Home | Resource Guides | Tech Tips | Network Administration | Certification

Tech Tips › Windows NT › Tools and Tasks

Tech Tips / Windows NT / Tools and Tasks

Command-line cool tricks

Sometimes the old way is the best way, and using the command line is certainly an old but good trick. But what do you do, while working at the prompt of yesteryear, when you need to print a text file? How do you print the file without leaving the command prompt?

There are actually several ways to print a text file while working at the command prompt. Assuming the file you want to print (for this example, let's call it TextFile.txt) is in your current folder, you can type print TextFile.txt and press [Enter]. Be sure to include the extension.

Now for another trick: If you'd like to edit the file before you print it, type edit TextFile.txt and press [Enter]. This opens MS-DOS Edit. Edit the file and then press [Alt]F, P to print it. If you'd prefer to use Notepad, you can do this from the command prompt as well. Just type Notepad TextFile.txt, press [Enter], and Notepad will open with TextFile.txt loaded!

Who says old DOS dogs don't know some cool tricks?