Introduction to DOS : DOS commands are copy con, edit, doskey, type, md, cd, ver, date, time

Practical No.-1

Introduction to DOS : DOS commands are copy con, edit, doskey, type, md, cd, ver, date, time

1.1 Introduction: MS-DOS short for Microsoft Disk Operating System is an operating system for x86-based personal computers. It was the most commonly used member of the DOS family of operating systems, and was the main operating system for IBM PC compatible personal computers during the 1980s to the mid 1990s, until it was gradually superseded by operating systems offering a graphical user interface (GUI), in particular by various generations of the Microsoft Windows operating system.

Microsoft Windows supports a number of commands which may be invoked by typing them in a command window; they are usually similar to their MS-DOS equivalents. Typing help followed by a carriage return at a command prompt will list the commands. File and path names used as arguments may be long, unlike MS-DOS names in "8.3" form, and may contain embedded spaces; names with spaces must be enclosed between a pair of double-quote character (").

1.2 DOS Commands:

1. CD: (Change Directory) :- Change current working directory. Displays the current working directory when used without a path parameter

CD: displays the current working directory on the current drive. E.g. CD

CD directory: changes the working directory on the current drive to directory. E.g. CD D:\Ahmed\introduction to Computer

CD.. : changes the working directory to the parent directory (up one directory level). e.g. CD..

CD\: changes the working directory to the root (top level) directory of the current drive. e.g. CD\

2. Md: Makes a new directory. The parent of the directory specified will be created if it does not already exist.

md directory

3. Copy

Copies files from one location to another. The destination defaults to the current directory. If multiple source files are indicated, the destination must be a directory, or an error will result.

Copy [source\filename] [destination\folder]

4. Time : sets or displays the system time. The format is

            hh:mm:ss:ms a/p(hours:minutes:seconds:microseconds am/pm)

            Eg.:

                        c:\time

                        current time is: 7:00:05.50p

                        enter new time:

5. Date : Sets or display the system date and allows the user to change the system date.
mm-dd-yy(month,date and year in 2 digits)               

            Eg.:      

                        c:\date

                        current date is:10-23-11

                        enter new date :

6. Type :  The type command is used to display all the contents of a file that has been already created

                  Eg.:

                        c:\projects>type myfile

                        I want to learn MS DOS

7. EDIT : Provides a full screen editor to create or edit a text file. Runs the editor and starts with a blank document. When you select Save or Save As..., the file will be saved to the current directory (unless you select otherwise from the popup dialog). If you want to select a different directory before starting edit, use the cd command before using edit.

8. Ver: The ver command is used to display the current MS-DOS version number.

Syntax:    VER

9. doskey: The doskey command is used to edit command lines, create macros, and recall previously entered commands.