Metropoli BBS
VIEWER: look.doc MODE: TEXT (ASCII)
                                LOOK version 1.0

 LOOK.COM is a very simple program that searches DOS memory from the bottom
 (0:0) to the top as reported by int 12h for the string entered on the command
 line.  The program searches blocks of 16k for the string entered.  Each match
 is reported in the form of the segment where the match occurred followed by a
 colon, followed by the offset.  The numbers are in hexadecimal.

 Hits (string matches) are reported in normalized segment:offset notation,
 that is, the segment where the match occurred is adjusted so that the offset
 will be in the range 0 to F.

 The program is useful for determining the locations of any text string, but
 the preponderance of addresses reported will be the buffers where DOS stores
 the command line for its own use.  There are several of these and their
 location depends not only on DOS versions but also on the number and kinds of
 memory resident programs loaded in the system.  Also relevant is whether the
 program is run from a batch file.

 Examples:

   LOOK abc

   Yields on my machine at the time I run the test for this documentation:

   0AB1:0006
   0AB7:000E
   0B6B:0007
   0B73:0007
   14D9:0001
   17B6:0002
   1948:0008
   1CCC:0007
   1D4A:0007
   1D51:0002
   39F1:0002
   3B83:0001
   5467:000C
   9B32:0002
   9F31:0004
   9F39:0007
   9FB3:0002
   9FD3:0002
   9FDA:000F

   While with the longer phrase,

   LOOK Better luck next time (or who ate your cat if it wasn't Alf?)

   Resulted in only the following matches

   17B6:0002
   1948:0008
   1CCC:0007
   1D4B:000F
   200A:0002
   39F1:0002
   9B32:0002
   9F31:0004
   9F39:0007
   9FD3:0002

  The program is intended only as a curiosity, but maybe some enterprising
  user can learn something significant about DOS that he or she might
  otherwise never have known.  In that case I'd deem the program a success.

  LOOK is hereby given to the public domain.  Any feedback to the author
  --especially ideas for enhancement--would be appreciated.

  Charles Lazo III
  P.O. Box 452
  Hohenwald, TN 38462

[ RETURN TO DIRECTORY ]