SET+Setting Operating ParametersInserts specified names (strings) into the command
processor's environment.
VERSION
PC-DOS 2.0+
MS-DOS equivalent: SET (2.0+)
TYPE
Internal
SYNTAX
SET [name = [parameter]]
OPTIONS
name Specifies a variable.
[parameter] Specifies a new value for the environment.
SET is used to pass arguments to application programs or to
batch files that look into the DOS environment for operating
parameters.
EXAMPLES
SET FIL = \PROGFIL
instructs DOS to look in the \PROGFIL directory when an
application program interrogates the environment for FIL.
SET
displays the names that have been set in the environment, such as
the path and the prompt.
SET NAME = HAROLD
allows you to call the value assigned to NAME from a batch file.
In the batch file, you must enclose the variable NAME in percent
signs, which indicate to DOS that a variable is being used rather
than a command-line argument (see Appendix A for more information
about batch files and using variables in them). To call the value
assigned to NAME- -for example, to change to Harold's directory-
-you would enter the line in the batch file as
CD \%NAME%
If ECHO were on, you would see
CD \HAROLD
when this line was executed.
UNDO
To remove a string from the environment, you merely repeat
the SET command using the name parameter without specifying any
other parameter. For example, to remove NAME = HAROLD from the
environment, simply enter
SET Name =
NOTE
All names are converted to uppercase in the environment, but
parameters will remain uppercase and lowercase as you enter them.
The SET command is useful for allowing application programs or
batch files to be written generically while you assign values
dynamically in the course of a program or batch file.
One of the strings placed in the environment automatically
is the COMSPEC= parameter, which describes the path that DOS uses
to reload the command processor when required. To use a command
processor other than COMMAND.COM, you need to use the COMSPEC=
parameter in the SET command. Always use the drive letter in the
path used to describe the location of COMMAND.COM or your own
command processor.
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SEE ALSO
APPEND Command
AUTOEXEC.BAT File
Batch Files
BREAK Command
COMMAND Command
CTTY Command
EXE2BIN Command
KEYB Command
KEYBxx Command
PROMPT Command