Windows XP Hacks [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

Hack 32 Put a Command-Line Prompt on Your Desktop

Command-line junkies always want the command
prompt within easy reach. Here's how to put a
command prompt directly on your desktop, so it's
there whenever you need it.

If you use the command line
regularlyfor example, to launch Windows Explorer with
shortcuts [Hack #22]you'd
like the command line within easy reach. In fact,
you'd like it right on your desktop. XP has no
built-in way to do that for you.

But there's a great free program called
MCL (http://www.mlin.net/MCL.shtml) that runs as a
small command line you can put anywhere on your desktop, as shown in
Figure 3-26.

Figure 3-26. Putting the command line right on your desktop with MCL

Use it as you would use the normal command line, including any normal
switches that you use to launch programs.

But MCL does more than just
let you enter commands. It includes a number of other goodies that
the XP command prompt doesn't, including these:

It keeps a history of your last 100 commands, so you can easily
reenter or edit any commands you've already typed.

It includes an AutoComplete function that finishes your commands for
you.

It lets you launch URLs directly from the command line. If you type a
URL, your default browser will open to that URL.

It can be minimized to the System Notification area.

It can be launched with a hot key. The default is Ctrl-Alt-M.

The program has a few eccentricities you'll have to
keep in mind when using it. When executing a
DOS command, you have to
use the % prefix. For example, to copy a file from
C:\Favorite Files to
C:\Summer, you'd use this
command:

%copy C:\Favorite Files\Gabecamp.doc C:\Summer\Gabecamp.doc

To open to a specific directory in Windows Explorer, precede the
command with a $. So to open to
C:\Program Files, you'd issue
the command $C:\Program Files.

Command-line fans will also want to get a
copy of 4NT (http://www.jpsoft.com). Run it instead of the
normal command prompt and get countless new features, such as a
command-line editor for modifying and reexecuting previous commands;
the ability to copy, delete, and rename groups of files and
directories with a single command; a built-in file viewer; the
ability to select or include files by a variety of criteria,
including date, time, and size; the ability to append descriptions
(up to 511 characters) to files; and an exceedingly powerful batch
language. It's shareware and free to try, but if you
continue to use it, you're expected to pay $69.95.

3.13.1 See Also

The free Command Prompt Explorer
Bar (http://www.codeproject.com/csharp/CommandBar.asp)
lets you open a command-line toolbar from directly within Windows
Explorer. It combines the command line with Windows Explorer
navigation, so not only can you use the command line, but you can
also navigate through your PC using Explorer.