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DOS mantra:

Understand exactly what you want to do, then select the handiest tool to accomplish it.

"command /?" will display help

Syntax is "command [switches] [arguments]"; hit the Enter key when you are ready to execute the command. Pay attention to the spaces ("when in doubt, space it out")!

there is always a <space> between commands, switches, and arguments. You must hit <enter> when you're ready to execute your command.

DOS Part 1 - Day 2

Goals

In this session you will:

use DOSKEY to improve your command-line interaction
learn to use relative and absolute paths
use the informational commands (VER, TIME, DATE, CLS)
use the file commands (COPY, REN, MOVE, DEL, TYPE)
use the environmental variable commands (SET, ECHO, PROMPT)

Review

Skill Test

Get to a DOS prompt if you are not there already.
Look at your prompt to figure out what drive and directory you are in.
Go to your A: (floppy) drive.
Look at your prompt again.
View the help screen for the DIR command.
Look at the contents of your current directory
From this location on your A: drive, view the contents of the c:\windows directory.
Now view only the .ini files in c:\windows (or c:\winnt) directory

DOSKey p337

necessary in 9*, less so in NT
DOSKey gives your command line a history or memory.
F7 shows your history p. 339
F9 allows you to select a command line by number
DOSKEY is resident only in the current DOS session/window.

Paths - relative v. absolutes paths p.82-3

absolute path: precise directions to a file, beginning with the root directory. Ex: "\windows\temp\myfile.txt"

relative path: subjective directions to a file, starting from your present directory subjective directions to a file, starting from your present directory. Ex: temp\myfile.txt.

One special set of helpers for describing relative paths are:
. = "the current directory"
.. = "the parent directory" (one up)

Simple Information: VER p.41, DATE , TIME

CLS - clear your screen p.47

File handling commands

COPY: copy oldfile newfile
REN (rename): ren oldname newname
MOVE: move oldpath newpath
DEL: del filename
RD: del dirname p. 288
DELTREE (WARNING: destroys entire directory): del [path] p. 289
TYPE (print to output the contents of a textfile): type filename

Environmental Variable commands p 553

Environmental variables are like little named "containers" in memory that can hold a value.
for example you might make "USER"="jason".

SET: set variable=value
ECHO: echo %variable% p554
PROMPT: see the /? screen! This var controls the layout of the command prompt!
change a var by overwriting it
add to a var by appending: set test=%test%;newstuff

Disc Utilities

How discs work: FAT/NTFS
defrag - making fragmented files contiguous
scandisc - fixing disk errors
format - normal and quick formatting

Batch files - lite! - Chap 10

just like stacked command lines
REMark out comments p.480
an additional use for echo: `@echo off`
passing arguments: %1, %2, %3, etc. p. 492
pause p482
http://www.mousetrap.net/syllabus/dos/day2.html
$Id: day2.orb,v 1.5 2001/11/01 16:05:27 mouse Exp $
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