Copy option problem

I’m using COPY from within a BASIC program (in case that makes a difference).

Help COPY mentions an option sT which copies only the directory structure, not the contents, and is off by default.

If I include ~sT or sT on the command line, it only copies directories. If I leave the option out, it copies everything. It seems the parser is only using the presence of the option, without considering whether it is negated.

Or am I doing something wrong?

It does the same thing in a taskwindow.

The option is T, no s prefix

It’s very unlikely to be set in Copy$Options, so no need to negate

The option is T, no s prefix

The help suggests something different.

*help copy
==> Help on keyword Copy
*Copy copies one or more objects that match the given wildcarded specification between directories. Options are taken from the system variable Copy$Options and those given to the command.
Options: (use ~ to force off,eg. ~C)
A(ccess)        Force destination access to same as source {on}
C(onfirm)       Prompt for confirmation of each copy {on}
D(elete)        Delete the source object after copy {off}
F(orce)         Force overwriting of existing objects {off}
L(ook)          Look at destination before loading source file {off}
N(ewer)         Copy only if source is more recent than destination {off}
P(rompt)        Prompt for the disc to be changed as needed in copy {off}
Q(uick)         Use application workspace to speed file transfer {off}
R(ecurse)       Copy subdirectories and contents {off}
S(tamp)         Restamp datestamped files after copying {off}
sT(ructure)     Copy only the directory structure {off}
V(erbose)       Print information on each object copied {on}
Syntax: *Copy <source spec> <destination spec> [<options>]
*

Ah, I see the problem. The layout is confusing.

Stuart is right the option is “T”

It’s the way the help has been written. It emphasises the option by writing out the relevant word and putting the Option in uppercase.

Stretching out a couple you have:
S tamp
s T ructure
V erbose

Maybe it needs to be written as

(s)T(ructure)

The old MOS Style on off switches are more robust in nature to those of Unix standards.

Ever searched for the tilde character on your keyboard (often in conjunction with broken “keyboard” keymapping and broken emulators)? No advantage without a disadvantage it seems.

Maybe it needs to be written as
(s)T(ructure)

I’d agree with that.

What seems to happen when the option is chosen the way I read it, relies on the fact that the options don’t need spaces beteween them, although they are almost always written that way, and they are case-insensitive.

Hence ~sT is treated as ~S followed by T

I have a vague recollection of trying to use a German keyboard in a hotel to send an email, and struggling to find the at character. In the process I think I noticed that the tilde is one of 3 characters on one key – I don’t know how you get to the third one.

I don’t know how you get to the third one.

Alt

There’s a complete set of keyboard layout draw files tucked away in the source if anyone is interested.
riscos/sources/internat/intkey/layouts

I have a vague recollection of trying to use a German keyboard in a hotel to send an email, and struggling to find the at character. In the process I think I noticed that the tilde is one of 3 characters on one key – I don’t know how you get to the third one.

The “third” character is reached with the same modifier as the other “exceptional” characters like “²”, “³” and “€”. AltGr+key is standard on Windows, in RPCEmu with RO 4.02 and German keyboard configured it is plain old Alt (and I have no idea if this is a RISC OS issue or a Qt issue or a RPCEmu issue!).

Significant keys for RISC OS usage hide there on a standard German layout, including “|” on the “<” key, “~” on the “+” key and the pound symbol on the “#” key. If you boot a fresh RISC OS with UK keyboard config but a German-layout keyboard connected, you begin to see how wise the decision was to put !Chars into Apps.

I am guessing that this can be an issue though?

Variations can be a real pain.

Check the draw file layouts I referenced and compare a UK and a US keyboard, then imagine trying to use / or # or @ when the keycaps say one thing and the system is set to treat them another.
Plus the joy of a transatlantic phone conversation where they say “press pound” and in the UK we press £ (that’s shift-3) and they meant # which is “hash” which is the unshifted key next to return (~ is shift #) – which works because of where the US keyboard has the hash – now try that with @…

The “third” character is reached with the same modifier as the other “exceptional” characters like “²”, “³” and “€”. AltGr+key is standard on Windows, in RPCEmu with RO 4.02 and German keyboard configured it is plain old Alt (and I have no idea if this is a RISC OS issue or a Qt issue or a RPCEmu issue!).

The documentation in the sources suggests RO is doing the use of Alt (left-Alt) as opposed to Alt-Gr (or right-Alt)

If you boot a fresh RISC OS with UK keyboard config but a German-layout keyboard connected, you begin to see how wise the decision was to put !Chars into Apps.

Well pretty much any cross language combination I imagine.

and compare a UK and a US keyboard

And do note that there may be fewer keys on the US keyboard. Which is a problem for me as I have DOSbox, it’s set up thinking it’s an American keyboard (’ and " on the same key) and I have taught myself Alt-35 to get the ‘#’ character because the #~ key simply doesn’t exist as far as it is concerned.
[note: there’s the ~ problem!]

Ah… # is over 3 and ~ is where ` is. Hmm… now how does one “fix” DOSbox? Is this a DOSbox thing or a DOS thing? ;-)

now how does one “fix” DOSbox?

Halfway there. KEYB UK sets most of the keyboard to work correctly, however #~ is the \| key, and \| doesn’t exist, so it’s still not quite right.
[using FastDOSbox, but I’d imagine that’s more or less the same in this respect?]

Edit: Fixed it. No idea how. I just noticed normal DOSbox did it correctly, and had a keymap file, so I copied the keymap across and now all the keys work according to a UK layout. :-)