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Hi all, this should be so simple, but I can't seem to find a command that will do it.

In QB4.5, I want to make a decision based on whether or not a file exists or something IN the file exists. Basically, (no pun intended), I want to test to see if a certain line exists in the autoexec.bat file, then branch based on whether its there or not. I can do everything except actually test the file.

Thanks all, Dex

EDIT: And to be even more specific, I'ld like to check to see whether or not DOSKEY.COM is running before taking an action.
I did find one real convoluted way to test for the existance of the autoexec.bat file:

CLS
FILES "C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT"

Insert a for/next loop here that uses the
POINT(x,y) command to test for the existence
of the letters a u t o e x c on the screen.

Told you it was convoluted! :???:

Thanks again.

You can also check what programs are running as TSR. MEM is a program which comes with MSDOS that helps you to do so.

Code:
mem /c

will display a complete list of which TSR programs are running, so you could do this without having to hassle with AUTOEXEC.BAT

Code:
' Redirect MEM/C output to a file:

SHELL "mem /c >tsr.txt"

' Search for pattern in a file:

pattern$="doskey"

file$="tsr.txt"

found%=0    ' Not found

f%=FREEFILE

OPEN file$ FOR INPUT AS #f%

WHILE NOT EOF(f%) AND NOT found%

   LINE INPUT #f%, line$   ' Read a line from file

   IF INSTR(LCASE$(line$), LCASE$(pattern$)) THEN found%=-1

WEND

CLOSE

' tsr.txt no longer needed:

KILL "tsr.txt"

IF found% THEN PRINT "Pattern Found"

I did this in a blast. Minor corrections would be needed. Check in QB help those commands you don't know.

http://www.geocities.com/gstumpff/utils.zip

is the file EXIST.FUN. It contains a QB function to do what you want. (You'll probably have to copy and paste the link to get it to work.)

Thanks Nathan, you actually answered something else I've always wondered about but never tried. Which is, could you open a file using the OPEN and related commands on a file that wasn't created in QB.

I just was never sure if you'ld treat it as sequential or random or what.

Thanks again, Dex

Glenn - thanks to you too, we both posted at the same time. Big Grin

BTW - besides having some great utilities, that site has one of the funniest graphics at the bottom: the file transfer thing! LOL

Yeah, I actually saves that "File Copy" GIF, Showed it at the office and everybody just laughed BIIG time!!!!

that GIF instead of its usual display. (It's usually what windows ends up doing with my stuff anyway.)

LOL

Dex4now

na_th_an

Glenn

Dex4now

Glenn

relsoft

Glenn

relsoft