CHAIN, RUN, and KILL Statements Do Not Use MS-DOS Search PATH (33736)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft QuickBASIC 1.0
  • Microsoft QuickBASIC 1.01
  • Microsoft QuickBASIC 1.02
  • Microsoft QuickBASIC 2.0
  • Microsoft QuickBASIC 2.01
  • Microsoft QuickBASIC 3.0
  • Microsoft QuickBASIC 4.0
  • Microsoft QuickBASIC 4.0b
  • Microsoft QuickBASIC 4.5
  • Microsoft BASIC Compiler for MS-DOS and OS/2 6.0
  • Microsoft BASIC Compiler for MS-DOS and OS/2 6.0b
  • Microsoft Basic Professional Development System (PDS) for MS-DOS and MS OS/2 7.0
  • Microsoft Basic Professional Development System (PDS) for MS-DOS and MS OS/2 7.1
  • Microsoft GW-Basic Interpreter 3.20 and later
  • Microsoft GW-BASIC 5.28
This article was previously published under Q33736

SUMMARY

The CHAIN "FILESPEC", RUN "FILESPEC", and KILL "FILESPEC" statements do not use the search path of the MS-DOS PATH (or APPEND) command to find the specified file. Therefore, the file that a Basic program wants to CHAIN, RUN, or KILL either must be on the default disk or directory, or the explicit path must be specified in the "FILESPEC" argument. Non-compliance results in the error message "File not Found."

This information applies to all versions of Microsoft Basic, including the following:

  1. Microsoft QuickBasic Compiler Versions 1.00, 1.01, 1.02, 2.00, 2.01, 3.00, 4.00, 4.00b, and 4.50 for the IBM PC
  2. Microsoft Basic Compiler Versions 5.35 and 5.36 for MS-DOS
  3. Microsoft Basic Compiler Versions 6.00 and 6.00b for MS-DOS and MS OS/2
  4. Microsoft Basic PDS Version 7.00 for MS-DOS and MS OS/2
  5. Microsoft GW-Basic Interpreter Versions 3.20 and later
  6. Microsoft Basic Interpreter Version 5.28 for MS-DOS

MORE INFORMATION

The MS-DOS PATH command may be used to specify the search path for the compiled Basic run-time module, BRUNxx.EXE.

Normally, all programs that are CHAINed or RUN together are put in the same directory. This works even if they use different BRUNxx.EXE files (taken from different compiler versions) for programs that are executed with RUN "FILESPEC", but does not work for CHAIN "FILESPEC".

If you specify the explicit disk and directory path in the CHAIN or RUN statement in the program source code, the program will have to be recompiled if the CHAINed or RUN program is moved to a different disk and/or directory.
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:1/8/2003
Keywords:KB33736
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