Q26478: DOS APPEND Path Can Affect Make EXE File Command in QB/QBX.EXE

Article: Q26478
Product(s): See article
Version(s): 4.00 4.00b 4.50
Operating System(s): MS-DOS
Keyword(s): ENDUSER | buglist4.00 buglist4.00b buglist4.50 B_BasicCom | mspl13_basic
Last Modified: 5-SEP-1990

Using the Make EXE File command on the Run menu in the QuickBASIC
version 4.00, 4.00b, or 4.50 environment fails to make an EXE file
when the MS-DOS APPEND command points to the directory where QB.EXE
and BC.EXE are located and you are running QB.EXE from a different
directory.

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the QB.EXE environment
of QuickBASIC versions 4.00, 4.00b, and 4.50; in the QB.EXE
environment of Microsoft BASIC Compiler versions 6.00 and 6.00b for
MS-DOS (buglist6.00, buglist6.00b); and in the QBX.EXE environment of
Microsoft BASIC Professional Development System (PDS) versions 7.00
and 7.10 for MS-DOS and MS OS/2 (buglist7.00, buglist7.10).

The following steps demonstrate the problem:

1. Put BC.EXE and QB.EXE in a directory called C:\QB.

2. Type the following DOS PATH command:

      PATH=C:\QB

3. Type the following DOS command:

      APPEND C:\QB

4. Log onto the following:

      C:\QB\BUGS

5. Run QB.EXE and load in any simple program to compile.

6. When you attempt to use the Make EXE File command on the Run menu,
   you shell out to DOS but immediately get a prompt to "Press any key
   to continue," and no EXE file is created. Control is immediately
   returned to the editor even if you use the Make .EXE and EXIT
   command.

To work around this problem, put BC.EXE in a subdirectory other than
the one specified by the DOS APPEND command.