Why Windows Command Line?
You might have been there the day that Microsoft released Windows. The original reason for this product was twofold. First, it let users run more than one application at a time—something that required a kludge at the DOS prompt. Second, it provided a friendly interface that made using a computer easier.
No longer did you have to remember command names; all of them appeared on screen so you could simply select the command you wanted to execute. The first version of Windows went over like a lead balloon, and the second version wasn’t far behind, but by the third version, Microsoft had something workable—something people could use to perform their tasks without worrying about the command prompt.
Over the years Windows has delivered on its promise to make applications easier to use—at least the applications that you must sit in front of to use. For example, I wouldn’t consider going back to a character mode word processor and I doubt very much that I’d want to write complex applications at the command line.
Unfortunately, computing activities aren’t limited to those tasks that you perform in real time in front of the display. Almost everyone has a task they must perform in the background or at least when they aren’t present. The most common task that you should perform is backing up your data.
Not only is there no need for you to be present when the backup occurs, but using your computer can be detrimental to getting a good backup because you should have all of the files closed. These non-interactive tasks always benefit from the command line because ease of use isn’t an issue. When you perform a backup, you want it to be fast, accurate, and repeatable.
Okay, so you can count the number of tasks you need to automate on one hand? However, working at the command line can do a lot more for you than simply automate tasks that should take place in the background. Have you ever searched for text within a file using the Windows GUI and found that Windows Explorer can’t locate text that you know appears within a certain folder?
Many people have and found Windows Explorer lacking. Even when Windows Explorer can find the text, it isn’t always accurate, and it’s seldom fast. Interestingly enough, the command line offers utilities that can make searching for specific files quite fast and always accurate. For example, the FindStr utility can help you locate text in any kind of file.
You can even look inside binary files such as executables for particular strings. Everyone needs to search for data and using the command line is usually faster than working with a GUI simply because the GUI gets in the way and slows things down. Security has become a major issue with every cracker on the Internet seeking entry to your machine.
However, have you ever wondered what’s really running on your machine? You can’t tell from the GUI. The best view you can get is Processes tab of the Task Manager that you can access by right-clicking the Taskbar and choosing Task Manager from the context menu. Unfortunately, it shows only part of the story at best.
For one thing, all of those SvcHost entries hide services that are running on your system, which could be anything from the driver for your display adapter to a Windows service that is leaving you wide open to attack. However, you can’t tell what’s running on your system. Suddenly you know about all of those SvcHost entries.
As you can see, a single entry can host more than a few services. In addition, you now have access to a special number, the Process Identifier (PID). The PID lets you learn more about the application. In short, if you really want to know what your system is doing, you have to use the command line to do it.
The command line makes a wealth of powerful tools available. For example, you can discover the exact address for a Web site you visit frequently, so you can avoid making assumptions about emails that enter your inbox with an address, rather than human readable Web site name.
On days when access to the Web sites you visit seems especially slow, you can use command line utilities to detect whether your local ISP is the problem or the problem is somewhere else that your ISP can’t control before you call to complain. You can also use command line tools to locate local resources or those on a network.
In fact, command line utilities can help you learn more about your system than you might think is possible. The command line is important because it frees you from the constraints of the GUI that was supposed to make your life easier.
Sure, you don’t want to use the command line for everything, but it’s good to know about the command line when you want to perform tasks quickly or you need low-level information about your system. The command line does require that you learn something about your machine, but this short section should have already demonstrated that you need the additional information the command line provides to keep your system safe and functioning fully.
No longer did you have to remember command names; all of them appeared on screen so you could simply select the command you wanted to execute. The first version of Windows went over like a lead balloon, and the second version wasn’t far behind, but by the third version, Microsoft had something workable—something people could use to perform their tasks without worrying about the command prompt.
Over the years Windows has delivered on its promise to make applications easier to use—at least the applications that you must sit in front of to use. For example, I wouldn’t consider going back to a character mode word processor and I doubt very much that I’d want to write complex applications at the command line.
Unfortunately, computing activities aren’t limited to those tasks that you perform in real time in front of the display. Almost everyone has a task they must perform in the background or at least when they aren’t present. The most common task that you should perform is backing up your data.
Not only is there no need for you to be present when the backup occurs, but using your computer can be detrimental to getting a good backup because you should have all of the files closed. These non-interactive tasks always benefit from the command line because ease of use isn’t an issue. When you perform a backup, you want it to be fast, accurate, and repeatable.
Okay, so you can count the number of tasks you need to automate on one hand? However, working at the command line can do a lot more for you than simply automate tasks that should take place in the background. Have you ever searched for text within a file using the Windows GUI and found that Windows Explorer can’t locate text that you know appears within a certain folder?
Many people have and found Windows Explorer lacking. Even when Windows Explorer can find the text, it isn’t always accurate, and it’s seldom fast. Interestingly enough, the command line offers utilities that can make searching for specific files quite fast and always accurate. For example, the FindStr utility can help you locate text in any kind of file.
You can even look inside binary files such as executables for particular strings. Everyone needs to search for data and using the command line is usually faster than working with a GUI simply because the GUI gets in the way and slows things down. Security has become a major issue with every cracker on the Internet seeking entry to your machine.
However, have you ever wondered what’s really running on your machine? You can’t tell from the GUI. The best view you can get is Processes tab of the Task Manager that you can access by right-clicking the Taskbar and choosing Task Manager from the context menu. Unfortunately, it shows only part of the story at best.
For one thing, all of those SvcHost entries hide services that are running on your system, which could be anything from the driver for your display adapter to a Windows service that is leaving you wide open to attack. However, you can’t tell what’s running on your system. Suddenly you know about all of those SvcHost entries.
As you can see, a single entry can host more than a few services. In addition, you now have access to a special number, the Process Identifier (PID). The PID lets you learn more about the application. In short, if you really want to know what your system is doing, you have to use the command line to do it.
The command line makes a wealth of powerful tools available. For example, you can discover the exact address for a Web site you visit frequently, so you can avoid making assumptions about emails that enter your inbox with an address, rather than human readable Web site name.
On days when access to the Web sites you visit seems especially slow, you can use command line utilities to detect whether your local ISP is the problem or the problem is somewhere else that your ISP can’t control before you call to complain. You can also use command line tools to locate local resources or those on a network.
In fact, command line utilities can help you learn more about your system than you might think is possible. The command line is important because it frees you from the constraints of the GUI that was supposed to make your life easier.
Sure, you don’t want to use the command line for everything, but it’s good to know about the command line when you want to perform tasks quickly or you need low-level information about your system. The command line does require that you learn something about your machine, but this short section should have already demonstrated that you need the additional information the command line provides to keep your system safe and functioning fully.