Q68787: Appending a Line to a File with COPY Con or ECHO

Article: Q68787
Product(s): Microsoft Disk Operating System
Version(s): MS-DOS:3.x,4.x,5.0,5.0a,6.0,6.2,6.21,6.22
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): 
Last Modified: 17-DEC-2000

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft MS-DOS operating system versions 3.1, 3.2, 3.21, 3.3, 3.3a, 4.0, 4.01, 5.0, 5.0a, 6.0, 6.2, 6.21, 6.22 
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SUMMARY
=======

You can add a line to the end of a file, such as your CONFIG.SYS file, without
using an editor if you use the COPY command in the following form:

  copy filename.ext + con

MORE INFORMATION
================

Copy echoes FILENAME.EXT as it is copied, then it echoes CON and the cursor to
show that it is now copying from the CONsole. For example:

  C:\>copy config.sys + con
  config.sys
  con
_

This causes MS-DOS to echo CONFIG.SYS and CON, with the cursor. Enter the text to
be added to the file, then press CTRL+Z and ENTER to end your modification. The
following example adds a line to the end of CONFIG.SYS:

  C:\>copy config.sys + con
  config.sys
  con
  shell=c:\command.com c:\ /p /e:512
  ^z

  1 File(s) copied

If only one line is to be added and that line doesn't contain any redirection,
you can also use the ECHO command as follows:

  C:\>echo shell=c:\command.com c:\ /p /e:512 >> config.sys

NOTE: If the last line of the text file does not contain a carriage return, the
line being added is appended to the end of the last line.

Additional query words: 6.22 3.20 3.21 3.30 3.30a 4.00 4.01 5.00 5.00a 6.00 6.20

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Keywords          :  
Technology        : kbMSDOSSearch kbMSDOS321 kbMSDOS400 kbMSDOS320 kbMSDOS330a kbMSDOS621 kbMSDOS622 kbMSDOS620 kbMSDOS600 kbMSDOS310 kbMSDOS500 kbMSDOS330 kbMSDOS401 kbMSDOS500a
Version           : MS-DOS:3.x,4.x,5.0,5.0a,6.0,6.2,6.21,6.22

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