Microsoft explains MS-DOS command prompt and will not die soon

Many rumors that the MS-DOS command prompt will give way to PowerShell, this kind of "news" is a source of frustration for enthusiasts, developers, and corporate customers who rely heavily on Cmd.exe. In order to appease everyone's emotions, Microsoft Senior Project Manager Rich Turner wrote an essay on the official blog to clarify that the day will not collapse. This speculation first appeared after the release of Windows 10 Insider build 14971, because some patch comments were taken out of context.





































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Computer World misunderstood this statement, and everyone led to thinking that PowerShell really wants to kill Cmd.exe. Fortunately, Turner has made a clarification —— “ As an important feature in Windows, Cmd will not be easy to bring.

He explained: "Many automated systems built and tested on Windows use a lot of Cmd scripts that have been used by the service industry for many years. Without it, we can't even perfect Windows itself.

● Like programs like Explorer, Edge /IE, etc., Cmd is one of the most commonly used executables in Windows.

● We have many customers and partners who rely entirely on Cmd, which is a quirk, but it is the foundation of their existence.

In addition, for some people to completely equate the command prompt (Cmd) with MS-DOS (a simple command line operating system) that has existed for decades, Turner also specifically identified the two. The difference, it points out:

● MS-DOS is built with x86 assembly, and will not fully migrate to support future CPUs;

● In contrast, Cmd is a complete use A pure 32-bit application written in C (Win32 app) that implements more functionality on Windows NT and the current Windows 10 operating system.

Interestingly, the 32-bit version of Windows from NT includes an additional shell called "command.com";

● Via Virtual 8086 mode and some legacy technology, it can run many MS-DOS scripts and old 16-bit applications in Windows NT DOS virtual machine (NTVDM).

● However, command.com or NTVDM is not included in the 64-bit version of the Windows operating system.

PowerShell is younger and more powerful than Cmd. The future belongs to PowerShell, but most Windows build systems will continue to use the Cmd environment.

Turner said: "If we dismiss Cmd, it will definitely hurt some people's heart." (cnbeta)