Microsoft KB Archive/35283

“Incorrect Path…” Using SETUP and Period in Directory Name

PSS ID Number: Q35283 Article last modified on 04-21-1993

3.00 3.00a | 3.00 3.00a MS-DOS | OS/2

Summary: Although MS-DOS allows a period as part of a directory name, the SETUP program in COBOL versions 3.0 and 3.0a beeps and gives the following message if you enter a directory name that includes a period as a response: Incorrect Path Specification. Please Enter Correct Path To work around this problem, you can use SETUP with directory names that do not contain periods. This problem was corrected in Microsoft COBOL Professional Development System version 4.0 for MS-DOS and MS OS/2.

More Information: Periods in pathnames can be handy to separate the files used by different versions of the same language. For example, when you are currently logged onto the C:directory, the following two MS-DOS commands MKDIR VER2.2 MKDIR VER3.0 result in a directory structure as follows: Volume in drive C has no label Directory of C:.  8-12-88 11:47a ..  8-12-88 11:47a VER3 0  8-14-88 2:13p VER2 2  8-14-88 9:54a 4 File(s) 12529664 bytes free The following path is acceptable in DOS, but is not allowed by the SETUP program: C: When you run the COBOL version 3.0 or 3.0a SETUP program, you must enter a path that does not include a period. SETUP automatically creates any path that does not already exist. Thus, the directory will appear as follows: Volume in drive C has no label Directory of C:.  8-12-88 11:47a ..  8-12-88 11:47a VER3 0  8-14-88 2:13p VER2 2  8-14-88 9:54a VER22  8-16-88 2:47p VER30  8-16-88 2:49p 6 File(s) 12529664 bytes free From MS-DOS, use the following commands to remove the unneeded directories: RMDIR C: RMDIR C:

Additional reference words: 3.00 3.00a Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1993.