Source: http://student.vub.ac.be/~dvandeun/minifaq [no longer works]
a Dirk van Deun page: http://purl.oclc.org/net/dirk/  
Updated tsbat link
Updated my link

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    BATCH FILE MINIFAQ VER. 1.13
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Q1: Under which circumstances would this newsgroup be a very boring place ?

A1: This newsgroup would be a very boring place if everybody had read the
information behind these URL's:

1. Collected tips and tricks of Timo Salmi:  
   (FTP, ZIPPED files)
      ftp://garbo.uwasa.fi/pc/ts/tsbat.zip
   And on the same site:
      ftp://garbo.uwasa.fi/pc/batchutil/rbatch15.zip

2. A Webbook on batch files, by Ted Davis:  
   (HTTP, HTML; also available in one large ZIPPED file)
      http://gearbox.maem.umr.edu/~batch/ 

3. Terry Newton's very comprehensive batch programming website:  
   (HTTP, HTML)
      http://www.infionline.net/~wtnewton/batch/index.html

4. And two texts on advanced batch file programming, by myself:
   (HTTP, ASCII)
      http://purl.oclc.org/net/dirk/batcoll.all
      http://purl.oclc.org/net/dirk/batvirus.all

5. Some topics in batch programming by Tom Lavedas:
   (HTTP, HTML)
      http://www.pressroom.com/~tglbatch/

6. Laurence Soucy's Batch Book:
   (HTML)
      http://bigfoot.com/~batfiles/


Q2: All right, I get the hint, but what should I read first ?

A2: If you want a look at something that resembles a real FAQ, download 
the files of URL 1; if you want a tutorial, read URL 2 (or download the 
zipped version from there); if you want to browse through some rather 
complicated stuff, go to URL 3 or 5; if you want a post-graduate course 
in batch file scripting, read or download URL 4a.  There is also an 
intermediate-level course: URL 4b.  I haven't read the Batch Book of
URL 6 yet, but it does look very thorough too.


The miniFAQ is published whenever I feel like it.