What does Remark mean?

[neveryona]

what does a remark on one of your system bootup commands actually mean? I have a rem on windows setup, the msdex blahblahblah. I know this command is for the dos cd-rom, right? ANd it does work in dos, the cd-rom, so what's with the rem?

[Randy_tx]

REM or remark is the "syntax" or word you use, combined with a space _ after it to remove a line of loading information out of a batch file (typically)rather than to just delete it out. Often, it is used when you are not sure you want the line out forever.....just temporarily.

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"As hard as a rock & dumb as a brick"...Windows CEMeNT

[Rick]

Randy Is in part correct.
A Remark or REM in the command line was used in the Old days of dos.
It allowed the person writing the batch to place Remarks on a line above the command line.
Helping the person who may view the file understand the command or the reason for it being there.

Using REM at the start of the line told DOS that the line was a Remark and not to be executed .
Think about how handy the remark lines were when many Batch files were in excess of 125 lines long.( My Old Autoexec.bat file with multi boot support)

[sleddog]

The "Old days"?

Beg to diff, but I just wrote a batch file on my new-fangled AMD running Windows 2000... does that make me an antique? Whaddaya say, Paleo? http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/wink.gif

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sleddog
[sleddog.f2s.com] (http://www.sleddog.f2s.com)

[neveryona]

So what you are telling me is that the command is actually not being executed, therefore my cd-rom should not be working in dos?

[sleddog]

If a line has REM in front it is not executed. Post your autoexec.bat and config.sys and we'll all have a look to see how you CDROM is loaded...

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sleddog
[sleddog.f2s.com] (http://www.sleddog.f2s.com)

[Rick]

sleddog

If your writing a batch file and not a script .
Then yes you have joined us in the ranks of the Old Dogs or antiques if you will http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif

neveryona
If your command line looks like below.
REM device=c:\windows\connad\cdrom.sys /d:mscd0001

Then Yes the command is not being run.
This is normal for win98.
it does not use the old dos device drives.

Also you should note that win98 se uses 3 config and autoexec files.
one set ends with the normal sys and bat.
Another ends with DOS and the third has MTK or something like that.

Win98 creates the third when ever it is rebooted in dos mode
Other wise it does not use the file unless they contain a driver that win98 needs to run Hardware that is not directly supported.

[Paleo Pete]

sleddog: Admit it. You're as antique as I am. http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

Some CD ROM drivers put a remark line above and below the driver commands. I'm not sure why, or how it manages to work anyway, but it does. But the lines are not on the same line as the driver commands, so that may be it...If the rem comment is immediately in front of the driver command line, it will tell the system to ignore that line. Example:
REM C:\DOS\MSCDEX.EXE
That line would be ignored.

At any rate, the remark command is used just as described above, and does come in very handy with long batch files or if you're an antique like me & sleddy, BASIC programs...

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So many idiots, and only six bullets...
Note: Please post your questions on the forums, not in my email.

Computer Information Links (http://www.geocities.com/paleopete/)

[mjc]

10 PRINT "Kilroy was Here!"
20 GOTO 10

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mjc
Links list:Computer Links (http://www.fortunecity.com/skyscraper/highrise/11/index.htm)

Do Vulcans even have to debug?

[sleddog]

Well I may be antique, but I hope I'm not antiquated! http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif

Just a footnote to point out that all programming and scripting languages have a character to indicate that the line is a remark or comment, inserted by the author for clarity. The comment character is also used as discribed, to temporarily disable the execution of a line. Here's an example from my Linux post-dialup script (a bash shell script which uses # for comments):

# If it's 6:00 am then the system clock is synchronized with the
# National Research Council time server and the hardware clock is set:
date | grep 6:0 && rdate -s time.nrc.ca && hwclock --systohc




[This message has been edited by sleddog (edited 04-03-2001).]

[neveryona]

LASTDRIVE=Z
DEVICE=\DEV\TAISATAP.SYS /D:MSCD000 /N:1SET SOUND=C:\PROGRA~1
(config)

(autoexec.bat)
\CREATIVE\CTSND
SET MIDI=SYNTH:1 MAP:E MODE:0
SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 H5 P330 E620 T6
SET CTCM=C:\WINDOWS
C:\AMOUSE
This is what is my system configurations.