Dec 152017
 
Allows you to set environment variables in the master environment. C source code only.
File GLOBLENV.ZIP from The Programmer’s Corner in
Category C Source Code
Allows you to set environment variables in the master environment. C source code only.
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GLOBLENV.TXT 10939 3146 deflated

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Contents of the GLOBLENV.TXT file


Setting Permanent/Persistent Environment Variables.

How can a program set a environment variable which remains
active after terminating the application.


/* ------------ [ SETTING GLOBAL environment VARIABLES ]------------- *\


The eNVIRONMENT is a section of Memory ( up to 32K in size )
which contains a series ( or a SET ) of 'Environment Variables'
in the format:
VariableName=VariableText

Both the VariableName and VariableText are ASCIIZ
(NULL-terminated) strings. eNVIRONMENT Variables are managed and
manipulated via the DOS 'SET' command ( See your DOS manual for
more details ).

Before DOS executes an application ( or when a PARENT program
calls the DOS EXEC function - INT 21,4B - with the Parent's Env.
Segment set to zero ), DOS allocates a block of memory to which
it copies its ( or the PARENT program's ) current eNVIRONMENT.
The Segment value of the allocated block ( eNVIRONMENT Pointer )
is stored in the application's PSP ( at Offset 2Ch ). Therefore
each application has a local copy of it's PARENT eNVIRONMENT.
The primary SHELL ( which may be set by the SHELL command in
CONFIG.SYS - usually COMMAND.COM ) creates the *MASTER*
eNVIRONMENT at boot time.

The size of Memory Blocks allocated for Local Copies of the
eNVIRONMENT are just big enough to accomodate the variables of
the parent's eNVIRONMENT. The Borland C/C++ compilers, however,
provide the putenv() function which may 'realloc' the Local
eNVIRONMENT Memory Block to make room for additional eNVIRONMENT
Variables. Local eNVIRONMENT copies, however, are transient: the
Memory Block of the Local Copy is freed when the application
terminates. This implies that changes made to one's local copy
of the eNVIRONMENT are only active during one's lifetime. An
application's changes to its Local Copy can be inherited by a
child of the application. Therefore "you can leave a legacy for
your children but you can't touch your PARENT !".


To SET a permanent/persistent eNVIRONMENT Variable, one must
modify the *MASTER* eNVIRONMENT. The current versions of DOS do
not provide any documented interfaces to modify the *MASTER*
eNVIRONMENT or even detect its location. Various methods have
been suggested and used for finding the Master eNVIRONMENT; This
example uses a method which relies on the following:
Since DOS creates an eNVIRONMENT for every application, the Env.
segment always preceed the application which owns the eNVIRONMENT.
However, this logic does not apply for the Env. Seg. created and
owned by DOS itself: Since DOS creates the Env., the owner in this
case is at a lower address than its ENVIRONMENT. Scanning for the
Process whose Env. Seg. is higher that the Seg. of the application
allows us to determine the Segment of the Master eNVIRONMENT.
B.B.
\* ------------------------------------------------------------------ */

#include
#include
#include
#include
#include
#include
#include



/* ------------ [ DETECTING LOCATION OF MASTER ENV... ]------------- *\

The following section of the example determines the location of the
Master eNVIRONMENT. The setting/clearing of an eNVIRONMENT Var.
is separated from the Env. Seg. detection routines so that other
methods for locating the Master eNVIRONMENT can be easily
implemented.
\* ------------------------------------------------------------------ */

#define envSeg( p ) (*((unsigned short far *)MK_FP( p->arenaOwner, 0x2C )))
#define parSeg( p ) (*((unsigned short far *)MK_FP( p->arenaOwner, 0x16 )))


struct ARENA
{
unsigned char arenaSignature;
unsigned short arenaOwner;
unsigned short arenaSize;
unsigned char reserved[3];
unsigned char areneName[8];
};




static struct ARENA far * GetFirstArenaPtr()
{
_AH = 0x52;
geninterrupt( 0x21 );
return ((struct ARENA far *)
MK_FP( *(unsigned short _es *)(_BX-2), 0 ));
}



static void far * GetMasterEnvPtr()
{
struct ARENA far * aPtr;

if ( ( aPtr = GetFirstArenaPtr() ) != NULL )
{
while( aPtr->arenaSignature == 0x4D )
{
if ( aPtr->arenaOwner == ( FP_SEG( aPtr ) + 1 ) )
if ( envSeg( aPtr ) > ( aPtr->arenaOwner ) )

if ( parSeg( aPtr ) == ( aPtr->arenaOwner ) )
return( MK_FP( envSeg( aPtr ), 0x00 ) );

aPtr = ( struct ARENA far * )
MK_FP( FP_SEG( aPtr ) + aPtr->arenaSize + 1, 0);
}
}
return( NULL );
}




/* ------------ [ MODIFYING THE MASTER environment... ] ------------ *\

The following function modifies the Master eNVIRONMENT... The
eNVIRONMENT variable name as well as its value ( Text ) are the two
variables required. If the second variable is NULL, the variable
Name ( if currently SET ) will be cleared from the
Master eNVIRONMENT.

The return values are :
0 : Successful
-1 : General Error
-2 : Insufficient space in eNVIRONMENT for New Variable

NOTE: Changes made to the Master eNVIRONMENT do *NOT* affect the
application's local eNVIRONMENT. Use the Borland C/C++
putenv() function to modify the Local eNVIRONMENT.

\* ------------------------------------------------------------------ */
int GlobalPutEnv( char *varName, char *varText )
{
void far * envPtr = NULL;


if ( ( envPtr = GetMasterEnvPtr() ) == NULL ) // Find Master
return( -1 ); // eNVIRONMENT
else
{
char far *eptr = ( char far * )envPtr, far *p =
( char far *)envPtr;
size_t envSize, varLen, reqLen;

strupr( varName ); // Convert to
strupr( varText ); // Upper Case..

varLen = strlen( varName ); // Length of Var
reqLen = strlen( varText ) + varLen + 2; // Add = and NULL

envSize = ((( struct ARENA far * ) // Get Size Env
MK_FP( FP_SEG( envPtr )-1, 0x0000 ))->arenaSize );
envSize <<= 4; // Para -> Bytes

while( *( unsigned short far * )eptr != 0x0000 )// Find the End
{ // Of ENVIRONMENT
eptr++; // Increment

if ( FP_OFF( eptr ) == 0x7FFF ) // Stop when we
return( -1 ); // reach 32K !!
}


if ( ( FP_OFF( eptr ) + reqLen ) >= envSize )// Enough Space?
return( -2 ); // End if not !

while ( p < eptr ) // While ! END
{ // Scan VarName
if ( ( _fstrncmp( varName, p, varLen ) == 0x00 )// Remove Prior
&& ( *( p + varLen ) == '=' ) ) // Settings...
{
char far *q = p; // Point VarName
q += ( _fstrlen( q ) + 1 ); // Skip to End..
while( q < eptr ) // Haul Variables
*p++ = *q++; // past varName
*( eptr = ( p++ )) = NULL; // Update EndPtr
break; // Break Out!
}
while( *p ) // Skip to end
p++; // of current var
p++; // Skip the NULL
}


if ( varText == NULL ) // If Text==NULL
return( 0 ); // Bail out !

eptr++; // Skip NULL

_fstrcpy( eptr, varName ); // Copy varName
_fstrcat( eptr, "=" ); // Insert '='
_fstrcat( eptr, varText ); // Add varText

eptr += reqLen; // Skip past
*( unsigned short far *)eptr = 0x0000; // Insert
} // Terminating
return( 0 ); // double NULLs.
}




int main( int argc, char *argv[] )
{
printf( "\n\nExample for Setting Global eNVIRONMENT Variable.\n" );
printf( "------- --- ------- ------ ----------- ---------\n\n" );
printf( "The Master EnvPtr is @%Fp\n\n", GetMasterEnvPtr() );

if ( argc == 3 )
GlobalPutEnv( argv[1], argv[2] );

if ( argc == 2 )
GlobalPutEnv( argv[1], NULL );

if ( argc == 1 )
printf( "USAGE: %s varName [ varText ] \n"
" If varText is not provided, varName ( if SET ) "
"is cleared\n\n", ( argv[0] ? argv[0] : "Putgenv" ));
return( 0 );
}


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