KnowledgeBase Archive

An Archive of Early Microsoft KnowledgeBase Articles

View on GitHub

Q65480: BASIC PDS 7.00 and 7.10 Cannot Use IOCTL and Far Strings

Article: Q65480
Product(s): See article
Version(s): m7.00 7.10
Operating System(s): MS-DOS
Keyword(s): ENDUSER | SR# S900904-34 | mspl13_basic
Last Modified: 6-SEP-1990

Some customers have reported that the IOCTL$ function and IOCTL
statement do not work with far strings (BC /Fs) in Microsoft BASIC
Professional Development System (PDS) versions 7.00 and 7.10.
Microsoft has not confirmed this to be a problem.

This information applies to Microsoft BASIC Professional Development
System (PDS) versions 7.00 and 7.10 for MS-DOS.

The IOCTL$ function and IOCTL statement allow BASIC programs to
interact with MS-DOS character device drivers that can give and
receive control data strings. Not all character device drivers support
IOCTL control data strings. For instance, ANSI.SYS, which replaces the
standard CON device driver in DOS, is a character device driver, but
it cannot receive or send control data strings.

For more information on MS-DOS device drivers, device driver classes,
character device drivers, and how IOCTL works, see "Advanced MS-DOS
Programming" by Ray Duncan (published by Microsoft Press).

Note that the IOCTL$ function and IOCTL statement cannot be used under
MS OS/2. You can, however, make equivalent OS/2 API function calls to
interact with OS/2 character device drivers.

THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.