Command-Line Editing

Command History and Recall

Command History Window

Command Names and Parameters

Filename Completion

Automatic Directory Changes

Multiple Commands

Expanding and Disabling Aliases

Command Line Help

Command-Line Length Limits

Extended Parent Directory Names

Wildcards

Multiple Filenames

Include Lists

Executable Extensions

Extended Directory Searches

CDPATH

Page and File Prompts

Using the Keystack

Waiting for Applications to Finish

Critical Errors

Conditional Commands

Command Grouping

Escape Character

? - List the internal commands

ACTIVATE - Activate a window

ALIAS - Create or display aliases

ATTRIB - Change or view file attributes

BEEP - Beep the speaker

CALL - Execute one batch file from another

CANCEL - Terminate batch file processing

CD - Change the current directory

CDD - Change the current drive and directory

CHCP - Change the current code page

CLS - Clear the screen

COLOR - Change the display colors

COPY - Copy files

DATE - Change the system date

DEL - Delete one or more files

DELAY - Pause for a specified length of time

DESCRIBE - Create or modify file descriptions

DETACH - Start a program in detached mode

DIR - Display directories

DIRHISTORY - Display, read, or modify the directory history list

DIRS - Display the directory stack

DO - Create loops in batch files

DPATH - Set the data search path

DRAWBOX - Draw a box

DRAWHLINE - Draw a horizontal line

DRAWVLINE - Draw a vertical line

ECHO and ECHOERR - Display a message / set echo state

ECHOS and ECHOSERR - Display a message without CR/LF

ENDLOCAL - Restore the saved environment

ESET - Edit environment variables and aliases

EXCEPT - Exclude files from a command

EXIT - Exit CMD.EXE

FFIND - Search for files

FOR - Repeat a command

FREE - Display total and free disk space

GLOBAL - Execute a command all subdirectories

GOSUB - Execute a subroutine in a batch file

GOTO - Branch within a batch file

HELP - Display help

HISTORY - Manage the history list

IF - Execute a command if a condition is true

IFF - IF / THEN / ELSE conditional command execution

INKEY - Get a character from the keyboard

INPUT - Get a string from the keyboard

KEYBD - Set the keyboard toggles

KEYS - Enable or disable the history list

KEYSTACK - Feed keystrokes to a program or command

LIST - Display a file

LOADBTM - Switch a batch file's mode

LOG - Save a log of commands

MD - Create a subdirectory

MEMORY - Display memory statistics

MOVE - Move files

ON - Handle Ctrl-Break and errors in batch files

OPTION - Modify the command processor configuration

PATH - Set the executable file search path

PAUSE - Suspend batch file or alias execution

POPD - Restore the disk drive and directory

PROMPT - Change the command-line prompt

PUSHD - Save the disk drive and directory

QUIT - Terminate a batch file

RD - Remove subdirectories

REBOOT - Reboot the system

REM - Put a comment in a batch file

REN - Rename files or subdirectories

RETURN - Return from a subroutine in a batch file

SCREEN - Position the cursor and display text

SCRPUT - Display text in color

SELECT - Select files for a command

SET - Create or modify environment variables

SETDOS - Set the CMD.EXE configuration

SETLOCAL - Save the environment

SHIFT - Shift batch file parameters

SHRALIAS - Load or unload SHRALIAS.EXE

START - Start a program in another session

SWITCH - Select commands based on a value

TEE - “Tee” pipe fitting

TEXT - Display text in a batch file

TIME - Set the system time

TIMER - Start or stop a stopwatch

TITLE - Window title

TOUCH - Change date and time stamps

TREE - Directory tree

TYPE - Display file(s)

UNALIAS - Remove aliases

UNSET - Remove environment variables

VER - Display the CMD.EXE and OS/2 version

VERIFY - Enable or disable disk write verification

VOL - Display disk volume labels

VSCRPUT - Display text vertically and in color

WINDOW - Change the window state or title

Y - “Y” pipe fitting

.BAT, .CMD, and .BTM Files

Echoing in Batch Files

Batch File Parameters

Using Environment Variables

Batch File Commands

Interrupting a Batch File

Automatic Batch Files

Detecting CMD.EXE

Using Aliases in Batch Files

Debugging Batch Files

Batch File String Processing

Batch File Line Continuation

Batch File Compression

Special Character Compatibility

Command Parsing

Argument Quoting

REXX Support

EXTPROC Support

CDPATH

cmdline

COLORDIR

COMSPEC

FILECOMPLETION

PATH

PATHEXT

PROMPT

Modifying the .INI File

Using the .INI File

.INI File Sections

.INI File Examples

Starting CMD.EXE

The CMD.EXE Help System

Error Messages

General Features and Enhancements