SUMMARY

The APPEND.EXE command is a terminate-and-stay-resident (TSR) utility that allows you to specify a path or paths that are to be searched when the operating system is trying to find data files. This is similar to the PATH environment variable, with the exception that the search paths indicated by the PATH environment variable are for executable files, not data files.

Beginning with MS-DOS version 3.30, the APPEND program has allowed an /e parameter, which specifies that the APPEND search paths are to be included in the environment with the APPEND environment variable. This allows you to view the APPENDed directories using the SET command at the MS-DOS command prompt. Without this switch, you must type "APPEND" without any parameters to see the active search paths.

The /e parameter is only allowed with the first invocation of the APPEND command. If the /e parameter is not included with the first invocation, the value of the APPEND path is not stored in the environment. If the /e parameter is included with any subsequent APPEND command (regardless of whether it was included with the first invocation), an "Invalid Parameter" error message is displayed on the screen.