dir (command)

<h2 id="implementations">Implementations</h2>

Although syntax, semantics and implementations vary, a dir command is available in the <a href="/facts/Command-line_interface/R9JpGmXQ">command-line interface</a> (CLI) of the <a href="/facts/Operating_system/8XTuvMh2">operating systems</a> <a href="/facts/Digital_Research/9bYQl2pI">Digital Research</a> <a href="/facts/CP%2fM/n5rTgXdC">CP/M</a>,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2">2</a> <a href="/facts/MP%2fM/slxQMszr">MP/M</a>,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3">3</a> <a href="/facts/Intel/SMF0gJJX">Intel</a> <a href="/facts/ISIS_(operating_system)/xJMURtnq">ISIS-II</a>,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4">4</a> <a href="/facts/RMX_(operating_system)/wXBPoFsh">iRMX 86</a>,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5">5</a> <a href="/facts/Cromemco/5s4vFkQK">Cromemco</a> <a href="/facts/Cromemco_DOS/DQlC6uKq">CDOS</a>,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6">6</a> <a href="/facts/MetaComCo/2mq2Jlb3">MetaComCo</a> <a href="/facts/TRIPOS/Wrj0r0ma">TRIPOS</a>,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7">7</a> <a href="/facts/DOS/sWwDXNmX">DOS</a>, <a href="/facts/IBM/QszA7nwd">IBM</a>/<a href="/facts/Toshiba/QHRaw8Tr">Toshiba</a> <a href="/facts/4690_Operating_System/wEIsvjtF">4690 OS</a>,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8">8</a> IBM <a href="/facts/OS%2f2/uVBl6ItP">OS/2</a>,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9">9</a> <a href="/facts/Microsoft_Windows/bwhAhuSL">Microsoft Windows</a>,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10">10</a> <a href="/facts/Singularity_(operating_system)/dNs6oIBD">Singularity</a>, <a href="/facts/Datalight/I6X8HJNC">Datalight</a> <a href="/facts/ROM-DOS/I6X8HJNC">ROM-DOS</a>,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11">11</a> <a href="/facts/ReactOS/BFmfC6BB">ReactOS</a>,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12">12</a> <a href="/facts/GNU/HlAKKBdt">GNU</a>,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:13" href="#fn:13">13</a> <a href="/facts/AROS_Research_Operating_System/qctF50SD">AROS</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:14" href="#fn:14">14</a> and in the <a href="/facts/DIGITAL_Command_Language/4pePRLTK">DCL</a> command-line interface used on <a href="/facts/Digital_Equipment_Corporation/ztxs6keA">DEC</a> <a href="/facts/OpenVMS/rAnHAgpD">VMS</a>, <a href="/facts/RT-11/AXaahzdB">RT-11</a> and <a href="/facts/RSX-11/aQB8k3f5">RSX-11</a>. It is also supplied with <a href="/facts/OS%2f8/tentXljI">OS/8</a> as a CUSP (Commonly-Used System Program).
The dir command is supported by <a href="/facts/Tim_Paterson/HBX5RLAl">Tim Paterson</a>'s <a href="/facts/Seattle_Computer_Products/Av2YUqDQ">SCP</a> <a href="/facts/86-DOS/u0Hm0Ijv">86-DOS</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:15" href="#fn:15">15</a> On <a href="/facts/MS-DOS/fVrrz1uN">MS-DOS</a>, the command is available in versions 1 and later.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:16" href="#fn:16">16</a> It is also available in the <a href="/facts/Open-source_software/HzTaB8E9">open source</a> MS-DOS <a href="/facts/Emulator/FMHE8qDj">emulator</a> <a href="/facts/DOSBox/Du2egHYo">DOSBox</a>. <a href="/facts/MS-DOS/fVrrz1uN">MS-DOS</a> prompts "<a href="/facts/Abort%2c_Retry%2c_Fail%253F/KNJRJvfe">Abort, Retry, Fail?</a>" after being commanded to list a <a href="/facts/Directory_(file_systems)/VLtLcEXY">directory</a> with no <a href="/facts/Floppy_disk/rShxfuxa">diskette</a> in the drive.
The <a href="/facts/Numerical_analysis/QT9cYa9z">numerical computing</a> environments <a href="/facts/MATLAB/qPjLISCk">MATLAB</a> and <a href="/facts/GNU_Octave/vVVq5evM">GNU Octave</a> include a dir 
function with similar functionality.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:17" href="#fn:17">17</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:18" href="#fn:18">18</a>

<h2 id="examples">Examples</h2>

<h3>DOS, Windows, ReactOS</h3>
List all files and directories in the current <a href="/facts/Working_directory/2qI00r0z">working directory</a>.

C:\Users>dir

List any <a href="/facts/Text_file/zYW4JmES">text files</a> and <a href="/facts/Batch_file/E6wMVSyb">batch files</a> (<a href="/facts/Filename_extension/cJgfAym4">filename extension</a> ".txt" or ".bat").

C:\Users>dir *.txt *.bat

<a href="/facts/Recursion_(computer_science)/2uXo18Gv">Recursively</a> list all files and directories in the specified directory and any subdirectories, in wide format, pausing after each screen of output. The directory name is enclosed in <a href="/facts/Quotation_mark/hIdA4WEo">double-quotes</a>, to prevent it from being interpreted is as two separate <a href="/facts/Command-line_option/R9JpGmXQ">command-line options</a> because it contains a <a href="/facts/Whitespace_character/Q5xRIaSz">whitespace character</a>.

C:\Users>dir /s /w /p "C:\Users\johndoe\My Documents"

List any <a href="/facts/NTFS_junction_point/YcjbI05N">NTFS junction points</a>:

C:\Users>dir /ash
Volume in drive C is OS.
Volume Serial Number is xxxx-xxxx
Directory of C:\Users
12/07/2019 02:30 AM <SYMLINKD> All Users [C:\ProgramData]
12/07/2019 02:30 AM <JUNCTION> Default User [C:\Users\Default]
12/07/2019 02:12 AM 174 desktop.ini
 1 File(s) 174 bytes
 2 Dir(s) 332,659,789,824 bytes free
<h3>Unix</h3>
Traditionally, <a href="/facts/Unix/0pNL2seI">Unix</a> and <a href="/facts/Unix-like/YAKrAxzd">Unix-like</a> systems use the ls command for the needs that dir satisfies. But, the <a href="/facts/GNU/HlAKKBdt">GNU operating system</a>, has a dir command that "is equivalent to ls -C -b; that is, by default files are listed in columns, sorted vertically, and special characters are represented by backslash escape sequences".<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:19" href="#fn:19">19</a> Actually, for compatibility reasons, ls produces device-dependent output. The dir command, on the other hand, produces device-independent output.

<h2 id="see-also">See also</h2>
<ul><li><a href="/facts/Directory_(OpenVMS_command)/BXcKPIxQ">Directory (OpenVMS command)</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/List_of_DOS_commands/d72UqhJ3">List of DOS commands</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Tree_(command)/lgMTlIES">tree</a></li></ul>

<h2 id="further-reading">Further reading</h2>
<ul><li>Wolverton, Van (1990). <a href="https://archive.org/details/msdos00wolv">MS-DOS Commands: Microsoft Quick Reference, 4th Revised edition</a>. <a href="/facts/Microsoft_Press/5bNASSu4">Microsoft Press</a>. <a href="/facts/ISBN_(identifier)/15AdSPa9">ISBN</a> 978-1556152894.</li>
<li>Kathy Ivens; Brian Proffit (1993). OS/2 Inside & Out. <a href="/facts/Osborne_McGraw-Hill/srSyQSsY">Osborne McGraw-Hill</a>. <a href="/facts/ISBN_(identifier)/15AdSPa9">ISBN</a> 978-0078818714.</li>
<li>Frisch, Æleen (2001). Windows 2000 Commands Pocket Reference. <a href="/facts/O%2527Reilly_Media/Fr3Kv7sm">O'Reilly</a>. <a href="/facts/ISBN_(identifier)/15AdSPa9">ISBN</a> 978-0-596-00148-3.</li></ul>
<h2 id="external-links">External links</h2>

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

<ul><li><a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/dir">dir | Microsoft Docs</a></li>
<li><a href="https://github.com/microsoft/MS-DOS/blob/master/v2.0/source/DIR.ASM">Open source DIR implementation that comes with MS-DOS v2.0</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.windows-commandline.com/dir-command-line-options/">Dir command syntax and examples</a></li></ul>

<h2 id="references">References</h2>

<ol>
<li id="fn:1">Rügheimer, Hannes; Spanik, Christian (October 22, 1988). AmigaDOS quick reference. Grand Rapids, Mi : Abacus. ISBN 9781557550491 – via Internet Archive. <a href="9781557550491" target="_blank">9781557550491</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:2">"Operating manual" (PDF). cpm.z80.de. Retrieved 2019-10-22. <a href="http://www.cpm.z80.de/manuals/cpm22-m.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.cpm.z80.de/manuals/cpm22-m.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:3">Digital Research (1981-09-25). MP/M-86 Operating System - User's Guide (PDF) (1 ed.). Pacific Grove, CA, USA: Digital Research. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2017-01-04. Retrieved 2017-01-04. <a href="/wiki/Digital_Research" target="_blank">/wiki/Digital_Research</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:4">ISIS II Users Guide <a href="http://bitsavers.org/pdf/intel/ISIS_II/9800306-06_ISIS-II_Users_Guide_May81.pdf" target="_blank">http://bitsavers.org/pdf/intel/ISIS_II/9800306-06_ISIS-II_Users_Guide_May81.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:5">iRMX 86 INTRODUCTION AND OPERATOR'S REFERENCE MANUAL For Release 6 <a href="https://archive.org/details/bitsavers_inteliRMX1_19819263" target="_blank">https://archive.org/details/bitsavers_inteliRMX1_19819263</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:6">CDOS USER'S MANUAL <a href="http://www.hartetechnologies.com/manuals/Cromemco/CDOSv1.PDF" target="_blank">http://www.hartetechnologies.com/manuals/Cromemco/CDOSv1.PDF</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:7">"Introduction to Tripos" (PDF). Retrieved 2019-10-22. <a href="https://www.pagetable.com/docs/amigados_tripos/tripos_manuals.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.pagetable.com/docs/amigados_tripos/tripos_manuals.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:8">[1][dead link] <a href="https://archive.org/details/4690OSV6r2UsersGuide/page/n169" target="_blank">https://archive.org/details/4690OSV6r2UsersGuide/page/n169</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:9">"JaTomes Help - OS/2 Commands". www.jatomes.com. Archived from the original on 2019-04-14. Retrieved 2019-07-20. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190414130029/http://www.jatomes.com/Help/Os2Cmd.php#DIR" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20190414130029/http://www.jatomes.com/Help/Os2Cmd.php#DIR</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:10">"MS-DOS and Windows command line dir command". www.computerhope.com. <a href="https://www.computerhope.com/dirhlp.htm" target="_blank">https://www.computerhope.com/dirhlp.htm</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:11">"Datalight ROM-DOS User's Guide" (PDF). www.datalight.com. <a href="https://www.datalight.com/assets/files/ROM-DOS_Users_Guide.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.datalight.com/assets/files/ROM-DOS_Users_Guide.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:12">"GitHub - reactos/reactos: A free Windows-compatible Operating System". October 22, 2019 – via GitHub. <a href="https://github.com/reactos/reactos" target="_blank">https://github.com/reactos/reactos</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:13">"GNU Coreutils Manual". Free Software Foundation. <a href="https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/dir" target="_blank">https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/dir</a> <a href="#fnref:13" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:14">"AROS Research Operating System". aros.sourceforge.net. <a href="http://aros.sourceforge.net/documentation/users/shell/index.php" target="_blank">http://aros.sourceforge.net/documentation/users/shell/index.php</a> <a href="#fnref:14" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:15">86-DOS - Disk Operating System for the 8086 - User's Manual (PDF). Version 0.3 (Preliminary ed.). Seattle, Washington, USA: Seattle Computer Products, Inc. 1980. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-07-14. Retrieved 2019-07-14. (59 pages) <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190714004434/http://www.patersontech.com/dos/docs/86_Dos_usr_03.pdf" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20190714004434/http://www.patersontech.com/dos/docs/86_Dos_usr_03.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:15" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:16">Wolverton, Van (2003). Running MS-DOS Version 6.22 (20th Anniversary Edition), 6th Revised edition. Microsoft Press. ISBN 0-7356-1812-7. <a href="0-7356-1812-7" target="_blank">0-7356-1812-7</a> <a href="#fnref:16" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:17">"List folder contents - MATLAB dir". www.mathworks.com. <a href="https://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/ref/dir.html" target="_blank">https://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/ref/dir.html</a> <a href="#fnref:17" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:18">"Function Reference: dir". octave.sourceforge.io. <a href="https://octave.sourceforge.io/octave/function/dir.html" target="_blank">https://octave.sourceforge.io/octave/function/dir.html</a> <a href="#fnref:18" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:19">dir invocation (GNU coreutils) at www.gnu.org <a href="//www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/html_node/dir-invocation.html" target="_blank">//www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/html_node/dir-invocation.html</a> <a href="#fnref:19" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
</ol>

dir (command) open-in-new

dir (command)