Command: append
APPEND enables programs to open data files in specified
directories as if the files were in the current directory.
Using the /X[:ON] switch, this can be extended to file searches
and command execution.
Syntax:
APPEND [[drive]path[;...]] [/X[:ON|:OFF]] [/PATH:ON|/PATH:OFF] [/E]
APPEND ;
APPEND [/?]
drive Drive letter e.g. C:
path Directory to append, e.g. \example
Options:
/X[:ON] Extend APPEND to searches and command execution.
/X:OFF Applies APPEND only to requests to open files.
Defaults to /X:OFF
/PATH:ON Search appended directories for file requests that already
include a path. This is the default setting.
/PATH:OFF Switches off /PATH:ON.
/E Stores the appended directory list in the ENVIRONMENT.
/E may be used only in the first invocation of APPEND. You
can not include any paths on the same command line as /E.
APPEND ; clears the list of appended directories.
APPEND without parameters displays the list of appended
directories.
/? Shows the help.
Comments:
Do not use APPEND with Windows or 32 bit extenders.
APPEND installs itself as an internal command after its first
execution. Second and successive invocations MUST exclude the file
path and extension of the APPEND command.
APPEND supports NLS (national language support).
FreeDOS APPEND is fully command line and error message compatible
with MS APPEND. Any difference should be considered a bug.
APPEND can store the directory search list in the APPEND ENVIRONMENT
VARIABLE. This is activated using the /E switch the very first time
that APPEND is executed.
APPEND becomes a resident command after the first time it is executed
and occupies 4928 bytes of conventional memory. It can be loaded in
upper memory with LH.
Examples:
First use:
C:\command\append.exe D:\Data\df1.dat
Perfectly legitimate use of the Append command for the first
invocation of append.
Wrong second use:
C:\command\append.exe D:\Data\df2.dat
Invalid second use. It results in the new append that is loaded by
command.com seeing itself in memory and exiting with an error.
Valid second use:
append D:\Data\df2.dat
Valid second use. Command.com looks at it's list of internal
commands sees append and executes it passing it the remainder of
the command line.
Example:
append Displays the current search path.
append c:\document;c:\mails Adds document and mails directories
/X:ON /PATH:ON to the path. Create a file "c:\mails\
mymail.txt". After you did this, go
back to C: or another folder, type
"edit mymail.txt" (works with /X:ON
only)and the file is not in the
current directory. The computer will
find it in these appended directories.
c: Goes back to C:
type mymail.txt Shows the content of mymail.txt (even
without /X:ON)
See also:
edit
environment variable
lh/loadhigh
path
type
Copyright © 2004-2006 Eduardo CASINO ALMAO, updated 2022
by W. Spiegl.
This file is derived from the FreeDOS Spec Command HOWTO.
See the file H2Cpying for copying conditions.