Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1999 18:43:50 +0100
From: Hans-Bernhard Broeker <broeker AT physik DOT rwth-aachen DOT de>
Message-Id: <199901211743.SAA05556@acp3bf.physik.rwth-aachen.de>
To: ndm AT shore DOT net (Norman D. Megill)
Cc: djgpp AT delorie DOT com
Subject: Re: djgpp loses characters when pasting to DOS
Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.djgpp
Organization: RWTH Aachen, III. physikalisches Institut B
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2]
Reply-To: djgpp AT delorie DOT com

In article <787n9i$mgd AT northshore DOT shore DOT net> you wrote:
> In article <784ho5$1hv AT northshore DOT shore DOT net>,
> Norman D. Megill <ndm AT shore DOT net> wrote:
> >Help!  Cut-and-paste from a text editor into DOS is losing characters
> >when used with djgpp programs.  This does not happen with the lcc
[...]
> OK, I found out the problem.  It seems there are a number of file name
> conflicts with djgpp .exe's and other .exe's (including
> upper-case/lower-case conflicts e.g. as.exe and AS.EXE - who knows what
> Windows does with that) that I've collected from other assorted
> gnu/bash/gcc/lcc/tex unix stuff, and each one of course demands it be
> first in the path.  

Let me give some advice on this issue: if you work with more than one
set of such tools, you definitely will have to adopt a 'switch
toolset' batch file call strategy, sooner or later. PATH is only one
part of the puzzle. Other ones, like INCLUDE_PATH, INFO_PATH, or the
host of environment variables often needed by TeX may be even harder
to manage if you try to stick with the 'set everything in
autoexec.bat' approach.

Here's what I do, working with at least 7 different compiler packages
or similar ones (TeX, pbmutils) on one Win9x box:

1) Each  is installed to a separate path (of course)

2) For each compiler, there's a separate batch file ('gpp.bat',
   'cygwin.bat', etc.) that sets all the necessary environment variables,
   puts the relevant directories to the front of that path, and all that.
   For DJGPP, e.g., it has the equivalent of

	set PATH=d:\gpp\bin;%PATH%
	set DJGPP=d:/gpp/djgpp.env
	.. and some more ..

   These batch files all reside in a common directory c:\batches, along
   with others, and that directory is part of my autoexec.bat PATH
   setting. None of the compiler paths themselves is in the standard
   PATH, so neither one can get into the way of any other, unless I
   explicitly type in full paths: they will never see each other.

3) For each compiler, I have a button in the menu structure below
   'Start->Programs->...', that starts a DOS shell, and reads in the
   according batch file at startup. Each of them has a keyboard shortcut,
   as well, for quick use.

4) For the compilers usable outside Windows, in naked DOS, there's a
   second batch file (e.g. 'endgpp.bat'), that *un*does all
   modifications to the environment, so if after working with Borland C++
   under DOS, for a while, I can call 'endbc.bat' and then 'gpp.bat'
   to switch over to DJGPP.

For good use of this strategy, you'll need a small tool that can add
and also _remove_ directories from the PATH. Mine came from SimTel.Net
ages ago, and calls itself 'apath.com'.

--
Hans-Bernhard Broeker (broeker AT physik DOT rwth-aachen DOT de)
Even if all the snow were burnt, ashes would remain.