Dir (command)

In computing, dir (directory) is a command used for file and directory listing, specifically in the command line interface (CLI) of the RT-11, CP/M, VMS, DOS, OS/2 and Windows operating systems. It is analogous to the Unix ls command.

Because it is the primary means of displaying the files and directories on disk or other storage medium within a command window, the dir command is one of the most basic commands employed by users of the command line interface to MS-DOS and various versions of Windows. [cite web |url=http://www.tnd.com/camosun/elex130/dostutor1.html |title=Learning MS-DOS Basics - A Tutorial |accessdate=2007-08-08 |last=Baril |first=Suzanne |date=2000-01-10 ]

The dir command has existed as a DOS command since the initial release of MS-DOS. It is built into the DOS command shell, and is not provided as a separate standalone program.

In DOS and Microsoft Windows, dir checks for switches in the %dircmd% environment variable.

In Windows PowerShell, dir is a predefined command alias for the Get-ChildItem Cmdlet which basically serves the same purpose.

ee also

*Directory (OpenVMS command)
*List of Unix programs
*List of DOS commands

References