Simplifying Command Entry with Doskey Macros
The Doskey utility lets you encapsulate command strings as easy-to-enter macros. For example, by typing the following at the command prompt:
doskey 50=mode con:lines=50
you create a macro named 50 that executes the command string mode con:lines=50. To run a macro, you simply enter its name (in this example, 50) at a command prompt. You can create as many macros as you like with Doskey, but your macros are effective only for the current Command Prompt session. To create a reusable set of Doskey macros, save them in a plain-text file, using an editor such as Notepad. Then load them from the command prompt, using Doskey's /Macrofile switch. For example, if your macros are stored in your profile folder in a file named MyMacros.txt, typing
doskey /macrofile=%userprofile%\mymacros.txt
makes those macros available for the current Command Prompt session. If you regularly use the same macro file, consider using the AutoRun feature to load your macros.
For more information about using Doskey, type doskey /? at the command prompt.
In this tutorial:
- Working with the Command Prompt
- Starting and Ending a Command Prompt Session
- Easy ways to invoke administrator Command Prompt sessions
- Starting Command Prompt at a Particular Folder
- Strings with Spaces Need Quotes
- Cmd.exe vs. Command.com
- Commands Are Not Case Sensitive
- Starting Command Prompt and Running a Command
- Cmd.exe and Other Command Prompts
- Using AutoRun to Execute Commands When Command Prompt Starts
- Using Cmds Command-Line Syntax
- Using Commands
- Type /? for help
- Starting Programs
- Open Windows Explorer at the current Command Prompt folder
- Using File-Name and Folder-Name Completion
- Use a different completion character
- Using Wildcards
- Editing the Command Line
- Using Command Symbols
- The Redirection Symbols
- The Pipe Symbol
- The Command Combination Symbols
- Pausing or Canceling Commands
- Simplifying Command Entry with Doskey Macros
- DOSKEY Saves Typing
- System Variables Identify the Environment
- Viewing Environment Variables
- Modifying Environment Variables
- Predefined Environment Variables
- Customizing Command Prompt Windows
- Setting the Window Size and Position
- Setting the Window Size and Position Visually
- Selecting a Font
- Setting Colors
- Setting Other Options
- Copy and paste in the command prompt window
- Navigating from the command prompt
- Printing a list of filenames
- Commands Use Paths
- Identifying Executables
- Modifying the Path to Executables
- Modifying the Path with the GUI
- Changing the Current Path with CD
- Changing the Current Path with Windows Explorer
- Capturing the Output
- A Sampling of Commands
- Dir
- Copy
- XCopy
- SET
- NET USE
- SystemInfo
- DriverQuery
- Echo
- Advanced Shell Commands
- Creating a Batch File
- Scheduling a Batch File
- Creating Scheduled Tasks with a Script
- Using Windows PowerShell and the PowerShell ISE
- Windows PowerShell ISE
- PowerShell Commands
- Verbs and Nouns
- Sending Output to a Text File
- PowerShell Syntax
- Variables Created with a $ Symbol
- Comparison Operators
- Parentheses, Brackets, and Braces
- Running PowerShell Scripts
- PowerShell Execution Policy
- Changing the Execution Policy
- Looping
- Collections
- Creating a PowerShell Script
- Documenting Scripts
- Using PowerShell Commands
- Getting Help on PowerShell
- Using WMI_Cmdlets
- Getting Details on an Object
- Querying Information on Specific Objects
- Terminate Applications with Win32_process
- Formatting Output with the -f Format Operator
- Filtering the Output with the Where-Object Command
- Using the IF statement
- Using the Switch Statement
- Script Reusability