command.com vs cmd.exe (was Re: Error on system() in fP 5.0.14 Win32 - Need Help)

[Kenneth Brody]

On 9/2/2010 10:19 AM, John Esak wrote:
[...]
> Seconed thing.  The reason I always use "cmd" nistead of command in the
> Windows Run Dialoog or when calling it from any process is that "cmd" will
> allow you to CD (change directory) to a path that contains SPACES in it, and
> "command" will not.  This is usually very important.
[...]

Well, my 64-bit Win7 box finally no longer includes command.com, though I 
don't know if it's a Win7 thing, or a 64-bit thing.  My 32-bit Vista system 
still had command.com on it.

The reason command.com doesn't take paths with spaces in it is because it 
only knows about 8.3 filenames.

For example, if I'm using cmd.exe at the "c:\program files\mozilla 
thunderbird" directory, with the prompt being the path, I might see:

     c:\program files\mozilla thunderbird > command.com
     Windows version something-or-other
     Copyright (c) whatever...
     c:\PROGRA~1\MOZILL~2 >

It also doesn't have all the newer features that cmd.exe has, being the same 
old command.com from MS-DOS days.  While cmd.exe is far short of something 
like bash, it's light years ahead of command.com's limits.

-- 
Kenneth Brody