Windows® Command-Line Administrators Pocket Consultant, Second Edition

Chapter 2. Getting the Most from the Command Line

The command shell provides a powerful environment for working with commands and scripts. As discussed in Chapter 1 you can run many types of commands at the command line, including built-in commands, Windows utilities, and applications with command-line extensions. Regardless of its source, every command you'll use follows the same syntax rules. These rules state that a command consists of a command name followed by any required or optional arguments. Arguments can also use redirection to specify the sources for inputs, outputs, and errors.

When you execute a command in the command shell, you start a series of events that are similar to the following:

1. The command shell replaces any variables you've ...