Scribd
Upload
97 views3 pages

Microsoft Windows Command Prompt: How To Create and Manage File?

The document discusses how files are organized and managed using command line operations in disk-based systems. It explains that files must have unique filenames to be properly identified and stored. The key commands for working with files are COPY, XCOPY, DEL, REN, TYPE, FC, and ATTRIB. These commands allow users to copy, delete, rename, view, compare, and change attributes of files. Care must be taken to specify the correct file paths and names to avoid errors.

Uploaded by

Baronremora
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
97 views3 pages

Microsoft Windows Command Prompt: How To Create and Manage File?

The document discusses how files are organized and managed using command line operations in disk-based systems. It explains that files must have unique filenames to be properly identified and stored. The key commands for working with files are COPY, XCOPY, DEL, REN, TYPE, FC, and ATTRIB. These commands allow users to copy, delete, rename, view, compare, and change attributes of files. Care must be taken to specify the correct file paths and names to avoid errors.

Uploaded by

Baronremora
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 3

CREATING AND MANAGING FILES USING

COMMAND-LINE
Disk-based systems store and handle related pieces of information in groups
called files. The system recognizes and keeps track of the different files in the
system by their filenames. Therefore, each file in the system is required to have a
filename that is different from that of any other file in the directory.

If two files having the same name were present within the same directory of
the system, the computer becomes confused and fails to operate properly. This
is because it cannot determine which version of the file is supposed to be worked
on.

Each time a new file of information is created, it is necessary to give it a


unique filename by which the operating system can identify and store it. Files are
created through programming packages or by applications.

In an MS-DOS environment, there are a few rules that you must remember when
creating new filenames. As mentioned, the filename consists of two parts, a name
and an extension. The filename is a combination of alphanumeric characters
and is between one and eight characters in length. The extension is an optional
addition to the name that begins with a period, and is followed by maximum of
three characters.

As discussed earlier, extensions often prove useful in describing the content of a


file,or in identifying different versions of the same file. If a filename that already
exists is used to store another file, the computer will write the information in the
new file over that of the old file, assuming that both of them are same. Therefore,
only the new file will exist. The information in the old file will be lost.

Many software packages will automatically generate filename extensions for files
they create. The software does this so that other parts of the program, which may
work with the same file, will be able to identify where the file came from, or what
form it is in.

In any event, you should remember the following seven items when assigning
and using filenames:

 All files must have a filename.


 All filenames must be different than any other filename in the system or
on the disk presently in use.
 DOS filenames are up to 8 characters long with an optional 3-
character extension (separated from the basic filename by a period).

Remora. COMPUTERSHARK.BLOGSPOT.COM REMORAKING Page 1


 When using a filename in a command, you must also use its extension,
if one exists.
 Some special characters are not allowed in filenames. These are: [, ], :, ;, +,
=, \, /, >, ? and ,.
 When informing DOS where to carry out a command, you must indicate
it on which disk drive the operation is to be performed. The drive must
be specified by its letter name followed by a colon, for example A:, B:, or
C:.
 The complete and proper way to specify a file is the drive
specifier, filename, and the filename extension, in that order, for
example B:filename.ext.

The following commands are used to carry out file-level operations.

1. COPY: The file copy command copies a specified file from one place,
either disk or directory, to another. For example:
• C:\>COPY A:filename.ext B:filename.ext
• C:\>COPY A:filename.ext B: is used if the file is to have the same name in its
new location. The second filename specifier can be omitted.

2. XCOPY: This command copies all files in a directory along with


any subdirectories and their files. This command is particularly useful in copying
files and directories among disks with different formats. For example from a 1.2-
MB disk to a 1.44-MB disk. For example:
• C:\>XCOPY A: B: /s
This command would copy all files and directories from the disk in drive A:
except hidden and system files to the disk in drive B:. The /s switch instructs the
XCOPY command to copy directories and subdirectories.

3. DEL or ERASE: This command allows the user to remove unwanted files from
the disk when typed in at the DOS prompt. For example:
• C:\>DEL filename.ext
• C:\>ERASE B:filename.ext
A great deal of care should be taken when using this command. If a file is
erased accidentally, it may not be retrievable.

4. REN: Enables the user to change the name or extension of a filename.


For example:
• C:\>REN A:filename.ext newname.ext
• C:\>COPY A:filename.ext B:newname.ext
Using this command changes only its name but not the content of the file.
The original filename (but not the file) is deleted. If you wish to retain the original
file and filename, a copy command, using different filenames, can be used.

Remora. COMPUTERSHARK.BLOGSPOT.COM REMORAKING Page 2


5. TYPE: Shows the content of a designated file on the monitor screen.
For example:
• C:\>TYPE AUTOEXEC.BAT will display the content of the
AUTOEXEC.BAT file

6. FC: This file-compare command compares two files to see if they are the same.
This operation is normally performed after a file copy has been performed to
ensure that the file was duplicated and located correctly. For example:
• C:\>FC A:filename.ext B:
If the filename is changed during the copy operation, the command should be
typed as:
• C:\>FC A:filename.ext B:newname.ext

7. ATTRIB: Changes file attributes such as Read-only (+R or –R), Archive (+A or
–A), System (+S or –S), and Hidden (+H or –H). The + and – signs are to add or
subtract the attribute from the file. For example:
• C:\>ATTRIB +R C:\DOS\memos.doc
This command sets the file MEMOS.DOC as a read-only file. Read-only
attributes protect the file from accidentally being overwritten. Similarly, one of the
main reasons for giving a file a Hidden attribute is to prevent it from accidentally
being erased. The System attribute is reserved by the operating system and marks
the file as a system file.

Hint: A common error message encountered when working with command


line operations is the bad command or the file name error message. This type of
error message generally occurs when the path specified to the location of a file
is incorrect or when the file is missing or misspelled.

Keep it up!

For more articles, join us on:


http://computershark.blogspot.com

Remora. COMPUTERSHARK.BLOGSPOT.COM REMORAKING Page 3

You might also like