Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cuae2!ihnp4!houxm!homxb!gritz
From: gritz@homxb.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: switchar
Message-ID: <2242@homxb.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 11-Dec-86 15:48:42 EST
Article-I.D.: homxb.2242
Posted: Thu Dec 11 15:48:42 1986
Date-Received: Sun, 14-Dec-86 18:45:39 EST
References: <1402@uw-june> > <2690001@hplsla.HP.COM> <2234@homxb.UUCP> <656@bucsb.bu.edu.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Holmdel
Lines: 28
Summary: Yes you can do this!

In article <656@bucsb.bu.edu.UUCP>, madd@bucsb.bu.edu.UUCP writes:
> In article <2234@homxb.UUCP> gritz@homxb.UUCP (R.SHARPLES) writes:
> >You can also use the dos ansi.sys capability to redefine the
> >character transmitted by the keyboard when you hit / or \.  This
> >can be done by echoing the proper ESC sequence in autoexec.  Since
> >this is just redefining the keyboard signal, it does not effect programs
> >that utilitze the original sequence.  I know this works under MSDOS 3.1.
> >See page G-10 of the MSDOS 3.1 manual.
> 
> Don't do this!  This works fine, provided you only use the DOS
> COMMAND.COM.  If you use any program that skips around the standard
> DOS functions, this won't work.  If you (*gasp*) use a program, such
> as a wordprocessor, which DOESN'T skip around the DOS functions, it'll
> go change all your characters on you, even if you didn't want them to.
> 
Yes, it will change all your characters on you but it will echo the changed
characters to the screen.  If you use the echo commands above and type:
	"cd /dir1/dir2"
DOS will echo
	"cd \dir1\dir2"
and correctly execute the command.  In the same way, a wordprocessor will
also echo "\" to the screen and place it in the buffer when "/" is typed.
It is just as if you phyiscally moved and rewired the keys.  As long as
you check on the screen what you type you should be alright.  Programs
that read the keyboard directly are not effected of course.

Russ Sharples
homxb!gritz