Aliases in Windows command prompt

Question

I have added notepad++.exe to my Path in Environment variables.

Now in command prompt, notepad++.exe filename.txt opens the filename

Answer 1

Console Aliases in Windows 10

To define a console alias, use Doskey.exe to create a macro, or use the AddConsoleAlias function.

doskey

doskey test=cd \a_very_long_path\test

To also pass parameters add $* at the end: doskey short=longname $*

AddConsoleAlias

AddConsoleAlias( TEXT("test"), 
                 TEXT("cd \\<a_very_long_path>\\test"), 
                 TEXT("cmd.exe"));

More information here Console Aliases, Doskey, Parameters

Answer 2

If you'd like to enable aliases on per-directory/per-project basis, try the following:

1. First, create a batch file that will look for a file named aliases in the current directory and initialize aliases from it, let’s call it make-aliases.cmd

   @echo off
   if not exist aliases goto:eof
   echo [Loading aliases...]
   for /f "tokens=1* delims=^=" %%i in (aliases) do (
      echo   %%i ^<^=^> %%j
      doskey %%i=%%j
   )
   doskey aliases=doskey /macros
   echo   --------------------
   echo   aliases ^=^> list  all
   echo   alt+F10 ^=^> clear all
   echo [Done]
   

2. Then, create aliases wherever you need them using the following format:

   alias1 = command1
   alias2 = command2
   ...
   

   for example:

   b = nmake
   c = nmake clean
   r = nmake rebuild
   

3. Then, add the location of make-aliases.cmd to your %PATH% variable to make it system-wide or just keep it in a known place.

4. Make it start automatically with cmd.

   • I would definitely advise against using HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor\AutoRun for this, because some development tools would trigger the autorun script multiple times per session.

   • If you use ConEmu you could go another way and start the script from the startup task (Settings > Startup > Tasks), for example, I created an entry called {MSVC}:

     cmd.exe /k "vcvars64 && make-aliases",

     and then registered it in Explorer context menu via Settings > Integration> with Command: {MSVC} -cur_console:n, so that now I can right-click a folder and launch a VS developer prompt inside it with my aliases loaded automatically, if they happen to be in that folder.

     Without ConEmu, you may just want to create a shortcut to cmd.exe with the corresponding command or simply run make-aliases manually every time.

Should you happen to forget your aliases, use the aliases macro, and if anything goes wrong, just reset the current session by pressing Alt+F10, which is a built-in command in cmd.

Answer 3

Expanding on roryhewitt answer.

An advantage to using .cmd files over DOSKEY is that these "aliases" are then available in other shells such as PowerShell or WSL (Windows subsystem for Linux).

The only gotcha with using these commands in bash is that it may take a bit more setup since you might need to do some path manipulation before calling your "alias".

eg I have vs.cmd which is my "alias" for editing a file in Visual Studio

@echo off
if [%1]==[] goto nofiles
start "" "c:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 
11.0\Common7\IDE\devenv.exe" /edit %1
goto end
:nofiles
start "" "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 
11.0\Common7\IDE\devenv.exe" "[PATH TO MY NORMAL SLN]"
:end

Which fires up VS (in this case VS2012 - but adjust to taste) using my "normal" project with no file given but when given a file will attempt to attach to a running VS opening that file "within that project" rather than starting a new instance of VS.

For using this from bash I then add an extra level of indirection since "vs Myfile" wouldn't always work

alias vs='/usr/bin/run_visual_studio.sh'

Which adjusts the paths before calling the vs.cmd

#!/bin/bash
cmd.exe /C 'c:\Windows\System32\vs.cmd' "`wslpath.sh -w -r $1`"

So this way I can just do

vs SomeFile.txt

In either a command prompt, Power Shell or bash and it opens in my running Visual Studio for editing (which just saves my poor brain from having to deal with VI commands or some such when I've just been editing in VS for hours).

Answer 4

You need to pass the parameters, try this:

doskey np=notepad++.exe $*

Edit (responding to Romonov's comment) Q: Is there any way I can make the command prompt remember so I don't have to run this each time I open a new command prompt?

doskey is a textual command that is interpreted by the command processor (e.g. cmd.exe), it can't know to modify state in some other process (especially one that hasn't started yet).

People that use doskey to setup their initial command shell environments typically use the /K option (often via a shortcut) to run a batch file which does all the common setup (like- set window's title, colors, etc).

cmd.exe /K env.cmd

env.cmd:

title "Foo Bar"
doskey np=notepad++.exe $*
...

Answer 5

Naturally, I would not rest until I have the most convenient solution of all. Combining the very many answers and topics on the vast internet, here is what you can have.

• Loads automatically with every instance of cmd
• Doesn't require keyword DOSKEY for aliases
  example: ls=ls --color=auto $*

Note that this is largely based on Argyll's answer and comments, definitely read it to understand the concepts.

How to make it work?

1. Create a mac macro file with the aliases
   you can even use a bat/cmd file to also run other stuff (similar to .bashrc in linux)
2. Register it in Registry to run on each instance of cmd
     or run it via shortcut only if you want

Example steps:

%userprofile%/cmd/aliases.mac

;==============================================================================
;= This file is registered via registry to auto load with each instance of cmd.
;================================ general info ================================
;= https://stackoverflow.com/a/59978163/985454  -  how to set it up?
;= https://gist.github.com/postcog/5c8c13f7f66330b493b8  -  example doskey macrofile
;========================= loading with cmd shortcut ==========================
;= create a shortcut with the following target :
;= %comspec% /k "(doskey /macrofile=%userprofile%\cmd\aliases.mac)"

alias=subl %USERPROFILE%\cmd\aliases.mac
hosts=runas /noprofile /savecred /user:QWERTY-XPS9370\administrator "subl C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts" > NUL

p=@echo "~~ powercfg -devicequery wake_armed ~~" && powercfg -devicequery wake_armed && @echo "~~ powercfg -requests ~~ " && powercfg -requests && @echo "~~ powercfg -waketimers ~~"p && powercfg -waketimers

ls=ls --color=auto $*
ll=ls -l --color=auto $*
la=ls -la --color=auto $*
grep=grep --color $*

~=cd %USERPROFILE%
cdr=cd C:\repos
cde=cd C:\repos\esquire
cdd=cd C:\repos\dixons
cds=cd C:\repos\stekkie
cdu=cd C:\repos\uplus
cduo=cd C:\repos\uplus\oxbridge-fe
cdus=cd C:\repos\uplus\stratus

npx=npx --no-install $*
npxi=npx $*
npr=npm run $*

now=vercel $*


;=only in bash
;=alias whereget='_whereget() { A=$1; B=$2; shift 2; eval \"$(where $B | head -$A | tail -1)\" $@; }; _whereget'

history=doskey /history
;= h [SHOW | SAVE | TSAVE ]
h=IF ".$*." == ".." (echo "usage: h [ SHOW | SAVE | TSAVE ]" && doskey/history) ELSE (IF /I "$1" == "SAVE" (doskey/history $g$g %USERPROFILE%\cmd\history.log & ECHO Command history saved) ELSE (IF /I "$1" == "TSAVE" (echo **** %date% %time% **** >> %USERPROFILE%\cmd\history.log & doskey/history $g$g %USERPROFILE%\cmd\history.log & ECHO Command history saved) ELSE (IF /I "$1" == "SHOW" (type %USERPROFILE%\cmd\history.log) ELSE (doskey/history))))
loghistory=doskey /history >> %USERPROFILE%\cmd\history.log

;=exit=echo **** %date% %time% **** >> %USERPROFILE%\cmd\history.log & doskey/history $g$g %USERPROFILE%\cmd\history.log & ECHO Command history saved, exiting & timeout 1 & exit $*
exit=echo **** %date% %time% **** >> %USERPROFILE%\cmd\history.log & doskey/history $g$g %USERPROFILE%\cmd\history.log & exit $*

;============================= :end ============================
;= rem ******************************************************************
;= rem * EOF - Don't remove the following line.  It clears out the ';'
;= rem * macro. We're using it because there is no support for comments
;= rem * in a DOSKEY macro file.
;= rem ******************************************************************
;=

Now you have three options:

• a) load manually with shortcut

  create a shortcut to cmd.exe with the following target :
  %comspec% /k "(doskey /macrofile=%userprofile%\cmd\aliases.mac)"

• b) register just the aliases.mac macrofile

• c) register a regular cmd/bat file to also run arbitrary commands
  see example cmdrc.cmd file at the bottom

note: Below, Autorun_ is just a placeholder key which will not do anything. Pick one and rename the other.

Manually edit registry at this path:

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor]

  Autorun    REG_SZ    doskey /macrofile=%userprofile%\cmd\aliases.mac
  Autorun_    REG_SZ    %USERPROFILE%\cmd\cmdrc.cmd

Or import reg file:

%userprofile%/cmd/cmd-aliases.reg

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor]
"Autorun"="doskey /macrofile=%userprofile%\\cmd\\aliases.mac"
"Autorun_"="%USERPROFILE%\\cmd\\cmdrc.cmd"

%userprofile%/cmd/cmdrc.cmd _{you don't need this file if you decided for b) above}

:: This file is registered via registry to auto load with each instance of cmd.
:: https://stackoverflow.com/a/59978163/985454

@echo off
doskey /macrofile=%userprofile%\cmd\aliases.mac

:: put other commands here

Answer 6

Given that you added notepad++.exe to your PATH variable, it's extra simple. Create a file in your System32 folder called np.bat with the following code:

@echo off
call notepad++.exe %*

The %* passes along all arguments you give the np command to the notepad++.exe command.

EDIT: You will need admin access to save files to the System32 folder, which was a bit wonky for me. I just created the file somewhere else and moved it to System32 manually.