ECHO Version 0.1 - A DOS-Style Utility For SUBMIT Files
Suppresses/Restores Screen Echo, Optionally Prints A Line Of Text To The Screen
Freeware from Kirk Lawrence


ECHO is a utility for use in SUBMIT files.  It allows you to prevent the
commands in the SUBMIT file from being displayed on the screen as they
execute.  It also allows you to display a message to the screen, while the
screen echo is "turned off."  ECHO is patterned after the DOS "ECHO" com-
mand, but it works a bit differently.

When invoked from a SUBMIT file as ECHO /OFF, screen display is suppressed
...thereby "hiding" the executing commands from the user.

To restore screen display from the SUBMIT file, invoke ECHO /ON.

=> IMPORTANT: Be sure to include the FORWARD-SLASH character ("/") in front
   of an /ON or /OFF command.  If you don't, ECHO will assume that the "on"
   or "off" is a message that you want displayed to the screen.

Here's how ECHO.CMD differs from the DOS "ECHO" command: when ECHO.CMD is
invoked as "ECHO /OFF," the screen is first cleared, and then screen dis-
play is turned off...INCLUDING all screen output from any program that is
subsequently executed from the SUBMIT file.

Therefore, once the screen echo has been "turned off," it's necessary to
re-enable the screen display (using the command "ECHO /ON") PRIOR to in-
voking a program whose video output you =DO= want displayed on the screen.

=> NOTE: If a program writes directly to video memory, ECHO can not sup-
   press that program's screen output.

While the screen echo is "off," you may print a message to the screen
from the SUBMIT file by invoking ECHO followed by the line of text that
you wish to display (up to a maximum of 80 characters).  The case of the
letters in the message is not preserved; the message is "forced" to all
upper-case.

Here's an example of how to use ECHO.CMD: suppose you want to write a SUBMIT
file that would erase all files with the extension .BAK before invoking WORD-
STAR...but you want to "hide" the erase procedure, while advising the user to
wait.  Here's what that SUBMIT file would look like:

   ECHO /OFF           <-- turn off the screen echo
   ECHO please wait... <-- display the message "PLEASE WAIT..." to the screen
   ERA *.BAK           <-- erase all files with the extension .BAK
   ECHO /ON            <-- turn screen echo back on
   WS                  <-- invoke WORDSTAR

If ECHO is invoked with no command-line argument of any kind, it simply
exits without doing anything.

If you're using a color monitor, be advised that ECHO resets the screen
colors to white-on-black.  This is unavoidable because of the method ECHO
uses to "hide" the executing commands.

ECHO.CMD is free.  As is always the case with "freeware," there are NO guar-
antees whatsoever.  You use the program entirely at your own risk and peril.
Your use of ECHO.CMD shall be prima facie evidence under law that you under-
stand and accept these terms and conditions.