Alias Command for Windows

While at work, I want to use the CLI to be more productive on my Windows machine. What command, in Windows, would be a replacement for the alias command?

Answer

doskey com=a long command $*

Here $* expands to everything typed after com. For example, com Hi! would be expanded to a long command Hi!

• This not limited to the cmd.exe shell – it works with any program that uses a Win32 console window. (For example, for Python's interactive shell, use doskey /exefile:python.exe ...)

See doskey /? for usage. The aliases can also be added programatically; see Console Aliases for the API.

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To apply aliases automatically whenever cmd.exe is launched:

1. 
   

   Put them in a text file, in the form alias=expansion:

   
   

   com=very long example command
   cd=cd /d $*
   

   
   

   I keep my aliases in %AppData%\doskey.txt.

   
   


2. 
   

   Create a batch script containing the doskey command:

   
   

   @echo off
   
   doskey /macrofile:"%AppData%\doskey.txt"
   

   
   

   Of course, point /macrofile to the location you have chosen in step 1.

   
   

   A good name for this script is %AppData%\autorun.cmd.

   
   


3. 
   

   In Registry, open key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor and point the value AutoRun to the script.

   
   
   
   
   1. Run regedit, navigate to the given key.
   
   
   2. If a value named AutoRun does not exist, create it: right-click → New → String
   
   
   3. Modify the associated data to point to wherever your autorun script from #2 is located.