Re: Environment Space in XP

Dear Alan Secker:

On Apr 7, 6:06=A0pm, "Stephen Quinn" <stevej...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
wrote:
> Alan
>
> As soon as you 'run' your batch file the 'Shell'
> containing those settings is closed when the batch
> file exits - that's why you don't see anything.
>
> The way it works is
> 1: Current DOS window (Parent)
> 2: Run batch file (creates a child shell with all
>    your new variables), nothing executed by batch
>    file the shell closes
> 3: On closing it returns to parent shell whose
>    environment didn't have the variables
>
> You cannot set up a DOS environment like that
> unless you execute an app that will use the shell
> that was just created Eg Norton Commander, XTree,
> etc... ).

Just to guild the lilly a bit...
When a batch file is called, a new invocation of cmd.exe or
command.com is executed with *a copy* of the environment as it existed
at the time of the call.  Any changes to the environment of the batch
file, affect only the batch file (and any children it calls), and are
discarded by the OpSys when the batch file terminates.  Essentially
all the environment variables are passed "by value", rather than "by
reference".

Just so the reason why this did not work is clear...

David A. Smith