Last month I began an examination of AmigaDOS and MS-DOS. As I continue that examination, I would like to turn to several common commands used by both systems: DIR, COPY, DELETE, MAKEDIR, RENAME, and CD. I will examine the syntax of the commands for both systems, and I will assume that you are familiar with syntax structure. I will then point out the differences that exist.
I don't know about you, but the command I use most is DIR, so let's begin with it. For AmigaDOS, the syntax is
DIR [<dir|pattern>] [OPT A|I|AI|D|F] [ALL] [DIRS] [FILES]
[INTER]
Basically, AmigaDOS will list all of the contents of a directory, both files and subdirectories, using this command. The directories will be listed first, in random order, followed by the files, listed in alphabetical order. The options allow you to display all subdirectories and their files [ALL option], display only directories [DIRS option], display only files [FILES option], and to enter an interactive listing mode [INTER option]. The interactive listing takes you into each directory and subdirectory and allows you to act upon files as you go.
When you execute DIR from the MS-DOS prompt, all files and directories within the current directory are listed in what appears to me to be random order. There is no separation into files or directories, and items are not alphabetized. Although the syntax for DIR in MS-DOS is fairly long, I want to show it below:
DIR [drive:][path][filename] [/P][/W][/A[[:]attributes]]
[/O[[:]sortorder]] [/S][/B][/L]
[drive:][path][filename]
specifies drive, directory, and/or files to list.
/PPauses after each screenful of information.
/WUses wide list format.
/ADisplays files with specified attributes.
attributesD DirectoriesR Read-only files
H Hidden filesA Files ready for
archiving
S System files- Prefix meaning
"not"
/OList by files in sorted order.
sortorderN By name S By size (small-
(alphabetic) est first.
E By extensionD By date & tiime
(alphabetic) (earliest first)
G Group direct-- Prefix to reverse
ories first order.
/SDisplays files in specified directory and all
subdirectories.
/BUses bare format (no heading information or summary).
/LUses lowercase.
Switches may be preset in the DIRCMD environment variable.
Override preset switches by prefixing any switch with -
(hyphen) -- for example, /-W.
That is certainly a mouthful. Really, for what each does, AmigaDOS (A-DOS henceforth) DIR does about the same that MS-DOS does. Since A-DOS already alphabetizes its files, there is no need to summon a switch to do so as you must with MS-DOS. When I use MS-DOS, I always add the /O switch to order things unless I know that the directory I am looking at is fairly small. I don't have to do this with A-DOS. But MS-DOS does allow you to list files by date and size order, and I must admit that I like that very much. And, although not part of the DIR command, MS-DOS does allow you to "hide" files (make them invisible) while allowing you to list them with a DIR switch. Of course, this is only good if others sharing your machine are not very computer literate. And one more thing I like about MS-DOS is the /p switch, which causes the listing to pause at the end of each screen.
As far as ease of use, the A-DOS version is better because you do not have to summon any options to separate files from directories. Also, the interactive mode is superb, especially when you are cleaning old files from your disk or doing other maintainence type work. I used this option extensively in the very first article I ever wrote for this magazine. That article concerned stripping down your boot disk, and this option allowed me to enter each directory/subdirectory and delete any files that were not absolutely necessary. An option to allow you to sort files and directories by date and size would certainly be a nice addition, though.
The next command I want to examine is COPY. For A-DOS the syntax is
By using the ALL option, you can copy all subdirectories as well as files within a directory. The other options perform other little tasks not normally needed.
The MS-DOS version of COPY has the following syntax:
To append files, specify a single file for destination, but
multiple files for source (using wildcards or file1+file2+
file3 format).
MS-DOS copy does about the same as A-DOS copy. It has a shortcoming, though. It will not copy subdirectories and their contents. To do this in MS-DOS, you must use another command called XCOPY (along with a couple of switches). However, you can combine files using COPY in MS-DOS, something you cannot do with the A-DOS version. In A-DOS, you use the JOIN command to accomplish this.
Now, how do we stand? As regards DIR, I prefer A-DOS when used in its bare form. However, with all the switches available in the MS-DOS version, it has more power overall. As regards the COPY command, A-DOS once again is my favorite in its bare form. However, the ability to combine files gives the MS-DOS version a slight advantage for those who need that option.
One more thing before closing for this month. Since I do normally use my Amiga more (it's at home), I am more comfortable with it. I tend to forget the syntax of MS-DOS commands, especially since when I do use an MS-DOS machine, I stay within Windows as much as possible. One thing I like about MS-DOS, though, is the complete syntax provided with the commands. You simply type the command in question, skip a space, then type "/?" and you receive a very detailed syntax, as illustrated in the two commands given above. In A-DOS, a cryptic looking template appears that remains a mystery except for experienced users. Such a thorough syntax would probably be quite helpful on Amigas for newcomers.
