II.Lesson 2

1. Directory Command.

2. Scroll Through the Directory Listing.

3. Pause a Directory Listing.

4. View a Wide Listing of Files.

5. Recall a DOS Command.

6. Print a Directory Listing.

7. Check for a Single File.

8. Check for a Group of Files.

9. List Files with the Same Extension.

10. Clear the Screen.

1) Directory Command
The DIRECTORY command is like a table of contents in a book. This directory will list the following information:

• File names

• File extensions

• Size of each file

• Date and time of the file was last updated.
  
  

Directions:
1. At the C:\> type: dir and press Enter.
2. The list of files will scroll up and off the screen.
NOTE: At the end of the listing, there is a line that shows the number of bytes free on the hard drive.

2) Scroll Through the Directory Listing
When you type the DIR command and press Enter, the files begin to scroll vertically on your screen. If you have a lot of files it is difficult to read each one. By holding down the Control Key (CTRL) and the letter “S” at the same time, you are able to freeze the listing to view your files. When you are finished, press the spacebar for the list to continue.

NOTE: You must Enter to the C:\> before entering your next command.

3) Pause a Directory Listing
You can add a PAUSE command to your directory command which will allow you to view your directory one screen at a time.
Directions:
1. Type: dir/p and press Enter.
2. The screen freezes after it fills the screen with the files that are listed first in the directory.
3. Press the spacebar to continue listing you files.
4. Continue to press the spacebar until you Enter back to the C:\> prompt.

4) View as Wide Listing of Files
When you need to quickly view your files, you can add a /W to the directory command. This will display your files into five columns on the screen.
Directions:
1. Type: dir/w and press Enter.
2. DOS will list only the name of you file and the file extension on the screen.
NOTE: Use this command when you are not concerned with looking at the file size or the date it was created.

5) Recall a DOS Command
The F3 function key can be used to recall the last DOS command you typed in. If you would like to retrieve a previously entered command, you can also press the up arrow key continuously until you reach the desired command you were looking for.
NOTE: You can also type out each letter in your last command by using the right arrow key or the right cursor key. After you use the F3 key to recall a command, you can use the backspace key to edit any part of the command or add to your command.

6) Print a Directory Listing
You can print a list of your files in your directory by instructing DOS to send the information to your printer.
Directions:

1. Type: dir>prn and press Enter.

2. The > symbol stands for output. The PRN stands for printer.

NOTE: You can print a wide listing of your files by typing dir/w>prn
Laser-jet printers and other sheet-feeder printers will not eject the page after the dir>prn command. You must take the printer off-line and press the form feed button. Remember to press the on-line button when you are done in order to continue using the printer.

7) Check for a Single File
Instead of using the directory command to look for one particular file, you can type the name of the file after the DIR command at the C:\> prompt.
Directions:
1. Make sure that you are at your C:\> prompt.
2. Type: dir format.com (filename.extension) and press Enter.
3. The screen will display a listing of the file or a file not found message.

8) Check for a Group of Files
The * symbol is referred to as a wildcard and stands for any character or group of characters. This is helpful when you want to list files that start with a particular letter or group.
Directions:
1. Type: dir c* and press Enter.
2. All filenames that begin with the letter C will be listed.
3. Press the F3 key.
4. Press Backspace two times and replace C* with A* and press Enter.
5. All filenames that begin with the letter A are listed.

9) List Files with the Same Extensions
You can also use the wildcard character * to look for a group of files with the same extension.
Directions:
1. Type: dir *.sys and press Enter.
2. All files with the .sys extension are listed.
3. Press the F3 key.
4. Backspace three times and replace the .bat extension with the .bat extension and press Enter.
5. All files with the .bat extension should now be listed.

10) Clear the Screen
When the screen get full of information and you may want to clear the screen. To do this, type CLS at the C:\> prompt and press Enter.