Batch File Programming
| Field | Computer programming |
| Went Obsolete | Not obsolete |
| Made Obsolete By | Still used, mostly in system development |
| Knowledge Assumed | MS-DOS command shell |
| When useful | Anytime you want to run several commands by typing in one command |
Software was installed and configured by running a simple INSTALL.BAT batch file at the MS-DOS command line prompt. Such a batch file was typically provided on a floppy disk?, back in the days when a program could fit on only a few floppies.
An install batch file typically assumed that target installation directory resided on the C: drive, which caused problems when multiple-drive systems became practical.
Batch files are still used, especially by developers who use many shared libraries and need to set up the environment either pre or post build. Batch files are also useful for low level testing.
