Shortcuts that You Run in DOSBox

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Revision as of 10:11, 29 January 2012 by HHaddow990 (talk | contribs)
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  • This will allow you to use a shortcut to your program using a batch file that you run in DOSBox it's self.
  • This way you can keep you mount settings

You may also want to read DOSBox Shortcuts

Making the Shortcuts

  • Create in the root directory of the folder you use primarily for DOSBox a text file and rename it [program].bat
  • Open it in notepad and type
    • @echo off
cd [program dir]
[program]
cd \
REM once the program is closed this will take you back to the root directory
  • To run it (provided your autoexec has something like "mount C C:\folder", C:\ and [program].bat is in C:\folder) just type [program].
  • So for theme hospital that would be 'hospital.bat' and
    • @echo off
cd hospital
hospital
cd \
  • and to run it all you need to do is type 'hospital'.
  • If autoexec is empty then you will need to add the lines
    • mount C C:\folder
and
C:\

A Small Shortcut Maker

  • You can write a program to do this quickly
  • Unfortunately this can't be run from dosbox due to the set /P command not being supported by DOS 6.22 (if there is a native command that will allow for the input of a string then feel free to modify the code you will also have to change the choice syntax from choice [/m "text"] to choice [text])
  • Create a batch file in the directory you want the shortcuts to be in lets call it short.bat and copy this to it
  • The important parts of the code are in bold
    • @echo off
set /P file="Enter the name of the program: "
choice /m "Does the program folder have the same name as the program file (only if folder is in shortcut directory): "
REM i.e. shortcut is C:short (in DOSBox) and file is C:\folder\file
REM say no if folder is C:\prog\folder\file and if shortcut is in C:\shortf\short use the full path
if errorlevel 2 set /P folder="Enter the name of the program folder: "
if errorlevel 1 set folder=%program%
choice /m "Do you want the shortcut to have the same name as the program file"
if errorlevel 2 set /P shortcut="Enter the name of the shortcut: "
if errorlevel 1 set shortcut=%program%
choice /m "Do you want the shortcut to have the same name as the file"
if errorlevel 2 set /P shortcut="Enter the name you want for the shortcut: "
if errorlevel 1 set shortcut=%file%
choice /m "Is the file on the same drive as the shortcut"
if errorlevel 2 set /P drive="Enter the correct drive letter: "
if errorlevel 1 set drive=null
write
if exist .\%shortcut%.bat goto error1
: override
echo @echo off >> %shortcut%.bat
if not %drive%==null echo %drive%:\ >> %shortcut%.bat
echo cd %folder% >> %shortcut%.bat
echo %program% >> %shortcut%.bat
echo cd \ >> %shortcut%.bat
if not exist .\%shortcut%.bat goto error2
if not %drive%==null echo A shortcut to the file %file% in the folder %folder% on drive %drive%:\ with the name %shortcut% has been created
if %drive%==null echo A shortcut to the file %file% in the folder %folder% with the name %shortcut% has been created
echo "To run %file% just type %shortcut%"
goto end
REM error messages and codes
: error1
echo error (1): there is already a file with the name %shortcut% in this folder
choice /m "overwrite file"
if not errorlevel 2 goto override
choice /m "chose another name for your shortcut"
if errorlevel 1 set /P shortcut="Enter the name you want for the shortcut: "
if errorlevel 1 goto : write
goto end
: error2
echo error (2): file creation failed
goto end
: end
pause