# Making a dos window scrollable???



## Toddles18 (Jul 18, 2001)

Ok, I know theres gotta be a way to do this, I have a cisco router sim that runs in a dos window, problem theres to much info on it and I can't scroll back up to see the info. I have windows 2k at home which automatically makes the window scrollable, but on the computers at school we only have 98. So I would like to make the windows scrollable, tried a google search, which turned up some results, said to go to the layout tab on the dos window and change some settings, I tried, but I don't have a layout tab, help please.


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## MacFromOK (Mar 19, 2001)

This isn't exactly what you asked for, but maybe
it will help...

You can redirect the screen output to a file,
then view the file. You simply use *>* between
the DOS command and the filename you want
to redirect to.

For example:

*DIR > test.txt*

will write the dir list to *test.txt* instead of
showing it on screen. This works on most all
DOS EXE or COM programs as well.

One other thing:

*>* creates (if doesn't exist) or overwrites the file.
*>>* creates (if doesn't exist) or appends the file.

Cheers, Mac


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## Toddles18 (Jul 18, 2001)

Cool mac, very similar to unix, didn't know it did that in dos, but no, thats not really what I was hoping for. Thanks though.  Maybe I'll have to ask a mod to move this to the win98 forum, maybe I'd get more ideas there.


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## brianF (Dec 2, 1999)

moving to win98 forum by user's request


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## john1 (Nov 25, 2000)

Hi Toddles18,
Ive never seen Dos scrollable.
You can make it pageable
by using /p
you may know that anyway.

Regards, John


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## Toddles18 (Jul 18, 2001)

No, thats not really what I want, that only works with dos commands, what I'm doing is running a text based program in a dos window. I found this link http://www-csfy.cs.ualberta.ca/~c114/Tutorials/Dos/scrollable.html but when I go to do it I don't have the same tabs that they do. Thanks for the try though  anybody else have an idea??


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## john1 (Nov 25, 2000)

Hi Toddles18,

I had a look at that link.
I read what you put about it
but i dont know what you mean.
Do you mean you couldnt read their page?

Ive put it here for you.

*******
You may find making the Dos Window scrollable useful
when running Java Applications and Java Applets.
If your Dos Window is not scrollable and you want to
make it scrollable enorder to view extended program
outputs and error messages. The following is a procedure
to change the Dos Window setting permanently.

1.Right Click on the Title Bar on the top of the Dos
Window and choose "Properties" from the menu.

2.Click on the Layout tab and change the Height field
under the Buffer Size to a bigger number.

3.Replace the previous Height with 100 and click on the
Ok button

4.To save this change permanently, select the second
choice "Save properties for future window with same
title" then click on the Ok button. The first choice
only makes your Dos Window scrollable during the current
use, you have to change the setting again when you use
the Dos Window next time.

5.Now your current Dos Window is scrollable, and this
setting is permanent unless you change it again.
********

I think i will try this, cos ive never seen
scrollable DOS.

John


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## Dan O (Feb 13, 1999)

You really don't get a scrolling window with 98 alone. The reason being in 98 you have a MS-DOS prompt and in NT/2000/XP you have a Command prompt, completely different animals. But here are some MS-DOS tricks to try: http://www.skylit.com/javamethods/faqs/scrollout.html


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## john1 (Nov 25, 2000)

I tried it.
See what you mean about the tabs.
They are different for me too.

Theres a 'Screen' tab on mine,
but it only goes up to 50 lines.

John


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## Toddles18 (Jul 18, 2001)

Thanks for the link Dan O but thats not what I want either, I know, ain't I picky  Just seamed like if it automatically did it in win2000, that there should be a way to do it in 98, but I guess your right about one being a command prompt and one being an ms-dos prompt, oh well. Guess I'll have to give up on this one. Thanks for all your help everyone, even though we couldn't get it.


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## MacFromOK (Mar 19, 2001)

Toddles, here's a utility for scrolling a DOS screen.

http://www.zdnet.com/downloads/stories/info/0,,77531,.html

It's an older utility, so I don't know if it will work
in a Win9x DOS box or not. Might be worth a try.

Cheers, Mac


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## john1 (Nov 25, 2000)

Hi Mac,
I've downloaded that program you posted,
What do i do to use it?
John


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## MacFromOK (Mar 19, 2001)

OK, I tried it and it seems to work fine in a Win95
DOS box.

First you must unzip the file (*peruse.zip*), I'd
recommend to the *c:\windows\command* folder.
It has a doc file that's plain text with instructions.

You must load it into memory each time you open a
DOS box. In a DOS box, type:

*peruse x2000*

and press enter. The *x2000* can be anywhere
from *x16* to *x8192*.

Once you have it loaded, it loads any screen info
into a buffer of the size you choose (x2000 is what
I used). You can use the dir command a few times to
get some info off screen to test it.

To make the box scrollable, press the *Scroll Lock*
button on the keyboard, then use the up/down arrows
to scroll the screen.

Press *Scroll Lock* again to stop the scroll process.

And finally, you can use: *peruse /u* to unload it
if you want, or just closing the DOS box will unload it.

Cheers, Mac 

[EDIT]
Oops, forgot this... besides the doc file, there's also
a file *perasm.zip*. Either ignore this or delete it, it
has the ASM source code and batch files to compile
the code using either MASM or TASM.


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## MacFromOK (Mar 19, 2001)

OK, here's a batch file that makes running the DOS
screen scroll program (above) easier to use. Copy
the text below and save it as *scroll.bat* in the same
folder as the *peruse.com* file.


```
@ECHO OFF
  if "%1"=="on" goto ON
  if "%1"=="off" goto OFF
  echo.
  echo       Use: "scroll on" or "scroll off" to enable/disable
  echo             scrollable DOS screen. Press Scroll Lock key
  echo             to activate.
  echo.
  goto END

:ON
  peruse x2000
  goto END

:OFF
  peruse /u

:END
```
Cheers, Mac


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