Tech Support Pits:

From ===
If you bragged about your new menu choice of a
command line window, then you probably quickly learned
that you are in a very small and very exclusive one in a
Million group that has that power tool.

If you played with it, you probably quickly realized that
it would be really handy if you could string a few
different commands together. The good news is that you
can.

Let's assume that you want to first list all the .GIF files
to a text file, then all the .JPG files to another text file,
then combine those two files into a third file: pixlist.txt, in the c:\info
directory.

The commands for that are simple enough:
dir *.gif  > giflist.txt
dir *.jpg > jpglist.txt
copy giflist.txt + jpglist.txt c:\info\pixlist.txt

Open NoteMaid, NotePad or WordPad and save a file to
c:\windows\dirlist.bat
Paste those 3 lines ito it
Add a 4th line:
exit
add an empty line past that, and save the file.

Now use the Explorer and browse to your pictures directory.
Highlight it, right-click and select
"Open a command window here"
type: dirlist  an hit Enter

The dirlist program will run and exit (close it's window).
You can now use a spreadsheet or word processor
program to open c:\info\dirlist.txt and use the file list.

There is an easy way to make it use a different destination
file. Edit the dirlist.bat to make the 4th line:

copy giflist.txt + jpglist.txt c:\info\%1-pixlist.txt

Save it.
Now open the command line and type
dirlist Thursday
and hit Enter.

Look in the c:\info directory, and you will see a new file
called Thursday-pixlist.txt

With the new, edited dirlist.bat, you have to remember to
type the name of the destination file after a space after
the command:
dirlist filename

To remind you of that, edit the dirlist.bat and add this as
the first two lines:
ECHO dirlist filename
pause

That will echo the reminder of how to use it onto the screen
and pause for you to hit any key after reading that. Then it
will continue and run. If you forgot, no big deal. At least
now you will be reminded and can run it properly.

If you have any questions about any of the command line
stuff, write to me and I'll answer you directly. Here on the
Humor Letter we better get back to topics that don't cause
the WebTVers and Mac users go green with envy.

Have FUN!
DearWebby