Q33736: CHAIN, RUN, and KILL Statements Do Not Use MS-DOS Search PATH

Article: Q33736
Product(s): See article
Version(s): 1.00 1.01 1.02 2.00 2.01 3.00 4.00 4.00b 4.50
Operating System(s): MS-DOS
Keyword(s): ENDUSER | B_BasicCom B_BasicInt B_GWBasicI B_BBasic | mspl13_basic
Last Modified: 16-DEC-1989

The CHAIN "FILESPEC", RUN "FILESPEC", and KILL "FILESPEC" statements
do not use the search path of the MS-DOS PATH (or APPEND) command to
find the specified file. Therefore, the file that a BASIC program
wants to CHAIN, RUN, or KILL either must be on the default disk or
directory, or the explicit path must be specified in the "FILESPEC"
argument. Non-compliance results in the error message "File not
Found."

This information applies to all versions of Microsoft BASIC, including
the following:

1. Microsoft QuickBASIC Compiler Versions 1.00, 1.01, 1.02, 2.00,
   2.01, 3.00, 4.00, 4.00b, and 4.50 for the IBM PC

2. Microsoft BASIC Compiler Versions 5.35 and 5.36 for MS-DOS

3. Microsoft BASIC Compiler Versions 6.00 and 6.00b for MS-DOS and
   MS OS/2

4. Microsoft BASIC PDS Version 7.00 for MS-DOS and MS OS/2

5. Microsoft GW-BASIC Interpreter Versions 3.20 and later

6. Microsoft BASIC Interpreter Version 5.28 for MS-DOS

The MS-DOS PATH command may be used to specify the search path for the
compiled BASIC run-time module, BRUNxx.EXE.

Normally, all programs that are CHAINed or RUN together are put in the
same directory. This works even if they use different BRUNxx.EXE files
(taken from different compiler versions) for programs that are
executed with RUN "FILESPEC", but does not work for CHAIN "FILESPEC".

If you specify the explicit disk and directory path in the CHAIN or
RUN statement in the program source code, the program will have to be
recompiled if the CHAINed or RUN program is moved to a different disk
and/or directory.

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