MS-DOS Batch commands
An Opus button or hotkey function can be set to MS-DOS Batch
Function mode. A function in this mode is run as if it were a
.bat batch file, and it can use MS-DOS commands, branching and
logic instructions, as well as run external programs that are only designed to
be run from the command line.
The above screenshot shows an example of a simple MS-DOS batch function. This
uses the MS-DOS dir instruction to produce a directory listing
of the current source folder. Using the > redirection
symbol, the directory listing will be saved to a file in the destination path
named after the current source folder.
Breaking down the function,
- The type is set to MS-DOS Batch Function using the
Function drop-down. This is necessary to use the
dir instruction - dir isn't a real program
or command, it's an instruction that's only understood by the MS-DOS command
interpreter.
- The first line of the command, cd {sourcepath}, sets the
current directory of the batch script to the current source folder. This is
the folder that dir will produce a listing of.
- The second command invokes the dir instruction
(the /w flag turns on wide mode). The
> character redirects the output of the command, and the
combination of external
control codes following the > supply the output
filename.
- {destpath} - the path of the current destination
directory
- {sourcepath|nopath|noterm} - the current source
directory, without the path or trailing termination (i.e. the name of the
directory)
- .txt - the file extension for the output file.
When you run an MS-DOS batch function, Opus actually creates a temporary
batch file on disk, and writes your instructions to it before invoking it. If
you were to look at the batch file created by the above function, you would see
something similar to the following:
@echo off
chcp 1252 > nul
C:
cd "\Users\Jon\Documents"
dir /w > "C:\Test\Documents.txt"
These instructions are written automatically to the .bat
file, based on the parameters and definition of the function.
- @echo off is a standard MS-DOS instruction that prevents
each command from being echoed to the prompt window as the batch file is run
- chcp 1252 > nul initialises the code page of the
command prompt (1252 is the standard Windows code page).
- C: sets the current drive of the command prompt - this is
generated automatically from the cd {sourcepath} instruction
in the command definition.
- cd "\Users\Jon\Documents" sets the current directory on
the current drive - again, this is generated automatically from the cd
{sourcepath} instruction.
- dir /w > "C:\Test\Documents.txt" is responsible for
producing the actual directory listing. In this instance, the source folder
was called Documents, and the destination folder was C:\Test
- so the name of the output file generated by
{destpath}{sourcepath|nopath|noterm}.txt was
C:\Test\Documents.txt.
Several of the command
modifiers relate specifically to MS-DOS batch functions:
- @leavedoswindowopen can be used to force the DOS prompt
window to remain open once the function has finished (letting you see any
output or error messages).
- @codepage can be used to change the code page of the DOS
prompt from the default of 1252.
- @nocall is used to invoke a batch file and not return
control to the parent function.
- @runbatch and @norunbatch control how
external programs and internal commands interact in an MS-DOS batch function
- @runmode:hide can be used to prevent the brief flash of
the DOS prompt window.
See the command
modifier reference for a full description of command modifiers.