Is CMD subset of Windows PowerShell?

[yungman]

Hi

I never learn CMD all these years. I am getting a little more into computer, PowerShell is completely new to me. I just want to get opinions from you experts whether I should learn PowerShell or just learn CMD.

I read articles that CMD literally a subset of PowerShell.

I am not that into IT or anything, just want to learn a little. Should I just learn CMD alone?

Thanks

 

[berkeman]

I've mostly use CMD in my work, but also looked briefly at Powershell a couple years ago for some specialized tasks. Others can give you good answers, but I did a Google search on CMD vs Powershell and got lots of good hits:

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-e&q=cmd+vs+powershell&bshm=rimc/1

 

[yungman]

I've mostly use CMD in my work, but also looked briefly at Powershell a couple years ago for some specialized tasks. Others can give you good answers, but I did a Google search on CMD vs Powershell and got lots of good hits:

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-e&q=cmd+vs+powershell&bshm=rimc/1

So CMD is more popular? I don't want to learn more than I need. I just want some idea. I learn computer after DOS, never get into it before. Just want to learn some.

Thanks

 

[berkeman]

So CMD is more popular? I don't want to learn more than I need.

You should know by now that you should not trust my word on this stuff...

CMD commands are pretty fundamental to using Windows/DOS boxes and scripting. When I looked at Powershell I was trying to figure out how to use the linux "expect" command reliably on Windows. It's a more advanced command that you would only look at using in specialized circumstances, IMO.

 

[sbrothy]

You should know by now that you should not trust my word on this stuff...

CMD commands are pretty fundamental to using Windows/DOS boxes and scripting. When I looked at Powershell I was trying to figure out how to use the linux "expect" command reliably on Windows. It's a more advanced command that you would only look at using in specialized circumstances, IMO.

I've been away from Windows for a long time (I'm happy to say. POSIX offers so much more control but of course Windows is still an industry standard and won't be going away anytime soon.)

There's a lot of easily accessible information about the differences between PowerShell and CMD:

Just off the top of google:

How PowerShell Differs From the Windows Command Prompt

What's new in PowerShell Docs for 2023PS.:

Is "debug" also a command in PowerShell? :)

 

[yungman]

You should know by now that you should not trust my word on this stuff...

CMD commands are pretty fundamental to using Windows/DOS boxes and scripting. When I looked at Powershell I was trying to figure out how to use the linux "expect" command reliably on Windows. It's a more advanced command that you would only look at using in specialized circumstances, IMO.

I think I am going to learn CMD first. I already starting to learn how to change directory like file explorer using "cd" and "cd..". Using TAB to do shortcut.

Thanks

 

[yungman]

You should know by now that you should not trust my word on this stuff...

CMD commands are pretty fundamental to using Windows/DOS boxes and scripting. When I looked at Powershell I was trying to figure out how to use the linux "expect" command reliably on Windows. It's a more advanced command that you would only look at using in specialized circumstances, IMO.

I learned some of the commands in CMD like cd, TAB to scroll through directory alphabetically, dir, cls, dir * etc. They ALL work in Powershell. So far the only one that doesn't work is "/a" to view hidden files.

I am not done yet, I only gone through 1/2 of the 9 part series on CMD commands.

 

[Tom.G]

Try the /? option to dir. dir /?

Many (all?) commands, and even programs, accept the /? to show a list and descriptions of their known options.

Cheers,
Tom

 

[Mark44]

So CMD is more popular?

It's older and a lot less sophisticated than PowerShell. The CMD commands date from the time before Windows was released when IBM PC clones ran some form of DOS, like PC-DOS or MSDOS.