China DOS Union

Source: http://blogs.msdn.com/adioltean/archive/2005/02/25/380759.aspx
The tricks below aren't explicitly written out, but they're very useful in practice

1) To copy stuff from a directory to the current folder, you only need to specify the source folder:

y:\privates>copy C:\WINDOWS\system32\clients\twclient\x86
C:\WINDOWS\system32\clients\twclient\x86\twcli32.msi
1 file(s) copied.

2) Create a file without using an editor:

y:\privates>copy con sample.txt
This is a text file.
Another line...
^Z
1 file(s) copied.

y:\privates>type sample.txt
This is a text file.
Another line...

3) Create a zero-length file

C:\>copy nul empty.txt
1 file(s) copied.

C:\>dir empty.txt
Volume in drive C has no label.
Volume Serial Number is FCCD-E1D0

Directory of C:\

02/26/2005 10:38 PM 0 empty.txt
1 File(s) 0 bytes
0 Dir(s) 24,429,268,992 bytes free


4) Continue writing to the end of a txt file (append), note the /A parameter

y:\privates>copy /A abc.txt + con
abc.txt
con
BBB
^Z
1 file(s) copied.

y:\privates>copy /A abc.txt + con
abc.txt
con
CCC
^Z
1 file(s) copied.

y:\privates>type abc.txt
AAA
BBB
CCC

Looks like this isn't really a new trick anymore

Learning

Newbie passing by

There really are a lot of uses for copy, like merging files, changing file dates, entering file contents on the screen without limits, and even deleting files.

Saved it, thanks.

This doesn't really count as a new trick anymore.

The main thing is the use of input/output device files like con (keyboard), nul (empty), and files like prn, etc. By default they all output to the screen.

There are also applications of pipes like >, |, <, and also >> (append), etc.

Before Win95 came out, everyone who used computers knew this stuff, otherwise back then there was basically no way to use a PC.

Let me add one more, hehe
It's used to convert files with special encodings
copy a.doc a.txt
Back then I downloaded some command-line tools, and their help files were .doc files in some unknown encoding. Opening one of those 4K files took forever, but after using copy, the effect was very obvious

Learned something, hehe

Not bad! Knows how to share his own knowledge with others!! Better than those guys who just put others down~~~ all talk and no action!!

This can all be done with echo plus the double redirection operator too

Just passing through

Learning

Newbie learned something~