Microsoft KB Archive/40592

= SHELL Redirected to NUL Device Suppresses MS-DOS Message =

Article ID: 40592

Article Last Modified on 8/16/2005

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft BASIC Compiler 6.0
 * Microsoft BASIC Compiler 6.0b
 * Microsoft QuickBasic 4.0
 * Microsoft QuickBASIC 4.0b
 * Microsoft QuickBasic 4.5 for MS-DOS
 * Microsoft BASIC Professional Development System 7.0
 * Microsoft BASIC Professional Development System 7.1
 * Microsoft GW-BASIC 3.2
 * Microsoft GW-BASIC 3.22
 * Microsoft GW-BASIC 3.23

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This article was previously published under Q40592



SUMMARY
From a Basic program, you can invoke the SHELL statement to execute an MS-DOS command. Normally, many MS-DOS commands give you a confirmation message. If you want to suppress the message (thus making the SHELL operation less visible), you can redirect the standard MS-DOS output to the NUL device.

Here is an example: SHELL &quot;copy file1 file2 > NUL&quot; The above statement copies file1 to file2 and redirects the success report &quot;1 file(s) copied&quot; to the NUL device, which is never displayed. You may do the same redirection to prevent the DOS success report from printing on the printer (PRN) device: SHELL &quot;copy file1 PRN > NUL&quot;



MORE INFORMATION
The above information applies to the following products:


 * 1) Microsoft QuickBasic versions 2.00, 2.01, 3.00, 4.00, 4.00b, and 4.50 for the IBM PC
 * 2) Microsoft Basic Compiler versions 6.00 and 6.00b for MS OS/2 and MS-DOS
 * 3) Microsoft Basic Professional Development System (PDS) versions 7.00 and 7.10 for MS-DOS and MS OS/2
 * 4) Microsoft GW-Basic Interpreter versions 3.20, 3.22, and 3.23 for MS-DOS

In MS-DOS, the greater-than sign, &quot;>&quot;, redirects standard output to standard input. The less-than sign, &quot;<&quot;, redirects standard input to standard output.

Additional query words: QuickBas BasicCom

Keywords: KB40592

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