2.4 Directory Commands:

RMDIR (RD) (Remove Directory)

Type: Internal

Syntax: RMDIR [d:]path

Purpose: Removes a subdirectory.

Discussion

RMDIR removes directories that are empty. To determine if a directory is empty, use the DIR command to display the directory’s contents. For example, to determine if the directory books is empty, enter

dir c:\books

The display of an empty directory should look like this:

Volume in drive C is IBM_PRELOAD

Directory of C:\books

. DIR 3-05-01 1:23p

.. DIR 3-05-01 1:23p

0 File(s) 0 bytes

2 Dir(s) 1,944,432,640 bytes free

Example

To remove the directory books from drive C, enter

RD c:\books

To remove the directory ACCOUNTS that is within the BPB directory on drive C, enter

RD c:\bpb\accounts

TREE (Display Directory)

Type: External

Syntax: TREE [d:][path] [/A][/F]

Purpose: Displays directory paths and (optionally) files in each subdirectory.

Discussion

When you use the TREE command each directory name is displayed along with the names of any subdirectories within it. The display will be in a format like the summary below. (Different versions of DOS may display the data in a slightly different format.)

First, the root directory and the directories within it are listed (directory names listed in a five column display):

DIRECTORY PATH LISTING FOR VOLUME (volume name)

Path is C:

Then each directory within the root is listed:

Path is: C:\(directory name)

Options

/A - Specifies that alternative characters (plus signs, hyphens, and vertical bars) be used to draw the tree diagram so that it can be printed by printers that don`t support the line-drawing and box-drawing characters (DOS Versions 4 and 5).

/F - Displays the names of the files found within each directory listed.

Example

To list the directories on the disk in drive A, enter

Tree a:

PATH

Type: Internal

Syntax:  PATH; PATH [d:]path[;][d:]path[...]

Purpose: Sets or displays directories that will be searched for programs not in the current directory.

Discussion

PATH tells DOS which directories should be searched for external commands after DOS searches your working directory. DOS searches the paths in the order specified in the PATH command.

If you enter the PATH command without options , the program will display the currently set path designations.

Examples

To tell DOS to search for external DOS commands and other executable programs in the PROGRAM directory that is within the root directory on drive C, enter

path c:\program

You can tell DOS to search more than one path by specifying several pathnames separated by semicolons. For example:

path \program;\books;\accounts

To reset the path designation so that DOS will search only the current directory, enter

Path;