Z616 Comic Books and Their Readers, Spring 2025

Digital and Empirical Methods for Studying Readership and Fandom.

View project on GitHub

Windows Command Line Basics

  • list files/folders:
    • dir
    • example: typing dir while in the Desktop folder will show you all folder and files in Desktop
  • Where am I?:
    • Windows shows you where you are in the file path automatically - Or you can do cd %HOMEDRIVE%
  • use / or \ to separate folders
  • change directories
    • cd filepath
    • example: cd Desktop/IA to get to “IA” folder on Desktop
  • move up one directory
    • cd ..
    • example: If I’m in the IA folder in Desktop and want to go back up to Desktop, I used cd .. - Shortcut for homepath (C:\Users\username): %HOMEPATH% - example: cd %HOMEPATH% takes you back to C:\Users\Alex
      - example: In Desktop and want to get to William and Mary folder inside Documents - cd %HOMEPATH%\Documents\William and Mary\
  • create directories
    • md foldername
    • example: while in Desktop md Google_Books creates a folder called “Google_Books” in Desktop
  • create text file - copy con filename.txt - Type text directly in command prompt, hit Ctrl+Z and then Enter to save
    • echo textcontent > filename.txt - echo Hello World! > file1.txt
  • delete files
    • del filename
    • example: del file1.txt
  • copy files (to a new name, to a new directory)
    • copy filepath-from filepath-to
    • example: while in Desktop copy file1.txt IA\file1.txt
      • Copies file1.txt to IA folder in Desktop. There’s one copy in Desktop and one in IA
    • example: while in Desktop copy file1.txt IA\file2.txt
      • Copies file1.txt to IA folder in Desktop and renames as file2.txt. There’s one copy in Desktop and one in IA
  • move files
    • move filepath-from folder-to\
    • example: while in Desktop move file1.txt IA\
      • Moves file1.txt from Desktop to IA folder
  • %PATH%: the list of directories/folders where the OS looks for commands when you type a command
    • Hit Start button and search for environmental variables so that “Edit the system environmental variables” comes up
    • Click “environmental variables”
    • In the system under “System variables”, select “Path” so it is highlighted, then click “Edit”. A new window will pop up
    • Click “New” and type the filepath to where the folder for the executable command is on your computer (usually you’ve installed it in one of the program files folder)
  • Commands must know the file path of images/documents they are working on. Providing complete path to files or being in the same directory as the files. Do that as part of copy or delete.
    • Example: To copy a file in Desktop you can…
      • navigate so that you are “in” the Desktop folder using cd. Then you only need to type the file name in the first part of copy: copy file1.txt C:\Users\Alex\Documents\file1.txt
      • Be in any folder and give the whole path to the Desktop: copy C:\Users\Alex\Desktop\file1.txt C:\Users\Alex\Documents\file1.txt
  • open a file in the GUI (graphic user interface) from the command line:
    • Just type filename with extension (e.g., file1.txt) and hit enter
  • Navigating inside the command prompt window
    • Use up arrow to display previous commands
    • Use left and right arrows to move cursor inside your command