Move_(command)

move (command)

move (command)

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In computing, move is a command in various command-line interpreters (shells) such as COMMAND.COM, cmd.exe,[1] 4DOS/4NT, and PowerShell. It is used to move one or more files or directories from one place to another.[2] The original file is deleted, and the new file may have the same or a different name. The command is analogous to the Unix mv command and to the OpenVOS move_file and move_dircommands.[3]

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Implementations

The command is available in DOS,[4] IBM OS/2,[5] Microsoft Windows and ReactOS.[6] On MS-DOS, the command is available in versions 6 and later.[7] In Windows PowerShell, move is a predefined command alias for the Move-Item Cmdlet which basically serves the same purpose. The FreeDOS version was developed by Joe Cosentino.[8] DR DOS 6.0 includes an implementation of the move command.[9] The open-source MS-DOS emulator DOSBox has no MOVE command. Instead, the REN command can be used to move files.[10]

Syntax

To move one or more files:

MOVE [/Y | /-Y] [drive:][path]filename1[,...] destination

To rename a directory:

MOVE [/Y | /-Y] [drive:][path]dirname1 [destination\]dirname2

To move a directory:

MOVE [/Y | /-Y] [drive:][path]dirname1 destination

Parameters

  • [drive:][path]filename1: Specifies the location and name of the file or files you want to move.
  • destination: Specifies the new location of the file or directory. Destination can consist of a drive letter and colon, a directory name, or a combination, and must already exist. If you are moving only one file, you can also include a filename if you want to rename the file when you move it.
  • [drive:][path]dirname1: Specifies the directory you want to rename or move.
  • dirname2: Specifies the new name of the directory.
  • /Y: Suppresses prompting to confirm you want to overwrite an existing destination file.
  • /-Y: Causes prompting to confirm you want to overwrite an existing destination file.

The switch /Y may be present in the COPYCMD environment variable. This may be overridden with /-Y on the command line. Default is to prompt on overwrites unless MOVE command is being executed from within a batch script.

Notes

  • When moving a directory, dirname1 and its contents wind up as a subfolder beneath destination. Caution is advised - if the final subfolder of the destination path does not exist, dirname1 will be both moved and renamed.

See also

References

  1. [1]
    "Move". Microsoft Docs. 11 September 2009. Archived from the original on 2017-08-26. Retrieved 2017-08-26. Microsoft TechNet Move article
  2. [2]
    MS-DOS and Windows command line move command
  3. [3]
    "OpenVOS Commands Reference Manual" (PDF). StrataDOC Online Documentation Service for Stratus Products. pp. 2–552, 2–558. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-09-22. Retrieved October 1, 2019. move_dir: Purpose: This command moves a directory and its contents from one place to another. ... move_file: Purpose: This command moves a file or set of files to another file or directory.
  4. [4]
    Jamsa, Kris A. (1993), DOS: The Complete Reference, Osborne McGraw-Hill, p. 206, ISBN 0078819040, archived from the original on 2018-01-25.
  5. [5]
    "JaTomes Help - OS/2 Commands". www.jatomes.com. Archived from the original on 2019-04-14.
  6. [6]
    "reactos/move.c at master". GitHub. Archived from the original on 2019-10-01.
  7. [7]
    Wolverton, Van (2003). Running MS-DOS Version 6.22 (20th Anniversary Edition), 6th Revised edition. Microsoft Press. ISBN 0-7356-1812-7.
  8. [8]
    ibiblio.org FreeDOS Package -- Move (FreeDOS Base)
  9. [9]
    "DR DOS 6.0 User Guide Optimisation and Configuration Tips" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-09-30. Retrieved 2019-08-12.
  10. [10]
    Commands - DOSBoxWiki

Further reading

Wikibooks has a book on the topic of: Guide to Windows Commands
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