Text 176, 73 rader
Skriven 2005-06-01 03:07:16 av Gerald Miller (1:342/512)
    Kommentar till text 174 av MIKE ROSS (1:167/133.0)
Ärende: FORMAT.COM
==================
Hello MIKE,

    Responding to a post in the BATPOWER area:
    On Tuesday May 31 2005 at 22:39,
    MIKE ROSS [1:167/133] wrote to Gerald Miller,
    about: FORMAT.COM

[snip]

 GM>> I'm trying to format a series of floppy diskettes, all with
 GM>> unique volume labels, and I would like to "automate" the process.

 GM>> === Cut Begin: CREATE.BAT ===
 GM>> echo.
 GM>> echo                      Insert diskette 1 now...
 GM>> echo.
 GM>> format a: /u /v:wfw_disk1
 GM>> DISK1.EXE A:\
 GM>> DIR A: /hmw
 GM>> echo.
 GM>> pause
 GM>> echo.
 GM>> echo                      Insert diskette 2 now...
 GM>> echo.
 GM>> format a: /u /v:wfw_disk2
 GM>> ... etc.
 GM>> === Cut End:   CREATE.BAT ===

 GM>> When FORMAT.COM has formatted the diskette and applied the
 GM>> specified volume label, it asks me if I want to format another
 GM>> floppy (presumedly with the same volume label) and I have to type
 GM>> N and press the Enter key. Could I create a N.BAT file that
 GM>> contains the single letter N and a line feed and use it as input
 GM>> to the format command?

 GM>> format a: /u /v:wfw_disk1<N.BAT

 MR> You don't even need a file to input keystrokes. Simply use the echo
 MR> command with a pipe |.

 MR> For example, the following will echo a CR to time and date causing
 MR> them to exit their usual prompt after displaying their output text.

 MR> echo: |time
 MR> echo: |date

 MR> The same can be done with format but using,

 MR> echo y|format a: /u

Evidently, this is going to be more difficult than I had envisioned!

Mike, did you try your example?

 MR> ... Simon said, "echo y|format c: /u/mbr"

Insert new diskette for drive A:
 and press ENTER when ready...y

and then the disk is being formatted _WITHOUT_ me pressing ENTER.  At the
end of the formatting process, I am still asked if I would like to format
another diskette (presumedly with the same volume label), but this time,
I'm unable to enter any keyboard response (Ctrl-Break to get me out).

Thanks for your attempt.  I'll contact a programmer and see if he can
create a FORMAT.COM "hack" that doesn't ask me if I want to format another
diskette...

           Cheers ... Gerald

... More people eat alligators than alligators eat people.
--- GoldED+/DPMI32 v1.1.5-040330
 * Origin: Mathematicians have to PROVE they can do it. (1:342/512)