DOS is a tool that allows you the simplest means to organize your files and directories. Once you learn how to use DOS, you can use more computers than if you learned how to use anything else. No matter what computer and "environment" you use there are a few things that you must understand: A) A file is a collection of data with a name attached to it. A file could be: o A program such as a game o A document like a resume o A database - perhaps a mailing list o A digitized photograph o lots of things! B) A disk (or "disk drive") is a device that stores files. Usually, people have at least one hard disk and at least one floppy disk. A hard disk: o holds thousands of files o is really fast o is usually used constantly while the computer is running o is bolted to the inside of the computer A floppy disk: o holds dozens of files o is pretty slow o is used about once a week for moving files to and from the hard disk o can easily be inserted and removed from the computer (many disks can be used in the "floppy disk drive" of the computer) C) A directory is something for organizing your files. If you have a thousand files on a disk, it can be tough to find the one you are looking for. If you are looking for a game that you have for playing poker, you might look in a directory GAMES where you may see that there is a sub-directory (a directory within a directory) called CARDS - now you have just a few files to browse to find your poker game. All files, disk drives and directories have names. In DOS, a disk drive is usally called "A:", "B:", "C:", etc. If you have just one floppy disk, it is probably called "A:". A hard disk is almost always "C:". A file name in DOS may be 8 characters long and may have an extention three characters long. The extension is separated from the rest of the file name with a period. For example: POKER.COM AUTOEXEC.BAT CONFIG.SYS BCOM.EXE BCOM.DOC READ.ME The file name extension often reflects what type of file it is: o files ending in ".COM", ".EXE" or ".BAT" are action files. If you type the name of the file without the extension, something will happen - usually a program is run (executed). With the file "POKER.COM" type POKER and press return - your computer will play poker with you. o files ending in ".TXT" or ".DOC" usually contain text information that can be viewed from your favorite text editor or word processor. o files ending in ".DAT", ".BIN" or ".TMP" usually contain information for a program - maybe a database. Directories have names that resemble file names. Most people don't use extensions in their directory names. The "root directory" has no name, really. A "path" is a kind of address for a file. The path for the file "POKER.COM" might be "C:\GAMES\CARDS". If this is so, the "complete file name" would be "C:\GAMES\CARDS\POKER.COM" - this tells us that on disk "C:" there is a subdirectory "GAMES" which has a subdirectory "CARDS" which is where "POKER.COM" is found. If your "current disk" is "C:", your "path and file name" could be "\GAMES\CARDS\POKER.COM". Further, if your "current directory" happens to be "\GAMES" then your "path and file name" could be "CARDS\POKER.COM". The "DOS prompt" usually shows the current drive and directory path followed by ">". From your root directory, it looks like "C:\>". From your GAMES directory, it looks like "C:\GAMES>". To give DOS commands, you type the command at the DOS prompt and press your enter key. DOS comes with hundreds of commands that most people will never use. You can do almost anything you need to do by knowing just seven commands: ษออออออออออป บ DIR ฬอออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออ ศออออออออออผ report what files are in the current directory Type What happens DIR a list of the files and directories in the current directory is shown DIR A: a list of the files and directories on disk A: is shown DIR \GAMES a list of the files and directories in the GAMES directory is shown DIR *.COM a list of all the files with the extension ".COM" is shown ษออออออออออป บ CD ฬอออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออ ศออออออออออผ change directory Type What happens CD \GAMES your "current directory" is now the GAMES directory CD CARDS if your current directory was the \GAMES directory, then your current directory is now \GAMES\CARDS ษออออออออออป บ MD ฬอออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออ ศออออออออออผ make directory Type What happens MD \MODEM make a directory in the root directory called "MODEM" MD MODEM make a directory in the current directory called "MODEM" ษออออออออออป บ RD ฬอออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออ ศออออออออออผ remove directory Type What happens RD \MODEM remove the directory "MODEM" from the root directory ษออออออออออป บ COPY ฬอออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออ ศออออออออออผ copy one or more files Type What happens COPY POKER.COM P.COM a file called "P.COM" will be created that is an exact copy of "POKER.COM" COPY A:*.* All of the files from disk A: will be copied into the current directory. Note here the use of "*.*" (called "star dot star") - this means all files. COPY *.* A: All of the files in the current directory are copied to disk A: ษออออออออออป บ DEL ฬอออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออ ศออออออออออผ delete one or more files Type What happens DEL POKER.COM the file "POKER.COM" is deleted ษออออออออออป บ FORMAT ฬอออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออ ศออออออออออผ format a floppy disk for use with DOS Type What happens FORMAT A: the disk in disk drive A: will be formatted. Sometimes when you buy new disks, they need to be formatted before you can use them. Be careful: If your disk already has stuff on it, it could be permanantly destroyed! ฺฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฟ ณ Note that some versions of DOS will provide you with some on-line help. ณ ณ To access this help, type the command you want more information on ณ ณ followed by "/?". For the FORMAT command, you may type ณ ณ ณ ณ FORMAT /? ณ ณ ณ ณ You can also type HELP at any DOS prompt to get a list of all of the ณ ณ commands available to you. ณ ภฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤฤู copyright (c) 1994 by Paul Wheaton, Banana Programming, Missoula, MT This document may be freely copied. The text of this document and other Banana Programming products can be found on The Montana Banana BBS (406-543-8234)