# Font commands in DOS



## InterKnight (Oct 19, 2004)

Hello, everyone.

I was just curious as to whether or not there were commands available in DOS that manipulate the font size. In my present course at the college I attend we will be working with DOS extensively for PC diagnostics, and my sight is quite poor. Is there any way to enlarge fonts in DOS?

Any help and/or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, everyone.

Take care.


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## kiwiguy (Aug 17, 2003)

What operating system, or is it "pure DOS"?

Windows NT/2000/XP only have a DOS emulator that runs under Windows, while pure DOS may have some available options under the Mode command, depending how the graphics are handled.


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## InterKnight (Oct 19, 2004)

I believe that they will be using pure DOS in the classroom, whereas I only have the emulat9ion version here at home on XP.


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## kiwiguy (Aug 17, 2003)

Try the Mode setting, but it may be less than helpful with modern display adapters?

_Syntax:

*MODE* n

MODE [n],m[,T]

Options

n - should be one of the following expressions:
40 - 40 characters per line
80 - 80 characters per line
BW40 - 40 characters per line, black and white (color display adapter)
BW80 - 80 characters per line, black and white (color display adapter)
CO40 - 40 characters per line, color (color display adapter)
CO80 - 80 characters per line, color (color display adapter)
MONO - monochrome display adapter
m - R or L (shifts display right or left)
T - Displays a test pattern used to align the display._

Mode bw40 used to give double sized (but rather "blocky") characters on older display adapters.


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## InterKnight (Oct 19, 2004)

Thanks for the responses so far, kiwiguy.

I wish I had more experience with DOS, but it's all a learning process...so although I do not have experience (I am intermediate, I guess you could say) I will soon enough.

I tried to work with the mode command (whole on my XP machine because I saw there were options for it in the emulation version), although I'm not sure if I am doing it right.

For example, if I type in mode /?, there are a lot of different settings including display settings. The display line shows this:


```
Display mode:     MODE CON[:] [COLS=c] [LINES=n]
```
This is on the XP machine; I have not yet had a chance to work with pure DOS in the classroom, so it may be different.

Any ideas?

Thanks very much for the help as I have searched through quite a few Google results to some, but not much avail.

Thanks again for the help.

Take care.


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## kiwiguy (Aug 17, 2003)

It does not work on my XP PC either, remember as above Windows NT/2000/XP has no underlying DOS.

Only a DOS emulator which may not offer the full range of working "real DOS" functions.


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## InterKnight (Oct 19, 2004)

So, in a pure DOS environment, do you think that something such as


```
MODE COLS=40 LINES=100
```
would possibly work? I'm just using 40 and 100 as generic values, however. I'm not sure what the best number set would be. Also, what do you think the CON[:] refers to? I know that the [:] is to set some sort of parameter, but that is about all that I know. (Sorry...I'm DOS illiterate to some extent)

Thanks much for the support; it's greatly appreciated.

Take care.


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## kiwiguy (Aug 17, 2003)

CON: (the ":" is optional in some environments) means Console, being the keyboard and screen.

I would have doubts that they will be using pure DOS, and that the modern graphics adapters will emulate a color VGA under the pseudo DOS environment in use. It doesn't here.

Google is your friend when looking for DOS commands and information.


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