move (command)
In computing, move
is a command in various command-line interpreters (shells) such as COMMAND.COM
, cmd.exe
,[1] 4DOS/4NT, and PowerShell. It is used to move one or more files or directories from one place to another.[2] The original file is deleted, and the new file may have the same or a different name. The command is analogous to the Unix mv
command and to the OpenVOS move_file
and move_dir
commands.[3]
The ReactOS move command | |
Developer(s) | Microsoft, IBM, JP Software, DR, Novell, Joe Cosentino, ReactOS Contributors |
---|---|
Operating system | MS-DOS, PC DOS, MSX-DOS, OS/2, Windows, DR DOS, FreeDOS, ReactOS |
Type | Command |
Implementations
The command is available in DOS,[4] IBM OS/2,[5] Microsoft Windows and ReactOS.[6] On MS-DOS, the command is available in versions 6 and later.[7] In Windows PowerShell, move
is a predefined command alias for the Move-Item
Cmdlet which basically serves the same purpose. The FreeDOS version was developed by Joe Cosentino.[8] DR DOS 6.0 includes an implementation of the move
command.[9] The open-source MS-DOS emulator DOSBox has no MOVE
command. Instead, the REN
command can be used to move files.[10]
Syntax
To move one or more files:
MOVE [/Y | /-Y] [drive:][path]filename1[,...] destination
To rename a directory:
MOVE [/Y | /-Y] [drive:][path]dirname1 [destination\]dirname2
To move a directory:
MOVE [/Y | /-Y] [drive:][path]dirname1 destination
Parameters
- [drive:][path]filename1: Specifies the location and name of the file or files you want to move.
- destination: Specifies the new location of the file or directory. Destination can consist of a drive letter and colon, a directory name, or a combination, and must already exist. If you are moving only one file, you can also include a filename if you want to rename the file when you move it.
- [drive:][path]dirname1: Specifies the directory you want to rename or move.
- dirname2: Specifies the new name of the directory.
- /Y: Suppresses prompting to confirm you want to overwrite an existing destination file.
- /-Y: Causes prompting to confirm you want to overwrite an existing destination file.
The switch /Y may be present in the COPYCMD environment variable. This may be overridden with /-Y on the command line. Default is to prompt on overwrites unless MOVE command is being executed from within a batch script.
Notes
- When moving a directory, dirname1 and its contents wind up as a subfolder beneath destination. Caution is advised - if the final subfolder of the destination path does not exist, dirname1 will be both moved and renamed.
References
- "Move". Microsoft Docs. Archived from the original on 2017-08-26. Retrieved 2017-08-26. Microsoft TechNet Move article
- MS-DOS and Windows command line move command
- "OpenVOS Commands Reference Manual" (PDF). StrataDOC Online Documentation Service for Stratus Products. pp. 2–552, 2–558. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2019-09-22. Retrieved October 1, 2019.
move_dir: Purpose: This command moves a directory and its contents from one place to another. ... move_file: Purpose: This command moves a file or set of files to another file or directory.
- Jamsa, Kris A. (1993), DOS: The Complete Reference, Osborne McGraw-Hill, p. 206, ISBN 0078819040, archived from the original on 2018-01-25.
- http://www.jatomes.com/Help/Os2Cmd.php#MOVE
- "reactos/move.c at master". GitHub. Archived from the original on 2019-10-01.
- Wolverton, Van (2003). Running MS-DOS Version 6.22 (20th Anniversary Edition), 6th Revised edition. Microsoft Press. ISBN 0-7356-1812-7.
- http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/micro/pc-stuff/freedos/files/distributions/1.2/repos/pkg-html/move.html
- "DR DOS 6.0 User Guide Optimisation and Configuration Tips" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-09-30. Retrieved 2019-08-12.
- Commands - DOSBoxWiki
Further reading
- Wolverton, Van (1990). MS-DOS Commands: Microsoft Quick Reference, 4th Revised edition. Microsoft Press. ISBN 978-1556152894.
- Kathy Ivens; Brian Proffit (1993). OS/2 Inside & Out. Osborne McGraw-Hill. ISBN 978-0078818714.
- Frisch, Æleen (2001). Windows 2000 Commands Pocket Reference. O'Reilly. ISBN 978-0-596-00148-3.
External links
Wikibooks has a book on the topic of: Guide to Windows Commands |