Most of the time, the most convenient way to work with files under &os2; is through the Workplace Shell. However, you can also manipulate files by typing commands at the command prompt. In many cases, the command language is much more flexible and versatile.

You can start a command prompt in several ways:

Each command can either be an internal or an external command. Internal commands are built into the command processor and do not exist as separate program files on disk.

Any other program file can be started as an external command. If it resides in a directory listed in the PATH system path, you do not need to specify the full path to the program file.

Many commands that are understood by the command processors are listed in the &os2; Command Reference (CMDREF.INF).

Note that you can create a batch or command file with an entire sequence of commands to automate certain tasks.

For more information about command language, select from the following list:

For more information about frequently used file manipulation commands, select from the following list: For more information about useful internal commands for automation and execution control, select from the list below: