Q57644: BC 6.00/6.00b ERROUT.EXE Utility, "Command Failed" Error

Article: Q57644
Product(s): See article
Version(s): 6.00 6.00b
Operating System(s): MS-DOS
Keyword(s): ENDUSER | SR# S891019-106 docerr | mspl13_basic
Last Modified: 14-JAN-1990

Contrary to Pages 328 and 329 of the "Microsoft CodeView and
Utilities: Software Development Tools for MS-DOS" manual, the
ERROUT.EXE utility supplied with Microsoft BASIC Compiler Versions
6.00 and 6.00b works only with .EXE or .COM files.

When running any DOS command line other than an .EXE or .COM file,
ERROUT fails to execute the supplied command and either hangs the
machine or returns the following error:

   execution error U2253 : command failed

When executing batch files or DOS commands such as TYPE and DIR, the
above error message displays. In the case of batch files, if the .BAT
extension is included at the end of the batch-file name, ERROUT.EXE
may hang the machine. If the .BAT extension is not included, the above
error message displays. (When an error output filename is supplied
with the /f option, this same error is written to the file.)

The first example on Page 329 of the "Microsoft CodeView and
Utilities: Software Development Tools for MS-DOS" manual (for
Microsoft BASIC Compiler 6.00 and 6.00b) fails since it uses the DOS
TYPE statement. This first example should be removed. The examples
using CL and MASM work properly since CL.EXE and MASM.EXE are .EXE
programs.

(The ERROUT.EXE utility is not shipped in Microsoft BASIC Professional
Development System (PDS) Version 7.00 for MS-DOS and MS OS/2.)

Syntax for ERROUT
-----------------

The ERROUT.EXE utility redirects standard error output generated from
an .EXE or .COM program, using the following syntax:

   ERROUT [/f standarderrorfile] doscommandline

Here, "standarderrorfile" is a filename to which all errors generated
by "doscommandline" will be written when you use the /f option
(lowercase "f"). Without the /f option, all error messages are sent to
the console.

No form of ERROUT works except when doscommandline is the name of an
.EXE or .COM file.

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