COMMAND.COM

The program COMMAND.COM is the Interpréteur of internal orders of the system MS-DOS.

One will not confuse it with Cmd.exe, which is the interpreter of order of Windows NT (Windows 2000, Windows XP…) and of OS/2. The orders of cmd.exe are inspired, certainly, among those of COMMAND.COM, but are in general more powerful.

It is about the interpreter of order provides by Microsoft. Other interpreters for the Microsoft system exist, in particular 4DOS.

Principal orders

Note:: This list does not want to be a MS-DOS handbook, but an outline of the orders available.

The general syntax of the orders is:

The switches are introduced by the character " / ". For example: to dir /o: N /p *.exe Post the list of the files of extension .exe (parameter *.exe), sorted by name (switch /o: n) by marking a pause with each screen page (switch /p).

Since version 5.0 a ordering followed by the parameter /? posts summary directions for use of the order.

Internal orders of the interpreter

BREAK Modifies or posts the mode of taking into account of Ctrl-C
CALL Appelle a command file
CD Change the current directory
CHCP ( changes code page) Poster or changes the page of code activates
CHOICE Demande to seize one of the letters proposed; the choice is made by order ERRORLEVEL (command files)
CLS ( clear screen ) Efface the contents of the screen
COLOR Change the color of the console; post the codes of color so followed by order HELP
COPY Copie or concatene of the files or flow
CTTY Change the terminal from which one controls the system
DATE Affiche the current date and allows to modify it
DIR Affiche the contents of a repertory
ECHO Affiche a text on the console; activate or decontaminates the posting of the orders in a command file
EXIT Sortie the interpreter of order, with return to the program which launched it
FOR Répétition of an order
GOTO Branchement to a label (command files)
HELP Affiche of the assistance on the orders (disappeared starting from MS-DOS 7)
IF conditional Traitement of an order (command files)
LOADHIGH or LH Charge a program in higher storage area (MS-DOS 5.0 and superior)
MKDIR or MD Crée a repertory
PATH Définit the way of research for the achievable files
PAUSE Interrompt itexecution of a command file on standby of seizure keyboard
PROMPT Modifie invites it of MS-DOS
REM In a command file, identifies the not-achievable comments
RENAME or REN Renomme one (or of) file (S) or repertory (S)
RMDIR or RD Efface a repertory (which must be empty)
SET Affiche or modifies the variable environment
SHIFT Décale the position of the parameters of a command file
TIME Affiche the hour and makes it possible to modify it
TYPE Affiche the contents of a file
VER Affiche the number of version of MS-DOS
VERIFY Activates or decontaminates the checking of the writing disc
VOL Affiche the name of volume of a disc

External orders belonging to DOS

CHKDSK Checks the integrity of the hard drive. Replaced by Scandisk starting from the summary Back 6.0
DEBUG Débuggeur
DELTREE Removes sub-directories not-vacuums
DOSKEY Éditeur of line of order
EDIT Permet beats to modify a file.
FDISK Utilitaire of partitioning of disc interns
FIND Cherche a chain in a file or a flow
FORMAT Formatage of a disk drive. Logical formatting if it is a partition of an hard drive, physics and logic for the diskettes.
HELP Poster assistance of the MS-DOS orders. Simple list of the orders in MS-DOS 5.0, it obtains a true system Hypertexte in MS-DOS 6.
IPCONFIG Affiche the IP of your computer.
* KEYB Change the current provision of keyboard
MEM Affiche of information on the memory usually used
MODE makes it possible to charge with the pages of codes, to configure connections series…
MORE Affiche a file or a flow page by page
SUBST Permet to allot a local letter to a distant file or another reader.
SYS Transfers the system files (IO.SYS, MS-DOS.SYS and COMMAND.COM) on the target reader as well as the ignition area from the disc
TREE Affiche the tree structure from a repertory or a disc.
XCOPY Copy selected files
XCOPY32 advanced Version of XCOPY

Note: There exist other orders in line mode of order under Windows 9x or ME Nevertheless they do not form part of DOS: Indeed they are carried out in protected mode, and cannot operate in real mode. They are, for example, the orders suitable for the management of the network (PING, TRACERT, NET etc).

See too

Interpreter of orders

External bonds

You can recover all the files MS-DOS orders in the file OLDDOS.EXE on waiter ftp from Microsoft