Windows XP in a Nutshell, Second Edition

Command Prompt Choices

Windows XP provide three different components, all essentially different implementations of the command-line interface. These three components work similarly, but there are some important differences and limitations.

Command Prompt (cmd.exe)

Commonly known as a DOS box because of its visual and functional likeness to DOS, the Command Prompt window (see Figure 6-1) is the most complete implementation of the command prompt in Windows XP. Any program, GUI or command-line-based, can be started by typing its executable filename at the prompt. In addition, a variety of internal DOS commands (discussed later in this chapter), used primarily for file management, can be executed at the prompt.

Figure 6-1. The Command Prompt window

If a command-line-based program is launched, it is run in the same window. Many command-prompt applications simply display information and quit; in this case, you’d be returned to the prompt immediately after the program output.

An important distinction between the Command Prompt and the alternatives below is that the Command Prompt maintains context between commands. Each instance of the command interpreter runs in its own virtual machine, each with its own “environment.” The environment includes such information as the current directory, the search path (the directories in which the command interpreter looks for the commands whose names you type), ...