Revise your DIR command to display newest files first

When you type DIR at the DOS prompt you get a display of the directory you are in, as well as any subdirectories under that directory. You can revise your DIR display so that newest files come first (subdirectories are listed at the bottom), and the display pauses after each screen automatically. To do this, place the following line in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file.

SET DIRCMD=/o:-g-d/p

/o -- List by files in sorted order

-g -- Group directories last by using the - prefix

-d -- Sort files by date and time, listing the newest files first by using the - prefix

/p -- Pauses after each screen of information This command presets the DIR parameters and switches (the switches are the modifying commands like /p above, that modify the DIR command). You can use any valid combination of DIR parameters and switches with the SET DIRCMD command, including the location and name of a file.

You can change the DIRCMD default settings by typing the SET command at the DOS prompt with a new parameter or switch after the equal sign (=). The new default settings are effective for all subsequent DIR commands until you use SET DIRCMD again on the command line or until you restart DOS. To clear all default settings, type the following command:

set dircmd=

To get a list of the variables you can use and the proper syntax for DOS commands, simply type the command name followed by /? at the DOS prompt. For example, to get help for the MODE command, type MODE /?.

Tom Gibson Technical Editor tom_gibson@thaddeus.com (Thanks to Beverley Howard and Alexander Gutenfield)