MS-DOS 6.22 EDIT /H Parameter Explained

The MS-DOS 6.22 EDIT command is a full-screen, menu-driven text editor used to create and modify plain text files directly from the command line. When launching the editor, appending the /H parameter forces the program to display the maximum number of screen lines supported by your video display adapter. This article explains what the /H switch does, the display modes it enables, and how to use it in MS-DOS 6.22.

Function of the /H Parameter

By default, the MS-DOS text mode operates in a standard layout of 80 columns by 25 rows (lines). The /H switch stands for Hardware (or High resolution) and instructs EDIT to query your graphics hardware and increase the vertical line density to the highest available setting.

When invoked with the /H switch, the text mode adjusts based on the installed video adapter:

  • VGA Adapters: Switches the screen from 25 lines to 50 lines.
  • EGA Adapters: Switches the screen from 25 lines to 43 lines.
  • CGA and MDA Adapters: Remains at 25 lines, as these older display standards lack the font matrix sizes required to render more than 25 lines of text.

Syntax and Usage

The /H switch is passed as an optional flag immediately following the EDIT command:

EDIT /H [drive:][path]filename

For example, to open the system configuration file using the maximum number of lines on a VGA system, you enter:

EDIT /H C:\CONFIG.SYS

You can also run EDIT /H without specifying a file name to open a blank document in high-line mode.

Benefits and Behavior

The primary advantage of using /H is increased screen real estate. By doubling the visible lines on a standard VGA monitor from 25 to 50, you can read and edit significantly more code, batch files, or system configurations without constant scrolling.

When you exit the editor, MS-DOS typically restores the command prompt to the default 80x25 display mode, returning your environment to standard text dimensions.