Batch files

Batch files are text files that run system commands in sequence. The OS/2 system recognises two types of batch files on the form of OS/2 files that have the the file extension CMD and DOS batch files that have the extension BAT, but the two types are almost identical except for the fact that the CMD files run inside an OS/2 Command shell and the BAT files inside a DOS Command shell.

OS/2 Batch file commands

• CALL
• ECHO
• ENDLOCAL
• EXTPROC
• FOR
• GOTO
• IF
• PAUSE
• REM
• SETLOCAL
• SHIFT

In addition the above commands a batch script can call any valid OS/2 program. Most commands have formatting and options more like a executable than what you would expect from a scripting language.

Links

• Roger Orr: Extending OS/2 Batch Files - Uses very simple REXX files as an example
• JaTomes OS/2 Batch file commands - Fairly exhaustive