Special Edition Using MS-DOS® 6.22, Third Edition

Chapter 3. Using DOS Commands

In this chapter

• Understanding DOS Commands

• Understanding the Elements of a DOS Command

• Getting Help

• Issuing DOS Commands

• Troubleshooting

Understanding Dos Commands

When you want your computer to perform an action, you communicate this request for service by entering commands at the DOS prompt. All DOS commands begin with a word, sometimes called a keyword, that identifies the action you want to take. Most DOS commands can accept parameters that refine the scope of the command. The DIR command, for example, tells DOS to show you a list of files written on a disk. Adding parameters to this command enables you to specify exactly the files you want listed.

Internal Versus External

DOS recognizes and responds to more than 80 commands. ...