MS-Dos - Internal commands/Batch file commands

Internal commands

All commands are run only after the Enter key is pressed at the end of the line. COMMAND.COM is not case-sensitive, meaning commands can be typed in either case and are all equivalent.

BREAK 

Controls the handling of program interruption with Ctrl+C or Ctrl+Break.

CHCP 

Displays or changes the current system code page.

CHDIR, CD 

Changes the current working directory or displays the current directory.

CLS 

Clears the screen.

COPY 

Copies one file to another (if the destination file already exists, MS-DOS asks whether to replace it). (See also XCOPY, an external command that could also copy directory trees).

CTTY 

Defines the device to use for input and output.

DATE 

Display and set the date of the system.

DEL, ERASE 

Deletes a file. When used on a directory, deletes all files.

DIR 

Lists the files in the specified directory.

ECHO 

Toggles whether text is displayed (ECHO ON) or not (ECHO OFF). Also displays text on the screen (ECHO text).

EXIT 

Exits from COMMAND.COM and returns to the program which launched it.

LFNFOR 

Enables or disables the return of long filenames by the FOR command. (Windows 95/98/Me only).

LOADHIGH, LH 

Loads a program into upper memory (HILOAD in DR DOS).

LOCK 

Enables external programs to perform low-level disk access to a volume. (Windows 95/98/Me only).

MKDIR, MD 

Creates a new directory.

PATH 

Displays or changes the value of the PATH environment variable which controls the places where COMMAND.COM will search for executable files.

PROMPT 

Displays or change the value of the PROMPT environment variable which controls the appearance of the prompt.

REN, RENAME 

Renames a file or directory.

RMDIR, RD 

Removes an empty directory.

SET 

Sets the value of an environment variable ; Without arguments, shows all defined environment variables.

TIME 

Display and set the time of the system.

TRUENAME 

Display the fully expanded physical name of a file, resolving ASSIGN, JOIN and SUBST logical filesystem mappings.

TYPE 

Display the content of a file on the console.

UNLOCK 

Disables low-level disk access. (Windows 95/98/Me only)

VER 

Displays the version of the operating system.

VERIFY 

Enable or disable verification of writing for files.

VOL 

Shows information about a volume.

[edit]Batch file commands

Control structures are mostly used inside batch files, although they can also be used interactively.

:label 

Defines a target for GOTO.

CALL 

Executes another batch file and returns to the old one and continues.

FOR 

Iteration: repeats a command for each out of a specified set of files.

GOTO 

Moves execution to a specified label. Labels are specified at the beginning of a line, with a colon (:likethis).

IF 

Conditional statement, allows to branch the program execution.

PAUSE 

Halts execution of the program and displays a message asking the user to press any key to continue.

REM 

comment: any text following this command is ignored.

SHIFT 

Replaces each of the command-line variables with the subsequent one (e.g. %0 with %1, %1 with %2 etc.).