[comp.os.msdos.apps] need utility to alias paths

drstrip@intvax2.cs.sandia.gov (David R. Strip) (06/06/91)

I have some less than robust software that assumes my directory
structure looks a certain way, which is doesn't. I need a 
utility like SUBST or ASSIGN, but that works for paths. eg,
I would like to be able to say
foo textfms -> /tex/tfms/pktfm
 and have the effect that when this stupid program tries to
 get textfms/cmr10.tfm the os will actually look for 
 /tex/tfms/pktfm/cmr10.tfm

I don't think dpath will do this, since pathnames are assumed to
be correct and the datapath is not checked. ASSIGN and SUBST provide
drive names for the paths, not aliased pathnames.

Thanks.
drstrip@cs.sandia.gov

eric@cs.fau.edu (Eric Thav) (06/10/91)

In article <1991Jun6.134652.10820@intvax2.cs.sandia.gov> drstrip@intvax2.cs.sandia.gov (David R. Strip) writes:
>I have some less than robust software that assumes my directory
>structure looks a certain way, which is doesn't. I need a 
>utility like SUBST or ASSIGN, but that works for paths. eg,
>I would like to be able to say
>foo textfms -> /tex/tfms/pktfm
> and have the effect that when this stupid program tries to
> get textfms/cmr10.tfm the os will actually look for 
> /tex/tfms/pktfm/cmr10.tfm

A roundabout way of doing this would be to use the 4DOS alternate command
processor instead of using COMMAND.COM.  With 4DOS, environment variables
are active almost anywhere you can imagine.  So, you can define the variable
of "textfms" to be equal to "\tex\tfms\pktfm" and if you say "dir %textfms"
it will give you a directory listing of \tex\tfms\pktfm.
 


-- 
.signature not found, format hard disk instead? (Y/N)_
Eric L. Thav                Florida Atlantic University - Boca Raton, FL
INTERNET: eric@acc.fau.edu      GEnie: E.THAV   | PRODIGY: Lots of ads
  BITNET: eric@fauvax         PRODIGY: NMVG80A  | and we read your mail!