Shortcuts that You Run in DOSBox

• This will allow you to use a shortcut to your program using a batch file that you run in DOSBox it's self.
• This way you can keep you mount settings

You may also want to read DOSBox Shortcuts

Making the Shortcuts

• Create in the root directory of the folder you use primarily for DOSBox a text file and rename it [program].bat
• Open it in notepad and type
  • @echo off

cd [program dir]

[program]

cd \

REM once the program is closed this will take you back to the root directory

• To run it (provided your autoexec has something like "mount C C:\folder", C:\ and [program].bat is in C:\folder) just type [program].
• So for theme hospital that would be 'hospital.bat' and
  • @echo off

cd hospital

hospital

cd \

• and to run it all you need to do is type 'hospital'.
• If autoexec is empty then you will need to add the lines
  • mount C C:\folder

and

C:\

A Small Shortcut Maker

• You can write a program to do this quickly
• Unfortunately this version can't be run from dosbox due to the set /P command not being supported by DOS 6 and some other syntax changes if you follow the link at the bottom of the page you can download a dos version that uses Horst's INPUT.COM
• Create a batch file in the directory you want the shortcuts to be in lets call it short.bat and copy this to it
• The important parts of the code are in bold
  • @echo off

: start

set /P file="Enter the name of the program: "

choice /m "Does the program folder have the same name as the program file (only if folder is in shortcut directory): "

REM i.e. shortcut is C:short (in DOSBox) and file is C:\folder\file

REM say no if folder is C:\prog\folder\file and if shortcut is in C:\shortf\short use the full path

if errorlevel 1 set folder=%program%

if errorlevel 2 set /P folder="Enter the name of the program folder: "

choice /m "Do you want the shortcut to have the same name as the program file"

if errorlevel 1 set shortcut=%program%

if errorlevel 2 set /P shortcut="Enter the name of the shortcut: "

choice /m "Do you want the shortcut to have the same name as the file"

if errorlevel 1 set shortcut=%file%

if errorlevel 2 set /P shortcut="Enter the name you want for the shortcut: "

choice /m "Is the file on the same drive as the shortcut"

if errorlevel 1 set drive=null

if errorlevel 2 set /P drive="Enter the correct drive letter: "

write

if exist .\%shortcut%.bat goto error1

: override

echo @echo off >> %shortcut%.bat

if not %drive%==null echo %drive%:\ >> %shortcut%.bat

echo cd %folder% >> %shortcut%.bat

echo %program% >> %shortcut%.bat

echo cd \ >> %shortcut%.bat

if not exist .\%shortcut%.bat goto error2

if not %drive%==null echo A shortcut to the file %file% in the folder %folder% on drive %drive%:\ with the name %shortcut% has been created

if %drive%==null echo A shortcut to the file %file% in the folder %folder% with the name %shortcut% has been created

echo "To run %file% just type %shortcut%"

goto again

REM error messages and codes

: error1

echo error (1): there is already a file with the name %shortcut% in this folder

choice /m "overwrite file"

if not errorlevel 2 goto override

choice /m "chose another name for your shortcut"

if errorlevel 1 set /P shortcut="Enter the name you want for the shortcut: "

if errorlevel 1 goto : write

goto end

: error2

echo error (2): file creation failed

goto end

: again

choice /m "do you want to create another shortcut"

if errorlevel 2 goto end

goto start

: end

pause

• This has been tested and run in windows 7 other versions may need some small syntax changes
• I have created two copies of the file one runs in dos and the other is the above code (windows) both of which can be found here
• To allow this to run in DOSBox you will need to download INPUT.com from Horstmuc.de (under Pbats) and place it in the same folder as short.bat