DOCUMENT:Q60716 17-DEC-2000 [msdos] TITLE :Reading Data from the Communications Port to a File PRODUCT :Microsoft Disk Operating System PROD/VER:MS-DOS:3.x,4.x,5.0 OPER/SYS: KEYWORDS: ====================================================================== ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY ======= Using Microsoft MS-DOS Packaged Product Versions 3.x, 4.x, and 5.0, you can capture data from a communications port to a file by using any of the following commands: COPY COMn: /A COPY COMn: /A COPY COMn: An end-of-file (EOF) character (CTRL+Z or ASCII 26) is used to mark the end of the file. The file will have a terminating EOF character only if you use the /A switch of the COPY command. If you use the /B switch for the COPY command, the message "Cannot do binary reads from a device" is displayed, and COPY terminates. While the file is being transmitted, spurious characters may be captured before the start of the data stream, due to the asynchronous nature of the COPY command. It is your responsibility to ensure that the data is checked for usability. Additional query words: 3.x 4.00 4.01 5.00 ====================================================================== Keywords : Technology : kbMSDOSSearch kbMSDOS321 kbMSDOS400 kbMSDOS320 kbMSDOS330a kbMSDOS310 kbMSDOS500 kbMSDOS330 kbMSDOS401 Version : MS-DOS:3.x,4.x,5.0 ============================================================================= THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY. Copyright Microsoft Corporation 2000.