There are always at least two ways to do anything right.  

               When the Netware  MAP creates a search drive,  it points the
          corresponding drive letter  to the  specified directory and  adds
          the drive letter  to the  DOS path.   In  doing so,  it adds  the
          string similar to "Z:." to the  path to represent the new  devise
          for DOS's  file search process.   The "." in "Z:."  specifies the
          CURRENT directory which Z is pointing to.   If a user changes the
          current directory, the path  is also effectively changed.   There
          is nothing wrong with that if the user understands what they  are
          doing; some do not.  NETPATH is a little way to simplify  life on
          a Netware LAN for the DOS user (and the Systems Administrator).

               NETPATH  searches memory for the  master DOS path string and
          modifies  it.   For  each  search mapping  in  the path,  NETPATH
          modifies  the path to  specify the  entire directory  string each
          search mapping  is currently  pointing to.   For example,  if the
          current  DOS  path  is  "C:\dos;c:\;z:.;"  and  Z:  is  currently
          pointing  to SYS:PUBLIC  when NETPATH  is run,  the path  will be
          "C:\dos;c:\;z:\PUBLIC;" when NETPATH is finished.  

               How does  it do that you ask?   NETPATH WILL SEARCH ONLY FOR
          THE STRING ":." IN THE PATH.   When it finds that string, it gets
          the character in front of  it, identifies the directory the drive
          letter  is pointing  to and  inserts the  directory into  the DOS
          path.  This may not be fool proof but it works for me.  

               Once the path includes the  directories corresponding to the
          drive letters, changing the current directory  of a drive mapping
          will not change the file search process  of DOS.  This convention
          for the structure of the search path is not  necessarily a better
          way of doing  things, just a different way  which most users seem
          to be accustomed to.
           
               NETPATH may  be included in  the login script using  the "#"
          symbol  to execute  an external  program after  all of  the drive
          mappings have been  created.  I  have been using it  with Netware
          386 v3.1 and with  MS-DOS versions 3.3 and 4.01.  I hope it makes
          your life easier for you as it has for me.

          The following copyrights and trademarks apply:

          Novell Advanced Netware is product of Novell, Inc.
          PC-DOS is a product of IBM, Inc.
          MS-DOS is a product of MicroSoft, Inc.

          Legal Stuff Disclaimer:

            This product is supplied without  any warranty of any kind with
          regard to  this  material  including, but  not  limited  to,  the
          implied  warranties  of    merchantability   and  fitness  for  a
          particular  purpose.  I shall not  be liable for errors contained
          herein or for  incidental or consequential damages  in connection
          with furnishing, performance, or use of this product.

          License:

            You are free  to use NETPATH for your own personal  use.  It is
          so simple, I cannot justify asking for a fee.  It is "shareware".
          I  hope it  someday becomes  obsolete and I  hope you  pass along
          something of your  own creation for someone else's  benefit.  You
          may   copy   and   distribute  NETPATH   and   the   accompanying
          documentation provided no fee  is charged other than the  copying
          of the  media.  This  includes posting NETPATH on  Bulletin board
          systems and information services.
            
            You may  NOT modify  NETPATH in any  way or  distribute NETPATH
          without this documentation.  

            I welcome your suggestions, questions and your bugs/abnormality
          reports,  via a message on Compuserve (Steve Griffee 72377,2036).