MS-DOS EDIT and QBASIC Command Line Switches (81360)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 5.0
  • Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 5.0a
  • Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 6.0
  • Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 6.2
  • Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 6.21
  • Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 6.22
This article was previously published under Q81360

SUMMARY

This article describes the command line switches you can use to enhance or modify the performance of the MS-DOS Editor and QBasic utilities.

MORE INFORMATION

Editor is a full screen text editor. QBasic is a program that reads instructions written in Basic and interprets them into executable computer code.

The EDIT command starts Editor from the command prompt. QBASIC starts the QBasic Interpreter from the command prompt. Both Editor and QBasic may be executed with a switch or combination of switches to enhance or modify their performance. The following is a description of the switches available and how they affect Editor and QBasic: 
    Switch   Description
   ------   -----------

   /B       Displays Editor or QBasic in black and white. This switch
            should be used to run Editor or QBasic on a monochrome
            monitor with a color graphics card. If the Editor or
            QBasic pull-down menus do not show the short cut keys on a
            CGA monitor, then use the /B switch when starting Editor
            or QBasic.

   /G       Use this switch with a CGA monitor to provide the fastest
            screen updating.

   /H       Use this switch to display the maximum number of lines on
            the screen that the monitor supports.

   /NOHI    Editor and QBasic are designed for 16 color monitors, but
            this switch allows Editor or QBasic to function on an
            eight color monitor. If Editor or QBasic pull-down menus
            do not show the short cut keys on a system that does not
            support bold characters, use the /NOHI switch when
            starting Editor or QBasic.
The following switches may be used only with QBasic: 
   Switch     Description
   ------     -----------

   /EDITOR    Invokes Editor.

   /MBF       Converts the built-in functions MKS$,MKD$,CVS$, and CVD
              to MKSMBF$, MKDMBF$, CVSMBF, and CVDMBF, respectively.

   /RUN       Runs a specified Basic program before displaying it.
To start Editor with the /NOHI switch, type the following command at the command prompt:

edit /nohi

To start QBasic and run the program MYPROG.BAS, type the following at the command prompt:

qbasic /run myprog.bas

Reference(s):

"MS-DOS User's Guide and Reference," versions 5.0 and 5.0a, pages 459, 547
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:5/12/2003
Keywords:KB81360
©2002 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.