a better command line on Windows

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  • Killer42
    Recognized Expert Expert
    • Oct 2006
    • 8429

    #61
    Originally posted by NeoPa
    You know that's been in Cmd.Exe for a long while don't you?
    Actually, I think you're mistaken.

    In CMD.EXE, don't you have to use the START command for anything other than EXE, COM, BAT and VBS extension?

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    • NeoPa
      Recognized Expert Moderator MVP
      • Oct 2006
      • 32633

      #62
      You just need to try it out Killer ;)
      The answer's no anyway. You don't need to use 'Start' and you can start an application simply by typing in the name of an associated document.
      Nice one hitting the 3,000 BTW :)

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      • bartonc
        Recognized Expert Expert
        • Sep 2006
        • 6478

        #63
        Originally posted by NeoPa
        You know that's been in Cmd.Exe for a long while don't you?
        I generally avoid the command line like the plague. It's only now that I have an interface that I like that I've begun to play around with it. Good to know that about the old piece of c..p, anyway. Thanks.

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        • Killer42
          Recognized Expert Expert
          • Oct 2006
          • 8429

          #64
          Originally posted by NeoPa
          You just need to try it out Killer ;)
          Well blow me down! I've always believed you had to use "start". :embarrassed: (I really need that reference to the smilies.)

          Originally posted by NeoPa
          ...
          Nice one hitting the 3,000 BTW :)
          Oh, thanks. :) Didn't realise I had.


          Barton, I've always been quite fond of the command line. Even now, it allows you to do things that are quite difficult or long-winded in the gui. Not that I'd like to give up the gui, of course.

          Comment

          • NeoPa
            Recognized Expert Moderator MVP
            • Oct 2006
            • 32633

            #65
            I don't know one for :Embarrassed: I'm afraid, but any others you see - simply do a Reply to plagiarise the code :)

            When Start was first introduced (NT 3.0 I believe), it was necessary to use Start if, but only if, you wanted to run a command asynchronously. Nowadays, the default is to run asynchronously from the command line, but Start does give other options which you don't get from CMD natively (Ironically, the WAIT option is now the only way to run a command synchronously).

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            • Chrisjc
              Contributor
              • Nov 2006
              • 375

              #66
              Id rather stay with CMD =)

              Comment

              • Killer42
                Recognized Expert Expert
                • Oct 2006
                • 8429

                #67
                Originally posted by Chrisjc
                Id rather stay with CMD =)
                You sure can't beat the availability.

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                • bartonc
                  Recognized Expert Expert
                  • Sep 2006
                  • 6478

                  #68
                  Originally posted by Chrisjc
                  Id rather stay with CMD =)
                  It turns out (looking in Task Manager) that Console2 is just a better UI (edit menu and hotkeys for things like Copy and Paste) wrapper for cmd.exe. It has always bugged me to have to go up to the top-left icon to find the menus in cmd.

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                  • Killer42
                    Recognized Expert Expert
                    • Oct 2006
                    • 8429

                    #69
                    Originally posted by bartonc
                    It turns out (looking in Task Manager) that Console2 is just a better UI (edit menu and hotkeys for things like Copy and Paste) wrapper for cmd.exe. It has always bugged me to have to go up to the top-left icon to find the menus in cmd.
                    I don't go to the corner - I just hit Alt-Space. Much quicker, since you're using the command line, and therefore the keyboard.

                    Still, one of these days I'll find time to check out Console2 or something similar. (Let's see, that's after I learn Java, VB.Net, and one or two other minor tasks...)

                    Comment

                    • NeoPa
                      Recognized Expert Moderator MVP
                      • Oct 2006
                      • 32633

                      #70
                      Originally posted by bartonc
                      It turns out (looking in Task Manager) that Console2 is just a better UI (edit menu and hotkeys for things like Copy and Paste) wrapper for cmd.exe. It has always bugged me to have to go up to the top-left icon to find the menus in cmd.
                      I can certainly sympathise on that one Barton.
                      Even with the shortcut keys Killer mentions, that interface is still (inexplicably) very 1990s. Copying and Pasting still have to be done without the ^C/^X/^V interface almost universal elsewhere :(

                      Comment

                      • bartonc
                        Recognized Expert Expert
                        • Sep 2006
                        • 6478

                        #71
                        Originally posted by bartonc
                        It turns out (looking in Task Manager) that Console2 is just a better UI (edit menu and hotkeys for things like Copy and Paste) wrapper for cmd.exe. It has always bugged me to have to go up to the top-left icon to find the menus in cmd.
                        Did I mention that it also has tabs for different sessions (each in a specifiable directory of their own)?

                        Comment

                        • Killer42
                          Recognized Expert Expert
                          • Oct 2006
                          • 8429

                          #72
                          Originally posted by bartonc
                          Did I mention that it also has tabs for different sessions (each in a specifiable directory of their own)?
                          Sounds nice.

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                          • bartonc
                            Recognized Expert Expert
                            • Sep 2006
                            • 6478

                            #73
                            Originally posted by Killer42
                            Sounds nice.
                            How 'bout this cool feature:
                            Tab brings up the next file in the directory. Hit return to launch it.

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                            • bartonc
                              Recognized Expert Expert
                              • Sep 2006
                              • 6478

                              #74
                              Originally posted by bartonc
                              . Start > Run > regedit
                              . open HKEY_LOCAL_MACH INE/Software/Classes/Folder/Shell
                              . right-click on Shell > New > Key
                              . name it Command Prompt (or anything you think is descriptive for yourself)
                              . in the right frame, for the default value, of the Command Prompt key you jsut made, enter whatever text you want to appear in the context menu (e.g. Open Command Prompt Here -or- Commaaaaaannnd! )
                              . back in the left frame, right-click Command Prompt (or whatever you called it) > New > Key
                              . name this sub-key command [it must be named command to work]
                              . in the right frame of command, set the default value to Cmd.exe /k pushd %L

                              the last step will launch Cmd.exe; the /k switch will keep it open; the pushd command stores the name of the current directory, and %L uses that name to start the command prompt at it. this method will work instantly, only on folders, NOT files
                              This would make a good entry in the tips and tricks section.

                              Comment

                              • bartonc
                                Recognized Expert Expert
                                • Sep 2006
                                • 6478

                                #75
                                Originally posted by bartonc
                                . Start > Run > regedit
                                . open HKEY_LOCAL_MACH INE/Software/Classes/Folder/Shell
                                . right-click on Shell > New > Key
                                . name it Command Prompt (or anything you think is descriptive for yourself)
                                . in the right frame, for the default value, of the Command Prompt key you jsut made, enter whatever text you want to appear in the context menu (e.g. Open Command Prompt Here -or- Commaaaaaannnd! )
                                . back in the left frame, right-click Command Prompt (or whatever you called it) > New > Key
                                . name this sub-key command [it must be named command to work]
                                . in the right frame of command, set the default value to Cmd.exe /k pushd %L

                                the last step will launch Cmd.exe; the /k switch will keep it open; the pushd command stores the name of the current directory, and %L uses that name to start the command prompt at it. this method will work instantly, only on folders, NOT files
                                I finally got around to doing this. It works great! I use it all the time now.

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