What’s a DOS Editor?

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The DOS editor is a text editor included in Microsoft Windows® that manages text-based files. It is menu-driven and uses hotkeys. It can edit batch files, but inexperienced users should be careful as it can delete critical files. Before using DOS commands, it is recommended to examine the MS-DOS technical documentation.

Disk Operating System (DOS) is the underlying operating system of Microsoft Windows®. This operating system was created by International Business Machines (IBM) in the early 1980s to manage personal computers. A DOS editor is a text editor included in DOS, which manages text-based files within a computer file system.

The DOS editor is a menu-driven editor that does not use the computer mouse. The menus in the editor are configured to work with hotkeys composed using the “ALT” key and then a letter of the command. For example, “Alt-F” is a hotkey to open the file menu. Using the editor takes practice, but can be learned quickly using the online help features.

This editor software is available free of charge with all Windows®-based operating systems. To access this system a user must run the “CMD” program from a Windows® prompt. This will open a DOS prompt, which will allow the DOS editor to run when the user types the word “EDIT”.

The DOS editor is an older version of editing software. It doesn’t provide the sophisticated features that are widely available on most modern editors. The editor is typically used to manipulate files on a Windows®-based operating system. These are the configuration files used to manage the underlying operating system.

Batch files are files that execute commands within an operating system or programming language. These are script-based files that can loop through logic. The DOS Editor provides a method for editing batch files. These files can be edited and saved on the local file system.

An inexperienced computer owner should be careful when using the DOS editor. This program will allow a user to delete and manipulate critical Windows® files. If these files are damaged due to accidental modification, the Windows® operating system may become unusable. This could cause a complete system failure.
There are several DOS commands that can be used within the editor. These commands are written as a script inside the editor file. These scripts can then be run to perform system administration tasks on your computer.
Before using DOS commands, it is recommended that the computer user examine the MS-DOS technical documentation. This documentation provides a good introduction to what each command does. Creating a batch executable file is a powerful administration tool that should be used by experienced MS-DOS users. Some DOS commands have the ability to erase the entire operating system. This can cause serious damage to your computer’s file system.




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