BATCHCOM

BATCHCOM is a Batch Compiler. It compiles DOS batch files (.BAT) into executable DOS programs (.COM). In addition to the normal DOS commands, BATCHCOM supports many extra commands for program flow, variables and screen handling. BATCHCOM was designed to work with DOS 3.30, so some newer command options (found in DOS 5 or 6 and Windows NT, etc.) are not supported. However, with the extra commands, BATCHCOM is like a complete programming language.

Written in Turbo Pascal in 1992. To run this program now, use DosBox-X or VirtualBox.

Usage

BATCHCOM [filename[.bat]] [options]

Options:

   /M     -  include error messages
   /S     -  use fast CRT screen procedures
   /O     -  overwrite existing files without asking
   /E n   -  environment size (default: 8192 bytes)
   /L     -  list all commands

Supported DOS commands

Command	Description
BREAK [on/off]	Turn BREAK on or off
CALL ...	Run a batch file and return to your program
CD/CHDIR ...	Change directory
CLS	Clear the screen or the current window
COMMAND [/c ...]	Run COMMAND.COM
COPY ...	Copy file(s) (COPY is handled by COMMAND.COM)
DEL/ERASE ...	Delete file(s)
DIR [/p][/w]	Show a list of files in a directory
ECHO ...	Write text to the screen
EXIT	Exit program and return to DOS
FOR %%C in (list) do ...	Set the variable %%C to all items of list and perform a command
GOTO label	Go to another line in the batch file (a label is any word after a colon ":")
IF [NOT] EXIST ...	If the file exists, then ...
IF ERRORLEVEL x ...	If the ERRORLEVEL is x or below x, then ...
IF ... == ...	If the two strings are equal, then ...
MD/MKDIR ...	Create a new directory
PATH ...	Set or show the PATH
PAUSE [...]	Wait for a keystroke
PROMPT ...	Change the DOS prompt
REM ...	Remark
RD/RMDIR ...	Remove a directory
REN/RENAME ...	Rename a file or a group of files
SET [var=[value]]	Set an environment variable (Note: All variables are restored after running the program)
SHIFT	Move all parameters (%1, %2, ..) one place back
TYPE ...	Show the contents of a file
VER	Show the current DOS version
VERIFY [on	off]
VOL ...	Show the volume of a drive

Special characters in strings

Available for the commands ECHO, PAUSE, IF and SET:

 $g    ">"              $q    "="                $s    <Space>
 $l    "<"              $h    <BackSpace>        $e    <Esc>
 $b    "|"              $_    <CR/LF>            $$    "$"
 $(n)  ASCII number

 $  at the end of a line:  No <CR>

Variables

Besides the environment variables you may also define up to 100 32-bit variables to work with numbers. You can set these variables to integer numbers in the range -2147483648...+2147483647.

Variable commands

Syntax	Description
VAR varname [=number]	Define a new variable (if no number is specified the variable is set to 0)
LET var = number	Set the variable to a new value
LET var1 = var2	Copy the value of var2 into var1
LET var = %1	If %1 is not a valid number, the ERRORLEVEL is set to the position of the error
LET var = ERRORLEVEL	Sets var to the current errorlevel
ADD var, x	Add the value of x to var
SUB var, x	Subtract the value of x from var
NEG var	Change the sign of var (+/-)
ABS var	If var < 0 then the sign is changed
MUL var, x	Multiply var with x
DIV var, x	Integer division

Writing variable numbers

    ECHO ... %VAR% ...      Show the number of VAR (decimal)
    ECHO %VAR:10%           Use 10 spaces for the number (like this: "       123")
    ECHO %VAR:-10%          Spaces after the number ("123       ")
    ECHO %VAR:010%          Use "0" instead of spaces ("0000000123")
    ECHO %VAR:b%            Show the binary value ("1111011")
    ECHO %VAR:X%            Show the hexadecimal value ("7B")
    ECHO %VAR:x%            The same, but use lowercase letters ("7b")
    ECHO %VAR:o%            Show the octal value (173)

Comparing variables

    IF %var1% = %var2% ...    If the two variables are the same then ...
    IF %var1% <> %var2% ..    If the variables are different then ...
    IF %var1% > %var2% ...    If var1 is larger than var2 then ...
    IF %var1% < %var2% ...    If var1 is smaller than var2 then ...
    IF %var1% >= %var2% ..    If var1 is larger than or equal to var2 then ...
    IF %var1% <= %var2% ..    If var1 is smaller than or equal to var2 then ...

You may always insert the word NOT to reverse the condition
If you compare strings with <, >, <= or >=, first the length is compared

GOSUB and RETURN

You can create subroutines in your programs by using these commands. Example:

 GoTo Start
 :Proc1
 ...
 Return
 :Start
 ...
 GoSub Proc1
 ...
 GoSub Proc1

You can run the same procedure as often as you like without having to write it again.

NOTE: Never go to a subroutine using the GOTO command.
RETURN without GOSUB could cause the system to crach.

Other commands

Command	Description
CRT	After this command all the output to screen is written directly to the video buffer
DOS	Use DOS routines to handle output to screen
SETCOLOR n	Change the attribute. Only if CRT procedures are installed (valid attributes are 0..255 or $00..$FF)
MOVETO x, y	Change the position of the cursor
SETWINDOW x1, y1, x2, y2	Define a window (Use this command before CLS, FILLWINDOW, FRAMEWIN, MENU, SCROLL). Default: 1, 1, 80, 25
SCROLL n	Scroll the current window n lines up (or down: n < 0)
FRAMEWINDOW chars, title	Draw a frame in the current window. Chars is either DOUBLEFRAME or SINGLEFRAME or the characters to be used in the frame, eg. ╔═╗║║╚═╝. Title is any text
FILLWINDOW n	Fills the window with one character (n = 0..255)
CHECKANSI	Set the errorlevel to 1 if ANSI.SYS is installed
GETSCREEN	Save the contents of the entire screen in memory
PUTSCREEN	Restores the last screen saved by GETSCREEN or LOADSCREEN
SAVESCREEN file	Save a screen to the disk
LOADSCREEN file	Load a screen from the disk into memory (use PUTSCREEN to display it)
COUNTPARAMS	Set the errorlevel to the number of parameters

Menus

MENU [c1,] [c2,] [c3,] "[" ~O~ption1 "/" O~p~tion2 [/...] "]" [";"]

c1           Attribute of highlighted bar
c2           Attribute of hot keys
c3           Attribute of hot key in highlighted bar
~X~          Hot key
";"          Return if the user presses <-- or --> (errorlevel 254, 255)

If the user presses a hot key or , the errorlevel will be set to the number of the option. If is pressed the errorlevel is set to 0. Example:

Cls
SetWindow 10, 5, 20, 9
FrameWindow SingleFrame, Menu 
SetWindow 11, 6, 19, 8
Menu $70, $0F, $70, [ ~E~dit / ~R~un / ~Q~uit ]
if ErrorLevel 3 GoTo Quit
if ErrorLevel 2 GoTo Run
...

Input and other commands / functions:

Command	Description
ASK ["prompt"], keylist	Set the errorlevel to the position in the list
ASKYN ["prompt"]	Yes: errorlevel = 1, No errorlevel = 0
GETKEY	Set the errorlevel to the ASCII value of a keystroke
GETKBFLAGS	Set the errorlevel to the keyboard flags byte
SETKBFLAGS	Change the keyboard flags
SETBIT n	Set bit n of `to 1`
RESETBIT n	Set bit n of `to 0`
GETBIT n	Set the errorlevel to the value of bit n of `(see keyboard flag bits table below)`
INPUT	Input any environment variable (from the keyboard)
IF KEYPRESSED ...	If the user has pressed any key on the keyboard then ...
GETX	Store the cursor position in a variable
GETY	Store the cursor line in a variable
GETCURSOR	Store the cursor size in a variable
SETCURSOR	Set the size of the cursor (default $0B0C, block cursor: $001F, no cursor: $1F00)
DISKFREE	Get the free space on a disk into a variable
UPPERCASE	Change all letters in a variable to capitals
LOWERCASE	Change the capitals into lowercase letters
GETDRIVE	Set an environment variable to the current drive
GETDIR	Set a variable to the current directory
GETDAY	Set a variable to the day of the week
GETDATE	Set a variable to the current date
GETTIME	Set a variable to the current time
GETLENGTH	Set the errorlevel to the length of the var
CHECKERRORS ON	off
BEEP	Make a short sound.
GETRANDOM	Set the errorlevel to a random number (0..255)
WRITECHAR n1 [,n2]	Write 1 (or n2) character(s) with ASCII code n1
INLINE n1, n2, ...	Use machine language in your programs (Hex numbers only), for example "INLINE cd 05" will print the screen. An INLINE procedure may destroy the values of the registers AX, BX, CX, DX, SI, DI and BP. The other registers must be restored.

    Keyboard flag bits:

    76543210
    .......1      Right Shift key pressed
    ......1.      Left Shift key pressed
    .....1..      Ctrl key pressed
    ....1...      Alt key pressed
    ...1....      ScrollLock on
    ..1.....      NumLock on
    .1......      CapsLock on
    1.......      Insert mode on

Example for CheckErrors:

  CheckErrors OFF
  ChDir %1
  if ErrorLevel 1 Echo THERE IS NO DIRECTORY NAMED "%1".

There are two ways to run an external program:

Type only the name. A copy of COMMAND.COM is loaded and searches all directories of the PATH for the program. If the program is not found, you will get the message "Bad command or filename".
Type the full pathname and extension ("C:\UTIL\BC.EXE"). Use this method if you want to know what errorlevel is left by the program.

EXAMPLES

To learn more about BATCHCOM, take a look at the examples in the EXAMPLES folder. BATCHCOM programs usually have the extension .BC, because they can't be run as normal .BAT files.

TINY

The program TINY compresses .COM programs to make them even smaller.

Wiering/BatchCom