Working with the Command Line Interface

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Working with the Command Line Interface

• Chapter 4

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Overview

• In this chapter, you will learn to
• Explain the operation of the command line
  interface
• Execute fundamental commands from the command
  line
• Manipulate files and folders from the command line

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Deciphering the Command Line Interface
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Historical/Conceptual

• In the late 1970s when IBM invented the IBM
  Personal Computer (PC), they went looking for an
  OS
• Digital Research had an OS but turned them down
• So IBM went to a small company that had created
  BASIC called Microsoft and talked to its
  president, Bill Gates
• Bill Gates company had never written an OS but
  he accepted the challenge
• Gates found an OS called Quick-and-Dirty-Operating
  -System (QDOS) and purchased it from the person
  who wrote it
• Microsoft released it as MS-DOS (Microsoft Disk
  Operating System)

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Command Line Interface

• How does a command line interface work?
• Begin with a prompt indicating the computer is
  ready to do something
• Type in a command and press Enter
• The command is executed
• A new prompt is displayed - ready for the next
  command
• This is basically what you do when working in
  Windows GUI environment, except you point and
  click to ask the computer to execute commands

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Accessing the Command Line

• Using the Run dialog box
• Start ? Run
• Windows NT 4.0/2000/XP type cmd
• Windows 9x/Me type command
• You may also access the command line thru the
  Start ? Programs menu

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The Command Prompt

• The command prompt is always focused on a
  specific folder
• Any commands operate on the files and folders in
  the folder you are focused in
• You must first focus on the drive and folder
  where you want to work

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File Names and Formats

• Each program or piece of data is stored as a file
  on the drive
• Files names have two parts
• Filename
• In DOS, up to 8 characters long
• Extension
• In DOS, up to 3 characters long
• Optional
• The filename and extension are separated by a dot
• Called the 8.3 naming system
• The following characters may not be used
• / \ , ?

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File Names and Formats

• Windows does not restrict the filename to 8.3,
  but to be backward compatible you need to follow
  the 8.3 standard
• Windows creates two file names for every file to
  ensure backward compatibility
• The extension tells the computer the type of file
• All files are stored in a binary format
• The method of binary organization is called the
  file format
• American Standard for Information Interchange
  (ASCII) is a commonly understood file format

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ASCII

• American Standard Code for Information
  Interchange (ASCII)
• Universal file format
• Defines 256 8-bit characters
• Also called text files or DOS files
• First 32 characters are special commands
• Some may also be characters
• Text files do not store information like fonts,
  margins, bold, underline, and so forth
• Many of the ASCII characters show up on your
  keyboard
• To display any of the ASCII characters you may
  simply hold down the ALT key while inputting the
  ASCII number on the numeric keypad

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ASCII Character Chart
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Drives and Folders

• At boot Windows assigns each hard drive
  partition, floppy drive, and CD-ROM a drive
  letter
• Floppy drives are usually assigned A or B
• Hard drive partitions may be assigned C thru Z
• CD-ROM drives are named after hard drives
• Windows uses a hierarchical directory tree
• Files are put into groups called folders
• In DOS we call folders directories
• The root directory is at the beginning of the
  hierarchical structure with folders underneath

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Folders and Files

• No two folders under the same folder may have the
  same name
• No two files in the same folder may have the same
  name
• Folder and file names may be duplicated as long
  as they are in or under the same folder
• C\ represents the root directory of the C drive
• To describe a subfolder, add the name of the
  folder
• C\TEST
• The exact location of a file is called the path

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Directory Tree
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Mastering Fundamental Commands
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Structure Syntax and Switches

• The command line requires the exact syntax for
  each command
• Type the name of the command, any parameters
  (required or optional), and any switches youd
  like to use
• Switches modify the behavior of the command
• Multiple switches may be allowable

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Help

• Help with any command is readily available in one
  of three ways
• HELP gives a one-line description of each command
• HELP command gives specific help for the command
• Command /? gives specific help for the command

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DIR Command

• The DIR command lists the contents of a
  particular directory
• The DIR/W command only lists the names of the
  files

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DIR Command Switches
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Directories CD Command

• The CD (or CHDIR) command is used to change the
  focus to a different directory
• The CD\ command is used to return to the root
  directory
• To switch between drives, type the drive letter
  followed by a colon

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Making and Removing Directories

• The MD (or MKDIR) command is used for creating a
  directory
• The DEL command is used for deleting files, and
  the RD (RMDIR) command is used for deleting
  directories and subdirectories
• The DELTREE command is used for deleting
  directories containing files and subdirectories

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Running a Program

• To run a program
• Change the DOS focus to the directory where the
  program is stored
• Type the filename with or without its extension
  and press ENTER

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Working with Files
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Working with Files

• Attributes (H, R, S, A) are special values
  assigned to a file
• Hidden hides the file from DIR
• Read-only protects a file from being deleted or
  modified
• System identifies system files like IO.SYS
• Archive identifies files that have not been
  backed up
• The ATTRIB.EXE program is used to inspect and
  change file attributes

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Working with Files

• Wildcards
• Wildcards are special characters that enable DOS
  commands to act on more than one file at a time
• represents any number of characters
• ? represents a single character

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Working with Files

• The DEL and ERASE commands are used for deleting
  files
• The RD and DELTREE commands are used for deleting
  directories
• The REN command is used to rename files
• The COPY command is used for making a copy of the
  file in a new location
• The MOVE command is used for moving the file from
  its original location to a new one
• The XCOPY command is used for working with
  multiple directories

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Mikes Five-Step COPY/MOVE Process

• 1. Point the command prompt to the directory
  containing the files to be copied or moved
• 2. Type COPY or MOVE and a space
• 3. Type the name(s) of the file(s) to be
  copied/moved (with or without wildcards) and a
  space
• 4. Type the path of the new location for the
  files
• 5. Press ENTER

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Working with Batch Files

• Batch files are text files that store a series of
  commands
• One command on each line
• Batch files use the BAT extension
• Batch files may be edited with any text editor
• Notepad
• Edit
• Batch files get their own type of icon

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EDIT

• EDIT is a command line command that starts a very
  basic text editor

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Creating a Batch File

• Using EDIT type in some commands on their own
  line
• Then save the file with a BAT extension
• Some additional commands are
• VER shows the current version of Windows
• ECHO tells the batch file to put text on the
  screen
• TYPE displays the contents of a batch file on the
  screen
• SET display settings that Windows has loaded by
  default

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ECHO Command

• ECHO will display text on the screen
• ECHO OFF turns off the display of text on the
  screen
• _at_ at the beginning a line prevents displaying the
  command but not the result of the command
• _at_echo off is frequently used in batch files to
  clean up the appearance when the batch file is
  run

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SET and PATH Commands

• SET will display the list of settings that
  Windows loads by default
• Programs (and batch files) are run from the
  location where your presence is
• If the program is not located in the folder where
  you are, then you receive an error message
• To tell your command to look in other places, use
  the PATH command
• PATH by itself lists the current list of places
  to look for a program
• PATH location location location will add
  additional locations to look

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SET and PATH Commands
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SEVER Command

• SETVER makes the program believe you are running
  specific version of DOS
• SETVER by itself lists the current settings

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Beyond A
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Using Function Keys

• F1 function key brings back the previous command
  one letter at a time
• F3 function key brings back the entire command at
  once
• The DOSKEY command stores a list of all
  previously typed commands and can be accessed by
  using the up arrow key
• Type DOSKEY to start the program
• Windows 2000 automatically starts the program

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COMPACT Command

• Compact
• Displays or alters the compression of files
• Compact /c

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CIPHER Command

• Cipher
• Displays or alters the encryption of files
• /e specifies encryption operation
• /a says to apply it to the files as well as the
  directory

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