
The program dosedit.com is available on many BBS's. It gives you a nice clean (20 deep, circular) history list. I have used it for many months. James Triplett
aglew@ccvaxa.UUCP (03/26/86)
I don't know the original message was, but I heartily and enthusiastically second James Trippett's recommendation of DOSEDIT.COM. It provides a history list of 256 characters, editing on the complete with cursor character and word motion, and aliasing capabilities. Not only does it work under DOS, but it also works for programs such as DBASE III which use the get-buffer DOS interrupt. DOSEDIT is the only good reason to use this interrupt, and is overridingly better than most of the editing routines you might write yourself, since it remembers things across applications, and between different executions. I once tried to contact the guy who wrote it to see if it was truly public domain, but whenever I called Burlington there was no response at the number I obtained from directory assistance. The company I was working therefore did not want to chance distributing it with our software package, but I told every one of my students how to reach the nearest bulletin board to get it. DOSEDIT was the single most useful program I found on the PC. Andy "Krazy" Glew. Gould CSD-Urbana. USEnet: ...!ihnp4!uiucdcs!ccvaxa!aglew ARPAnet: aglew@gswd-vms
emv@ccunix.UUCP (Edward Vielmetti) (03/27/86)
CED (by Chris Dunford) is much better than Dosedit. It implements all the same features (history) and adds many more (synonyms, multiple statements on the same line, parameter recall). Available on Compuserve (PCS-129), or on your local BBS. Edward Vielmetti, Computing Center Microgroup, University of Michigan. emv%UMich-MTS.Mailnet@MIT-Multics.ARPA emv@madvax.UUCP (through ihnp4, I guess)
brown@nicmad.UUCP (04/01/86)
In article <3000005@ccvaxa> aglew@ccvaxa.UUCP writes: > >I don't know the original message was, but I heartily and enthusiastically >second James Trippett's recommendation of DOSEDIT.COM. I whole-heartedly recommend the program CED (Command EDitor). I was using DOSEDIT, until CED hit my BBS. I have been using it ever since. It has a very large history area. I normally end up re-booting before I have found the end, which is a wrap-around type history area. If you can't find it on one of your local BBSs, call (608) 273-5037 after 6pm CST or all day on weekends. -- ihnp4------\ harvard-\ \ Mr. Video seismo!uwvax!nicmad!brown topaz-/ / decvax------/
aglew@ccvaxa.UUCP (04/01/86)
Since I posted applause for the wonderful person who wrote DOSEDIT and
made it public domain, I have been deluged in requests (1) to send the
program, and (2) for instructions on how to use the program if people
already have it.
(1) Unfortunately, I sold Samwise, my Hyperion PC, to my father when I
left Montreal, so I no longer have any PC programs. However, I did
proselytize quite a few people into using it at McGill - perhaps one
of them can put it in net.sources? Are you listening CVaRLers?
(1a) I believe that it was originally uploaded from an American BBS;
it might help knowing that the author lived in Burlington Vermont.
If anybody knows of a board that carries this program, please inform.
(1b) May I call people's attention to Edward Vielmetti's posting?:
>/* Written 7:40 pm Mar 26, 1986 by emv@ccunix.UUCP */
>CED (by Chris Dunford) is much better than Dosedit. It implements
>all the same features (history) and adds many more (synonyms, multiple
>statements on the same line, parameter recall). Available on Compuserve
>(PCS-129), or on your local BBS.
>
>Edward Vielmetti, Computing Center Microgroup, University of Michigan.
>emv%UMich-MTS.Mailnet@MIT-Multics.ARPA
>emv@madvax.UUCP (through ihnp4, I guess)
>/* End of text from ccvaxa:net.micro.pc */
Sounds good - although I hope it is not simply a C Shell for the PC.
(2) If you can find a copy of DOSEDIT, here are instructions for using it,
most of which are immediately apparent:
To invoke DOSEDIT, simply put DOSEDIT in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file.
Thereafter, any command you enter can be edited using the arrow keys left
and right, control + arrow keys for word movement, home and end as you
would expect.
Pressing up or down moves you through the buffer of saved commands; ^PgUp
flushes the buffer, ^PgDn flushes the currently displayed entry.
ESC erases curreent command line; INS and DEL per character; INS toggles
insert mode, as indicated by block or line prompt.
Press enter to execute a command once you've edited it.
DOSEDIT provides simple aliases. Create an alias file consisting of an
alias, whitespace, and what you want it to stand for. Sorry, no argument
substitution. For example, here was my alias file on the PC:
pwd cd
a a:
b b:
c c:
d d:
e e:
f f:
g g:
h h:
i i:
j j:
ram d:
me c:
ed see
vi see
m make
mk make
-poll cd h:\hack\poll
-naplps cd i:\incl\ag\naplps
As you can see, I mainly used it to avoid typing colons. You can't
define them on the fly, but occasionally I went into a subshell with
temporarily defined aliases.
Invoke DOSEDIT FILENAM - with the name of the alias file as an argument.
The version I had did not understand pathnames.
Type ^A to see current aliases.
DOSEDIT keeps two distinct buffers, one for DOS, the other for applications.
This works, for eg., in DBASE II. You can use it for your programs by
using the DOS get-string interrupt, which is otherwise useless.connery@bnrmtv.UUCP (Glenn Connery) (04/06/86)
...
The latest version of CED in the public domain is 1.0C. No CED is not
a unix-like c-shell, it does just what NDOSEDIT does, but better. It
gives you a command stack which you can scroll through with the cursor
up and down keys, lets you do editing of commands in obvious ways with
cursor left/right, backspace, insert, delete etc. while viewing the
command. With CED1.0C the standard DOS keyboard functions like F3 to
recall the remainder of the previous line also work. It supports a
separate stack and synonyms for things like EDLIN or DEBUG which use
the same interrupt function for input, the use in debug is particularly
helpful.
The synonym function is also a superset of NDOSEDIT's. The lines in
your profile look a little different (SYN name definition) and can use
parameters like %1, chain to other synonyms, define multiple commands
to one synonym, etc. You can also define synonyms on the fly with no
problems.
It has a number of other nice functions, and has been compatible with
everything I've ever run--including lots of other resident programs.
Available on Compuserve in IBMSW SIG, where the author Chris Dunford
(I think) continues to live and is available for bugs etc.
--
Glenn Connery, Bell Northern Research, Mountain View, CA
{hplabs,amdahl,3comvax}!bnrmtv!connerybc@cyb-eng.UUCP (Bill Crews) (04/09/86)
This subject seems to recur every couple of months. DOSEDIT was available at
one time as a public domain (I think) program, and I imagine that it still
is. It was written by an IBM employee whose name is very well-known but which
I cannot remember at the moment. In any case, DOSEDIT was enhanced and then
offered by IBM as one of several programs on a Utilities diskette for around
$20 (whole diskette price, of course) under the name of RETRIEVE. I used it
and another one or two of the utilities for a while before I discovered CED.
CED was written by someone who was obviously a fan of RETRIEVE. He expanded
its functionality by adding stacked commands, longer aliases (now called
"synonyms"), etc. Very nice; I still use it. I have heard that the nameless
IBMer has once again enhanced RETRIEVE and that it has leapfrogged CED in
functionality. I haven't found it yet, so I don't know. I suppose I will
just follow the leapfrogging, while leaning a little closer to the DOSEDIT/
RETRIEVE product evolution.
--
- bc -
..!{seismo,topaz,gatech,nbires,ihnp4}!ut-sally!cyb-eng!bc (512) 835-2266rde@ukc.ac.uk (R.D.Eager) (04/09/86)
In article <300@bnrmtv.UUCP> connery@bnrmtv.UUCP writes: >... >The latest version of CED in the public domain is 1.0C. No CED is not >a unix-like c-shell, it does just what NDOSEDIT does, but better. It .... Perhaps someone could post this to the net? It sounds very helpful, but difficult to get at from here. There seems enough interest to justify a posting; preferably source, otherwise a uuencoded binary.... -- Bob Eager rde@ukc.UUCP rde@ukc ...!mcvax!ukc!rde Phone: +44 227 66822 ext 7589
connery@bnrmtv.UUCP (Glenn Connery) (04/13/86)
> This subject seems to recur every couple of months. DOSEDIT was available at > one time as a public domain (I think) program, and I imagine that it still > is. It was written by an IBM employee whose name is very well-known but which > I cannot remember at the moment. In any case, DOSEDIT was enhanced and then > offered by IBM as one of several programs on a Utilities diskette for around > $20 (whole diskette price, of course) under the name of RETRIEVE. I used it > and another one or two of the utilities for a while before I discovered CED. > CED was written by someone who was obviously a fan of RETRIEVE. He expanded > its functionality by adding stacked commands, longer aliases (now called > "synonyms"), etc. Very nice; I still use it. I have heard that the nameless > IBMer has once again enhanced RETRIEVE and that it has leapfrogged CED in > functionality. I haven't found it yet, so I don't know. I suppose I will > just follow the leapfrogging, while leaning a little closer to the DOSEDIT/ > RETRIEVE product evolution. > > -- > - bc - > > ..!{seismo,topaz,gatech,nbires,ihnp4}!ut-sally!cyb-eng!bc (512) 835-2266 The original author of DOSEDIT and DOS Command Retriever, into which it evolved, is Jack Gersbach. DOSEDIT is still available on many bulletin boards, though as far as I know, IBM was none too happy with it being let out. DOS Command Retriever is part of the disk Utilities I, available for $19.95 from IBM's Personally Developed Software series. Just call 1-800-IBM-PCSW (its Part No. 6276517). And make sure you get the catalogue which is full of good stuff (basically the only good software that IBM has ever done for the PC, and all of it is quite cheap). A recent posting to this user group of KEYDO appears to be a predecessor to all of these and just offers the history/command line editing stuff that is inherent to all of these programs. Again, I suspect IBM does not want this stuff floating around, but the posting was apparently from within IBM. The author of CED is Chris Dunford. CED is in the public domain. The latest version is 1.0D. The program has been enhanced to Pro-CED and is now available for some amount of small change from The Cove Software Group, P.O.Box 1072, Columbia, Maryland 21044; (301) 992-9371. The 'enhanced' Retrieve referred to is, I think, DOS Memories, also from the IBM PDS line, this time for $34.95. It is by Dick Balonek and has no relation to Retrieve or any of the others. After examining it for a while I really can't recommend it. The feature set is just going off the deep end, and this is a resident program, remember? Besides, its not worth the bucks. If all you want is a command history and intelligent command line editing, KEYDO or CED will do just fine. I can't think of a single reason to use Retreive over CED, but perhaps someone else can. DOSEDIT is also okay, but has been superceded by Retrieve and CED. You can also get a command history in SuperKey or Keyworks (both keyboard enhancers). I think PRO CED has the most balanced and useful set of features, but its not free like CED and it takes more memory. Its all a trade-off. -- Glenn Connery, Bell Northern Research, Mountain View, CA {hplabs,amdahl,3comvax}!bnrmtv!connery
james@inmet.UUCP (04/22/86)
A caveat: I tried CED (no I don't remember which version), and it kept hanging my system. (Or at least it's presence caused something to hang out there). I use a motley assortment of resident utilities, and I figured some of them were getting in each other's way. I don't really blame CED, but I have never had this problem with DOSEDIT. James Triplett