MS-DOS v6.22 Help: CHCP

------------------------- MS-DOS v6.22 Help: CHCP --------------------------
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                                    CHCP

Displays the number of the active character set (code page). You can also
use the CHCP command to change the active character set for all devices that
support character set switching.

You must install the <NLSFUNC> program before you can use the CHCP command.

For an introduction to using character sets and the CHCP command, see the
chapter "Customizing For International Use" in the MS-DOS User's Guide.

Tables of the character sets included with MS-DOS are shown in the appendix
"Keyboard Layouts and Character Sets" in the MS-DOS User's Guide. For
information about additional code pages included with MS-DOS 6.22, see the
COUNTRY.TXT file (located in the directory that contains your MS-DOS
files).

Syntax

    CHCP [nnn]

To display the number of the active character set, use the following
syntax:

    CHCP

Parameter

nnn
    Specifies the prepared system character set defined by the COUNTRY
    command in the CONFIG.SYS file. By default, MS-DOS provides character
    sets for the following countries and languages:

    437    United States

    850    Multilingual (Latin I)

    852    Slavic (Latin II)

    860    Portuguese

    863    Canadian-French

    865    Nordic

    Additional countries and languages are supported by the EGA2.CPI and
    EGA3.CPI files. For more information, see the COUNTRY.TXT file, which is
    located in the directory that contains your MS-DOS files.

Related Commands

For more information about character sets, see the <COUNTRY>, <NLSFUNC>, and
<MODE (set device code pages)> command.

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                                CHCP--Notes

Requirements for using the CHCP command

Before you can use the CHCP command, you must specify the location of the
COUNTRY.SYS file by using the <COUNTRY> command and load the <NLSFUNC>
program into memory.

Assigning a new character set

After you assign a new character set, any program you start uses that new
character set. However, any program (not including COMMAND.COM) that you
started before assigning the new character set will probably attempt to use
the original character set.

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                               CHCP--Examples

To view the active character set setting, type the following command:

    chcp

MS-DOS responds with a message similar to the following:

    Active code page: 437

To change the active character set to 850 (Multilingual), type the following
command:

    chcp 850

MS-DOS alerts you if the specified character set has not been prepared for
your system. The following error message appears:

    Invalid code page

If a device (monitor, keyboard, printer) is not prepared for a character
set, MS-DOS displays an error message in the following format:

    Code page 850 not prepared for device nnn

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