TYPE (DOS command) explained

type
Developer:	Various open-source and commercial developers
Operating System:	RT-11, OS/8, RSX-11, TOPS-10, TOPS-20, VMS, CP/M, MP/M, CDOS, TRIPOS, HDOS, AmigaDOS, DOS, MSX-DOS, FlexOS, PC-MOS, SpartaDOS X, 4690 OS, OS/2, Windows, AROS, ReactOS, SymbOS
Platform:	Cross-platform
Genre:	Command
License:	PC-MOS: GPLv3 AROS: AROS Public ReactOS: GPLv2

In computing, is a command in various command-line interpreters (shells) such as [[COMMAND.COM]], [[cmd.exe]], 4DOS/4NT and Windows PowerShell used to display the contents of specified files on the computer terminal. The analogous Unix command is .

Implementations

The command is available in the operating systems DEC RT-11,^[1] OS/8,^[2] RSX-11,^[3] TOPS-10,^[4] TOPS-20,^[5] VMS, Digital Research CP/M,^[6] MP/M,^{[7] [8]} MetaComCo TRIPOS,^[9] Heath Company HDOS,^[10] AmigaDOS,^[11] DOS, FlexOS,^[12] TSL PC-MOS,^[13] SpartaDOS X,^[14] IBM/Toshiba 4690 OS,^[15] IBM OS/2, Microsoft Windows,^[16] ReactOS,^[17] AROS,^[18] and SymbOS.^[19]

The type command is supported by Tim Paterson's SCP 86-DOS.^[20] On MS-DOS, the command is available in versions 1 and later.^[21] DR DOS 6.0 also includes an implementation of the command.^[22]

It is also available in the open source MS-DOS emulator DOSBox and the EFI shell.^[23]

In Windows PowerShell, is a predefined command alias for the Cmdlet which basically serves the same purpose. originated as an internal command in 86-DOS.

The command-syntax and feature set between operating systems and command shell implementations can differ as can be seen in the following examples.

DEC RT-11

In Digital Equipment Corporation's RT-11, the command accepts up to six input file specifications. Multiple file specifications are separated with commas.

The default filetype is .LST. Wildcards are accepted in place of filenames or filetypes.

Syntax

The command-syntax on RT-11 is: TYPE[/options] filespecs

• '''COPIES:n''' – Specify the number of times the file will be typed
• '''DELETE''' – Delete the file after typing it
• '''LOG''' – Log the names of the files typed
• '''NEWFILES''' – Only files dated with the current system date will be typed
• '''NOLOG''' – Suppress the log of the files typed
• '''QUERY''' – Require confirmation before typing each file
• '''WAIT''' – Wait for user response before proceeding with the type

Examples

TYPE/COPIES:3 REPORT

TYPE/NEWFILES *.LST

DR CP/M, MP/M, FlexOS

In Digital Research CP/M, the command expands tabs and line-feed characters (CTRL-I), assuming tab positions are set at every eighth column.

The command does not support wildcard characters on FlexOS.

Syntax

The command-syntax on CP/M is: TYPE ufn

Note: ufn = unambiguous file reference

In MP/M, the command has a pause mode. It is specified by entering a 'P' followed by two decimal digits after the filename. The specified number of lines will be displayed and then the command will pause until a carriage return is entered.

Examples

A>TYPE FILE.PLM

A>TYPE B:X.PRN

0A>TYPE CODE.ASM P23

TSL PC-MOS

The Software Link's PC-MOS includes an implementation of TYPE. Like the rest of the operating system, it is licensed under the GPL v3.^[24] It supports an option to display the file content in hexadecimal form.

Syntax

The command-syntax on PC-MOS is:

.TYPE filename [/h]

• '''filename''' – The name of the file to display
• '''/h''' – Display content in hexadecimal form

Examples

[A:\].TYPE FILE.BIN /h

Microsoft Windows, OS/2, ReactOS

The command supports wildcard characters. In Microsoft Windows and OS/2 it includes the filename in the output when typing multiple files.

Syntax

The command-syntax on Microsoft Windows and ReactOS is:

type [Drive:][Path]FileName

• '''[Drive:][Path]FileName''' – This parameter specifies the location and name of the file or files to view. Multiple file names need to be separated with spaces.
• '''/?''' – This parameter displays help for the command.

Examples

C:\>type "my report.txt"

C:\>type *.txt

See also

• List of DOS commands
• List of Unix commands

Further reading

• Book: Townsend. Carl. Practical Guide to CP/M. 1983. Dilithium Press. 978-0880560771.
• Book: Kathy Ivens. Brian Proffit. 1993. OS/2 Inside & Out. Osborne McGraw-Hill. 9780078818714.
• Book: John Paul Mueller. 2007. Windows Administration at the Command Line for Windows Vista, Windows 2003, Windows XP, and Windows 2000. John Wiley & Sons. 978-0470165799.

External links

• type | Microsoft Docs

Notes and References

1. Web site: RT-11 HELP FILE. paleoferrosaurus.com. 2018-07-16. 2018-07-17. https://web.archive.org/web/20180717041552/http://paleoferrosaurus.com/beta/documents/rt11help.html#TYPE. dead.
2. "Concise Command Language" (CCL).Web site: OS/8 Handbook . April 1974 . 28 November 2017.
3. Book: RSX A Guide for Users . 1987 . John F. Pieper . Digital Equipment Corporation . 0-932376-90-8 . 2020-09-19.
4. Book: TOPS-10 Operating System Commands Manual . August 1980 . Digital Equipment Corporation . 2019-02-17 . 2020-08-09 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200809145058/http://scandocs.trailing-edge.com/tops10-aa-0916d-tb.pdf . dead .
5. Web site: TOPS-20 Command manual. 2018-07-18. 2020-08-09. https://web.archive.org/web/20200809103116/http://www.textfiles.com/bitsavers/pdf/dec/pdp10/TOPS20/V6.1/AA-FP65A-TM_tops20CmdsRef.pdf. dead.
6. Web site: Manual. www.cpm.z80.de . 2020-09-19.
7. Book: Digital Research . Digital Research . MP/M - Multi-Programming Monitor Control Program - User's Guide . July 1981 . 1979 . 4 . . Pacific Grove, CA, USA . 2017-01-04 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20170104231702/http://www.cpm.z80.de/manuals/mpm1ug01.pdf . 2017-01-04.
8. Book: Digital Research . Digital Research . MP/M-86 Operating System - User's Guide . 1981-09-25 . 1 . . Pacific Grove, CA, USA . 2017-01-04 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20170104172228/http://bitsavers.informatik.uni-stuttgart.de/pdf/digitalResearch/mpm-86/MPM-86_Users_Guide_Sep81.pdf . 2017-01-04.
9. Web site: Manual . www.pagetable.com . 2020-09-19.
10. Web site: Software Reference Manual HDOS SYSTEM Chapter 2 General Operations . en . Heath Company . Heath Company . 2020-02-08 . 2017-08-07 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170807205702/http://sebhc.lesbird.com/documentation/software/HDOS-2/HDOS_Reference_Chapter2.pdf . dead .
11. Book: AmigaDOS quick reference. Hannes. Rügheimer. Christian. Spanik. September 19, 1988. Grand Rapids, Mi : Abacus. 9781557550491. Internet Archive.
12. Book: FlexOS User's Guide Version 1.3 . November 1986 . 1073-2003-001 . 1 . 1.3 . . 2019-04-23 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20190330205506/http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/digitalResearch/flexos/1073-2003_FlexOS_Users_Guide_V1.3_Nov86.pdf . 2019-03-30.
13. Web site: roelandjansen/pcmos386v501. GitHub. 2 January 2022.
14. http://sdx.atari8.info/sdx_files/4.48/SDX448_User_Guide.pdf SpartaDOS X 4.48 User Guide
15. Web site: Users guide . archive.org. PDF. 2020-09-19.
16. Web site: Microsoft TechNet Type article. 11 September 2009 .
17. Web site: reactos/reactos. GitHub. 3 January 2022.
18. Web site: AROS Research Operating System. aros.sourceforge.io.
19. Web site: Data sheet . www.symbos.de. 2020-09-19.
20. Book: 86-DOS - Disk Operating System for the 8086 - User's Manual . Preliminary . Version 0.3 . 1980 . . Seattle, Washington, USA . 2019-07-14 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20190714004434/http://www.patersontech.com/dos/docs/86_Dos_usr_03.pdf . 2019-07-14. (59 pages)
21. Book: Wolverton. Van. Running MS-DOS Version 6.22 (20th Anniversary Edition), 6th Revised edition. 2003. Microsoft Press. 0-7356-1812-7.
22. https://www.4corn.co.uk/archive/docs/DR%20DOS%206.0%20User%20Guide-opt.pdf DR DOS 6.0 User Guide Optimisation and Configuration Tips
23. Web site: EFI Shells and Scripting . . 2013-09-25.
24. Web site: pcmos386v501: PC-MOS/386 v5.01 final release including cdrom driver sources. Roeland. Jansen. 8 February 2018. GitHub.