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An Overview of MS-DOS

MS-DOS is a command-line operating system developed by Microsoft that was widely used in the 1980s and 1990s. It uses text commands to perform functions like copying, deleting, and listing files and directories on a system. Commands fall into categories like environment commands, file manipulation commands, and utilities. Files are specified using a drive letter, path, filename, and extension like C:\DOS\autoexec.bat. Common commands include COPY, DEL, DIR, TYPE, and EDIT. Directories can be created, removed, and navigated between using commands like MD, RD, CD, and CHDIR.

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100 views

An Overview of MS-DOS

MS-DOS is a command-line operating system developed by Microsoft that was widely used in the 1980s and 1990s. It uses text commands to perform functions like copying, deleting, and listing files and directories on a system. Commands fall into categories like environment commands, file manipulation commands, and utilities. Files are specified using a drive letter, path, filename, and extension like C:\DOS\autoexec.bat. Common commands include COPY, DEL, DIR, TYPE, and EDIT. Directories can be created, removed, and navigated between using commands like MD, RD, CD, and CHDIR.

Uploaded by

DaWheng Vargas
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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An Overview of MS-DOS

MS-DOS as an Operating System

An operating system consists of one or more programs that control the allocation
and usage of hardware resources (e.g. memory, CPU time, disk space, peripheral
devices) and function as an interface between the user, application programs, and the
hardware.

Microsoft Corp. MS-DOS 1.0 came out in 1981. Since then there have been a number of
upgraded versions, the last being Version 6 Release 22 (v6.22). Versions are upward
compatible.

Unlike GUI (Graphical User Interface) Operating Systems like Windows XP, MS-DOS has
a command-line interface. That is commands are typed at the so-called MS-DOS prompt

C:\DOS>
where C: identifies the default drive and\DOS identifies the default path. The top level
directory, identified by a single \ as in C:\> is called the root directory.

Classifying MS-DOS Commands

MS-DOS commans fall roughly into three categories


Environment Commands
which report on or affect the operating system environment. Examples are CLS
(clear screen), TIME, DATE, VER (display MS-DOS version number), and HELP.
File Manipulation Commands
which manipulate files. Examples are COPY, DEL (delete), TYPE (display file to
screen) and, DIR (directory - or list all files in current directory).
Utilities
which perform some useful function. Examples are FORMAT (format a diskette)
and EDIT (invoke MS-DOS text editor).

MS-DOS File Specifications

All files under MS-DOS are specified by a four part naming convention. MS-DOS File
Manipulation commands identify files in this manner.

drive:\path\filename.ext

where
drive:
is a single letter identifying the device where the file is found (e.g. c:)
\path \
is the hierarchy of directories (folders) where the file is found. Directories are
separated by \(back-slash character)

filename
is the file name of from 1 to 8 letters and or digits. Blanks and certain special
characters (e.g. \ or .) are not allowed.

.ext
is the file type or extension of up to 3 non-blank characters. File types or
extensions are used to identify the type of file where certain naming conventions
are used. For example, .exe identifies an executable file, .txt indentifies an ASCII
text file, and .doc and .wpd identifies MS-DOS Word and WordPerfect documents.
Remember all directory names and file names are limited to 8 characters (digits, or
letters) although MS-DOS running under Windows NT allows longer names. Embedded
blanks are NOT allowed and in general special characters are not allowed.

Example c:\dos\autoexec.bat

Some MS-DOS File Manipulation Commands

Commands that reference files may either give the full file specification
(drive:\path\filename.ext) or a partial file specification where the default drive and
pathname values given by the MS-DOS prompt are used. The rule is when the drive
name and/or path is not given, the default values are used.

For Example, full file specifications are given by

C:\DOS> copy a:\file1.txt c:\dos\file1.txt


Alternately, one can use the default values where the target of the copy command
defaults to c:\dos.
C:\>DOS> copy a:\file1.txt file1.txt

In the commands given below, we adopt the convention that anything enclosed in
square brackets, [ ], is optional. For example, [x:\path \] refers to an optional device
and/or path.

copy [x:\path \]source.ext [x:\path \]target.ext


copies source file to target file.
del [x:\path \]filename.ext
deletes file
move [x:\path \]source.ext [x:\path \]target.ext
moves source to target
type [x:\path \]filename.ext
displays contents of file to screen. Note, only works for ASCII text files.
rename [x:\path \]source target.ext
renames file. Note, target must be in same directory as source.
dir [x:\path \filename.ext]
lists all files in directory.

Working with Directories and Path Names

The following commands can be used to create and remove subdirectories and set the
default drive and directory. Again anything in square brackets [ ] is optional.

• To change the default drive, at the MS-DOS prompt type the drive letter followed
by a colon. For example, to make a: the default drive

C:\> a:

• To change the default path, use chdir or cd, the change directory command. For
example, to make FILES, a subdirectory of DOS the default use

C:\DOS> chdir files

To make the root directory the default, use

C:\DOS> cd \

• To make (i.e. create) a directory use mkdir or md, the make directory command.
That is

mkdir [\path\]directory

md [\path\]directory

• To remove a directory use rmdir or rd,the remove directory command. That is

rmdir [\path \]directory

rd [\path\]directory

Important! The directory must be empty before you remove it

• To display the directory structure use

tree [drive:/path/]

Using the more command


One of the problems with MS-DOS commands is "screen overflow" - more material is
displayed than can be held on screen. To get around this problem use the more
command

To display the contents of a file one screen at a time use

c:\> more filename.txt

To display execute an MS-DOS display command in conjunction with more use c:\>
cmd | more. For example

c:\> dir | more

The vertical bar "|" character is called a "pipe"

Miscellaneous MS-DOS

• * is used as a wildcard symbol. For example

c:\> dir h:\*.exe

will display all files in h:\ with an .exe extension

• To execute any application or run executable file (any file with an .exe or .com
extension), simply type the file name at the MS-DOS prompt. This is like the run
command in Windows.

• EDIT is a full-screen text editor that comes with MS-DOS. You can use EDIT to
create and edit text files. (Note MS-DOS EDIT is somewhat similar to Note Pad in
Windows).

C:\> edit hello.txt

• Use the Help command to display information about all MS-DOS commands.

C:\> help

• A single period "." and a double period ".." refer to the current directory and the
parent directory respectively. They can be used to specify relative paths. For
example

C:\DOS\FILES> chdir ..
C:\DOS>

will change the default path to C:\DOS.

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