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T060501c: Windows CMD Operation Resources

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Ed.Note: This material is dated. It fails to achieve the objective and extensive revision is called for.

These resources reflect some of the back-and-forth around the naming of cmd.exe and how, in the treatment for nfoTools, the current Command Prompt title is used with respect to the CMD command-line environment and operations.

1. On-Line Resources

Microsoft (2006). Microsoft Windows XP - Command Shell Overview. Windows XP Product Documentation. Available on the web at NT CMD Overview (accessed 2006-05-22, cached).

More-recent materials are required for detailed treatment of Command Prompt on current Microsoft Windows platforms. [Links Pending] This page provides a technical overview of CMD, then-called the Windows Command Shell. The information is suitable for reference by experienced developers and administrators. Consult this material for additional nuances and capabilities after first becoming comfortable with basic CMD command-line operations. Related pages linked from this one provide important supplemental information. The organization below follows the narrative approach of the nfoTools presentation of Windows console-sessions concepts and usage. Later information is also incorporated:

  1. Console session initiation and configuration

    1.1 cmd.exe command interpreter options (cached)

    1.2 Configuring the console window (cached)

  2. Command-line processing

    2.1 Basic command format

    2.2 Using multiple and conditional commands (Overview section)

    2.3 Using environment variables (Overview section)

    2.4 Using filters (cached), a special case of redirection

    2.5 Redirection operator reference (cached)

  3. Windows XP Command-Line Reference (cached)

    3.1 A-Z command-line reference (cached)

    3.2 New command-line tools in XP (cached)

    3.3 XP Differences in MS-DOS command-line tools (cached)

    3.4 Additional Windows Support Tools (cached)

  4. Automating command-line tasks (cached)

    4.1 Using batch files (cached), with the special commands and parameters available

    4.2 Using batch parameters (cached)

    4.3 Using the command-based script host (CScript.exe) (cached)

Wikibooks (2006). Guide to Windows Commands. On-line book draft. Available at Windows Commands (accessed 2006-05-28). (cached)

This draft guide is focused specifically on the CMD Command Prompt command-line operation, with some links to historical information. The cataloging of commands (including standard command-line utilities commonly available in conjunction with the shell) also provides comparison with 4NT, an enhanced environment that can be used as an alternative to Windows cmd.exe.

2. Books

Bott, Ed., Siechert, Carl (2001). Microsoft Windows XP Inside Out. Microsoft Press (Redmond, WA: 2001). ISBN 0-7356-1382-6 pbk + CD-ROM.

This compendium of practical information is valuable with regard to all aspects of Windows XP usage. Appendix A, Working with the Command Prompt (the later term), provides useful lore for and useful sidebar tips on operating in CMD command-line environments:

Stanek, William R. (2004). Microsoft Windows Command-Line Administrator’s Pocket Consultant. Microsoft Press (Redmond, WA: 2004). ISBN 0-7356-2038-5 pbk.

Part I of the book covers Windows command-line fundamentals in four chapters. The remaining sections are devoted to administrative functions and their command-line tools. The treatment of command-line fundamentals is comprehensive, with careful treatment of many fine points.

3. Historical MS-DOS Materials

Computer Hope (2006). MS-DOS Help and Commands. Available at MS-DOS Help (accessed 2006-05-22).

This page and related ones provide a summary of the MS-DOS Console Shell and the nature of the commands available when hosted by MS-DOS. Although this gives an useful alternative presentation, the reader must understand that although the Windows Command Shell is similar to the MS-DOS Console Shell, there are important differences in the availability of commands, their options, and implementation on the different platforms.

Wikipedia (2006). MS-DOS. On-line encyclopedia entry. Available at MS-DOS (accessed 2006-05-22). (cached)

This, like the Computer Hope page, provides historical background (2006). Focus is on MS-DOS as a standalone operating system. Although either MS-DOS itself (through Windows 98 SE) or an MS-DOS emulator (for Windows 2000 and later releases) is present in Microsoft Windows configurations, there are many differences between the Windows Command Shell and Windows console applications and the MS-DOS Command Shell and MS-DOS applications.

Discussion about nfoTools is welcome at the Discussion section. Improvements and removal of defects in this particular documentation can be reported and addressed in the Issues section. There are also relevant projects from time to time.

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