DOS API: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 09:36, 10 February 2009

Revision as of 10:04, 9 April 2009

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==The MS-DOS API and Windows==

[[Microsoft Windows]] versions 1.0 through 3.1 were graphical shells that ran on MS-DOS and relied on the MS-DOS API (though using [[Windows API|its own API]] for ''Windows'' programs). [[Windows 9x]] was also DOS-based, but used a custom version of MS-DOS, mainly as a [[bootloader]]. It did not use the MS-DOS API much after booting. However, Windows 9x provided an emulation of the DOS API for programs running within a command shell window, including several new subfunctions for dealing with [[Long filename|LFN]]s. These DOS LFN subfunctions were not included in Windows NT, andbut in later versions such as Windows XP.

[[Windows NT]] and the systems based on it (e.g. [[Windows XP]] and [[Windows Vista]]) are not based on MS-DOS, but use a [[virtual machine]], [[NTVDM]], to handle the DOS API. NTVDM works by running a DOS program in [[virtual 8086 mode]] (an emulation of [[real mode]] within [[protected mode]] available on [[80386]] and higher processors). [[DOSEMU]] for [[linux]] uses a similar approach.