Computer Hope

Microsoft => Microsoft DOS => Topic started by: Blue on March 24, 2017, 03:50:37 PM

Title: Am I in the right place ?
Post by: Blue on March 24, 2017, 03:50:37 PM

I have tried searching to see if this site deals with the command interpreter scripts (??.cmd files). They are essentially the "new" batch files (real DOS doesn't exist in newer versions of Windows?). I don't want to ask questions in the wrong place, or waste anyone's time so I want to first find out if I can ask questions about .cmd files/scripts here. Most of what I have seen so far focuses on ".bat" files, so let me know if this is not the right place (and please recommend a good site for answering .cmd questions).

Thank you in advance

Title: Re: Am I in the right place ?
Post by: patio on March 24, 2017, 03:56:53 PM

You chose well...weedhopper.

Carry on...

Title: Re: Am I in the right place ?
Post by: BC_Programmer on March 24, 2017, 04:15:41 PM

For some reason the "Microsoft DOS"  section is 90% NT based batch scripts. If anything it get's confusing when people actually try to get help with a "real" MS-DOS Batch file, since replies will generally assume NT Command extensions.

For .cmd and .bat, they are effectively identical in how they operate on NT (with some minor differences with Errorlevels, I think). Both can be used with all NT Command extensions. The .cmd extension was mostly useful in the early days so that you could indicate whether a batch was designed for windows NT or Windows 9x. Not so useful now when you have to reach back a decade or more for Windows versions without the added featuresets.

Title: Re: Am I in the right place ?
Post by: Blue on March 24, 2017, 10:54:03 PM

Thank you for your replies. I wanted to assume what you have stated - but assumptions can be dangerous. So, now (tomorrow, actually) I can open a new topic to ask about a problem I am having.

Thanks, again.

Title: Re: Am I in the right place ?
Post by: strollin on March 25, 2017, 07:14:43 AM

Are you sure you're not thinking of Powershell scripting?  In the very latest builds of Windows 10 MS has changed the default command interpreter to use Powershell instead of the old command.com.   

Title: Re: Am I in the right place ?
Post by: Blue on March 25, 2017, 10:26:34 AM

Strollin, Methinks your avatar might be or might not be Mr. Natural - but it's gotta be Crumb !!

Powershell seems to be the latest generation/iteration of a DOS-like environment for Windows. I think it mainly adds support for the OO environment (objects) whereas true DOS knew nothing of that exotica.

Title: Re: Am I in the right place ?
Post by: patio on March 25, 2017, 10:38:17 AM

That is Mr. Natural.... 8)

Title: Re: Am I in the right place ?
Post by: Blue on March 25, 2017, 12:32:30 PM

My all-time favorite line - and I still use it frequently to express frustration - was a line from Mr. Natural,

"Mumble, B!tch, Gripe"

Over the years that line has described most of my emotions !!   8)