Copy (command)
Encyclopedia
In computing
,
in RT-11
, RSX-11
, OpenVMS
, DOS
, OS/2
and Microsoft Windows
operating system
s. The command copies computer file
s from one directory
to another. The destination defaults to the current working directory
. If more than one source file is indicated, the destination must be a directory. The equivalent Unix
command is
Files may be copied to device files (e.g.
on lpt1.
the files and output them as
There are two command-line switches to modify the behaviour when concatenating files:
copy /a doc1.txt + doc2.txt doc3.txt
copy /b image1.jpg + image2.jpg image3.jpg
Computing
Computing is usually defined as the activity of using and improving computer hardware and software. It is the computer-specific part of information technology...
,
copy is a commandCommand (computing)
In computing, a command is a directive to a computer program acting as an interpreter of some kind, in order to perform a specific task. Most commonly a command is a directive to some kind of command line interface, such as a shell....
in RT-11
RT-11
RT-11 was a small, single-user real-time operating system for the Digital Equipment Corporation PDP-11 family of 16-bit computers...
, RSX-11
RSX-11
RSX-11 is a family of real-time operating systems mainly for PDP-11 computers created by Digital Equipment Corporation , common in the late 1970s and early 1980s. RSX-11D first appeared on the PDP-11/40 in 1972...
, OpenVMS
OpenVMS
OpenVMS , previously known as VAX-11/VMS, VAX/VMS or VMS, is a computer server operating system that runs on VAX, Alpha and Itanium-based families of computers. Contrary to what its name suggests, OpenVMS is not open source software; however, the source listings are available for purchase...
, DOS
DOS
DOS, short for "Disk Operating System", is an acronym for several closely related operating systems that dominated the IBM PC compatible market between 1981 and 1995, or until about 2000 if one includes the partially DOS-based Microsoft Windows versions 95, 98, and Millennium Edition.Related...
, OS/2
OS/2
OS/2 is a computer operating system, initially created by Microsoft and IBM, then later developed by IBM exclusively. The name stands for "Operating System/2," because it was introduced as part of the same generation change release as IBM's "Personal System/2 " line of second-generation personal...
and Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
operating system
Operating system
An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
s. The command copies computer file
File copying
In the realm of computer file management, file copying is the creation of a new file which has the same content as an existing file.All computer operating systems include file copying provisions in the user interface, like the command, "cp" in Unix and "copy" in MS-DOS; operating systems with a...
s from one directory
Directory (file systems)
In computing, a folder, directory, catalog, or drawer, is a virtual container originally derived from an earlier Object-oriented programming concept by the same name within a digital file system, in which groups of computer files and other folders can be kept and organized.A typical file system may...
to another. The destination defaults to the current working directory
Working directory
In computing, the working directory of a process is a directory of a hierarchical file system, if any, dynamically associated with each process. When the process refers to a file using a simple file name or relative path , the reference is interpreted relative to the current working directory of...
. If more than one source file is indicated, the destination must be a directory. The equivalent Unix
Unix
Unix is a multitasking, multi-user computer operating system originally developed in 1969 by a group of AT&T employees at Bell Labs, including Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie, Brian Kernighan, Douglas McIlroy, and Joe Ossanna...
command is
cpCp (Unix)cp is a UNIX command used to copy a file. Files can be copied either to the same directory or to a completely different directory, possibly on a different file system or hard disk drive. If the file is copied to the same directory, the new file must have a different name to the original; in all...
. A more advanced copy command is called xcopyXCOPYIn computing, Xcopy is a command used on PC DOS, MS-DOS, OS/2, Microsoft Windows, and related operating systems for copying multiple files or entire directory trees from one directory to another and for copying files across a network...
.Example for PC-DOS
copy letter.txt [destination]Files may be copied to device files (e.g.
copy letter.txt lpt1 sends the file to the printerComputer printer
In computing, a printer is a peripheral which produces a text or graphics of documents stored in electronic form, usually on physical print media such as paper or transparencies. Many printers are primarily used as local peripherals, and are attached by a printer cable or, in most new printers, a...
on lpt1.
copy letter.txt con would output to stdout, like the typeType (command)In computing, type is a command in various VMS. AmigaDOS, CP/M, DOS, OS/2 and Microsoft Windows command line interpreters such as COMMAND.COM, cmd.exe, 4DOS/4NT and Windows PowerShell. It is used to display the contents of specified files...
command. Note that copy page1.txt+page2.txt book.txt will concatenateConcatenation
In computer programming, string concatenation is the operation of joining two character strings end-to-end. For example, the strings "snow" and "ball" may be concatenated to give "snowball"...
the files and output them as
book.txt. Which is just like the catCat (Unix)The cat command is a standard Unix program used to concatenate and display files. The name is from catenate, a synonym of concatenate.- Specification :...
command.There are two command-line switches to modify the behaviour when concatenating files:
- Text mode - This copies the text content of the file, stopping when it reaches the EOFEnd-of-fileIn computing, end of file is a condition in a computer operating system where no more data can be read from a data source...
character.
copy /a doc1.txt + doc2.txt doc3.txt
- Binary mode - This concatenates files in their entirety, ignoring EOF characters.
copy /b image1.jpg + image2.jpg image3.jpg
See also
- List of DOS commands
- List of Unix programs
- Peripheral Interchange ProgramPeripheral Interchange ProgramPeripheral Interchange Program was a utility to transfer files on and between devices on Digital Equipment Corporation's computers. It was first implemented on the PDP-6 architecture by Harrison "Dit" Morse early in the 1960s...