Overview

In this tutorial, we will learn about the MS-DOS directory command.  The directory command is dir. The MS-DOS directory command displays the list of files and subfolders (subdirectories) in the current or specified directory.

MS-DOS Directory Command

The directory command displays the contents of the directory. It lists the files, sub-directories, and other information in a directory or folder. The directory command is like a table of contents in a book.

Syntax

The basic syntax for the directory command is as follows:

\> dir [drive:][path][filename] [/A[:attributes]] options

Square brackets [ ] indicate optional parameters and : (colon) indicates that an additional value can be provided in the command.

Examples

This example will list all the files and subdirectories in the current directory. The steps to follow are:

• Open the command prompt and issue the following command.
• At the command prompt type, dir and press ENTER key.

\> dir

 

This directory will list the following information:

• Date and time the file was last updated.
• <DIR> to indicate whether the entry is a directory.
• Size of each file
• File name or directory name with the file extension

 

The list of files will scroll up and off the screen. The summary of the files and directories is displayed at the end of the listing. A line that shows the number of bytes free on the hard drive.

Search Files

To search for files with a particular pattern, you can use wildcards. For example,

\> dir *.exe

lists the executable files in the current directory.

 

 

To list files with a specific pattern. For example, to list files and sub-directories that start with the letter ‘w’.

\> dir w*

 

Pagination

The /p option with the dir command in MS-DOS pauses after each screenful of information. It allows you to review the contents page by page and press a key (often the spacebar) to continue viewing the next page.

\> dir /p

 

Wide list format

The /w option is used to display a wide list format. It displays the files and directories in a more compact, horizontally aligned format, making it easy for more entries on a single line.

/> dir /w

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More information on the MS-DOS commands:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_DOS_commands