In this tutorial, we will explore how to use aliases in the Windows command prompt. An alias is a shortcut or an alternative name for a command or program that can be used to simplify the process of running frequently used commands.
What are Aliases?
Aliases are user-defined shortcuts that allow you to run commands with fewer keystrokes. They are particularly useful when working with long paths or complex commands. For example, instead of typing notepad++.exe filename.txt every time you want to open a file in Notepad++, you can create an alias called np and use it like this: np filename.txt.
Creating Aliases
To create an alias in Windows command prompt, you can use the doskey command. The basic syntax for creating an alias is:
doskey alias=name command $*
Here, alias is the name of the shortcut, name is the actual command or program, and $* represents any arguments that will be passed to the command.
For example, to create an alias called np for Notepad++, you can use the following command:
doskey np=notepad++.exe $*
This will allow you to run Notepad++ with the np command followed by the filename.
Making Aliases Persistent
By default, aliases created using the doskey command are only available for the current session. To make them persistent across sessions, you can add the doskey commands to a batch file and configure Windows to run this batch file every time you open a new command prompt window.
One way to do this is to create a file called alias.cmd with the following content:
@echo off
doskey np=notepad++.exe $*
Then, you need to add the path to this batch file to the Windows registry. You can do this by running the following command in the registry editor (regedit):
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor]
"AutoRun"="%USERPROFILE%\alias.cmd"
Alternatively, you can create a .reg file with the above content and run it to update the registry.
Using Batch Files as Aliases
Another way to create aliases is by using batch files. You can create a batch file for each alias you want to create and add it to a directory that is included in your system’s PATH environment variable.
For example, you can create a batch file called np.bat with the following content:
@echo off
notepad++.exe %*
Then, you need to add the directory where this batch file is located to your system’s PATH environment variable. This will allow you to run the alias by simply typing np filename.txt.
Best Practices
When creating aliases, it’s a good idea to follow some best practices:
- Use meaningful and descriptive names for your aliases.
- Keep your aliases organized by storing them in a separate batch file or directory.
- Test your aliases thoroughly to ensure they work as expected.
- Consider using a version control system to keep track of changes to your aliases.
Conclusion
In this tutorial, we have covered how to use aliases in the Windows command prompt. We have explored two methods for creating aliases: using the doskey command and using batch files. We have also discussed how to make aliases persistent across sessions and provided some best practices for managing aliases.