Windows Explorer

Windows Explorer combined the best features of Windows 3.1s Program Manager
and File Manager into a single, powerful filemanagement utilit!. "t lets !ou #iew the
contents of an! storage medium on !our computer as icons or in an easil! sortable
detailed mode. "t reduces man! of the complexities of $%&s file management s!stem
to an eas! pointandclic' interface.
%ne thing it doesnt let !ou do, though, is create lists of a director!s contents. "f
!oure #iewing the Explorer address bar, !ou can cop! the displa!ed path name, and
b! clic'ing twice(not doubleclic'ing(on a file name, !ou can edit or cop! that file
name )see Figure A*, but cop!ing indi#idual file names in this manner for pasting
into a document isnt exactl! efficient.
Figure +
,ou can cop! indi#idual file names to paste into a document, but with man! files, the
process -uic'l! becomes tedious.
.owe#er, $%& pro#ides some capabilities that Windows Explorer doesnt ha#e. /!
launching a $%& session, !ou can capture the $"0 commands output in a wa! that
lets !ou -uic'l! and easil! generate file listings.
1o launch a $%& session, simpl! go to &tart 2 0un, and then t!pe command.com in to
the resulting dialog box, as shown in Figure B.When !ou press Enter, a new window
containing the $%& command prompt will appear.
Figure /
1his shows an eas! wa! to launch a $%& session under Windows 3444.
1he $%& $"0 command
5nder Windows 3444, $%& has recei#ed some upgrades. 1o #erif! the #ersion, issue
the 6E0 command while in a Windows 3444 $%& session, and if !ou see the output
Microsoft Windows 2000 (Version 5.00.2195), this indicates that it7s a new #ersion of
$%&.
%ne of the first commands a $%& user was li'el! to learn was $"0, which generated
a listing of files in the current director! )optional parameters could, of course, return
listings of other directories*. "f !oure familiar with the $"0 command from pre#ious
#ersions of $%&, !oull notice that its output is now a little different, as shown in
Figure C. "t lists long file names, file si8es, and creation dates.
Figure 9
1he $"0 commands output isnt #er! useful in its raw form.
5nfortunatel!, this #olume of information is more than !ou need, and capturing it
would result in a hea#! editing tas'. /ut !ou can augment the $"0 comment with a
set of optional switches, as shown below. 1hese switches aren7t case sensiti#e. 9lic'
here to see a list of $"0 command line switches.
$"0 command line switches
:/ 5ses bare format )no heading information or summar!*
:; Forces lowercase displa! of file names
:% ;ist b! files in sorted order<
= b! name )alphabetical*
& b! si8e )smallest first*
E b! extension )alphabetical*
$ b! date:time )oldest first*
> group directories first
using this prefix re#erses the sort order
:P Pauses after each screenful of information
:& ;ists files in the specified director! and all subdirectories
:W 5ses wide list format
:? $ispla!s @.3 #ersions of long file names
:A $ispla!s a full list of command line switches

For m! example, "ll use the :b switch, which simpl! results in a list of file names, as
shown in Figure D. "f need be, !ou can add the :s switch, which lists file names in the
current director! and all subdirectories.
Figure $
1his output is ideal for capturing file names.
1he :s switch is useful e#en in a director! that has no subdirectories, as it includes the
file path in the output )Figure E*.
Figure E
"ts eas! to add the path to !our file name output.
0edirection
1he $"0 command gi#es !ou the information !ou want, but it isnt !et in a form !ou
can use in a Windows document(!ou cant cop! and paste the contents of the $%&
window. "nstead, !oull use another nati#e $%& techni-ue< output redirection. 0ather
than allow the $"0 commands output to appear onscreen as it does b! default, !oull
send it to a text file. 1o do so, !oull use the B redirection operator, li'e this<
dir:b :s B dirlist.txt
%f course, !ou can use an! file name !ou li'e and !ou can precede it with a file path.
When !ou press CEnterD, !oull simpl! see the command line reappear. .owe#er, if
!ou close the $%& session b! t!ping exit and !ou return to Windows, !oull find a
new text file that contains the file names, as shown in Figure F, read! to be copied
and pasted into an! Windows document.
Figure F
,ou cant use the $"0 commands $%& output, but !ou can redirect it to a text file
that !ou can use in Windows.