Transferring Information to or from a Command-Prompt Window

You can transfer information to or from the command prompt. The following topics describe how to do this using the Edit buttons in a window or using QuickEdit mode in a window or in full-screen mode.

In full-screen mode, you can also use the Edit menu commands to copy and paste information in any window, not just command-prompt windows. The data is transferred as text or as a bitmap to the Clipboard depending on how it was copied.

Tip To quickly switch a command prompt or MS-DOS – based application between a full screen and a window, press alt+enter.

Copying and Pasting Information Using Edit Buttons

When running MS-DOS Prompt or an MS-DOS – based application in a window, you can use the Edit buttons to copy and paste text at the command prompt.

To select and copy text at the command prompt

1. Click the Mark button, and then select the text you want to copy, using either the mouse or the arrow keys.

   

2. Click the Copy button.

   

   This places the selected text on the Clipboard, so you can paste it anywhere, not just at the command line.

To paste text at the command prompt

1. Make sure the text you want is on the Clipboard.

   This text can come from any source, not just from the command line.

2. Place the insertion point where you want to paste it, and then click the Paste button.

   

Copying and Pasting Information Using QuickEdit Mode

QuickEdit mode allows you to copy and paste text in command-prompt windows using only the mouse, bypassing the Edit commands. QuickEdit mode copies data only when the command prompt is running as a window; however, you can paste text either in a window or a full screen.

Note When QuickEdit mode is on, the mouse works as usual in MS-DOS – based applications that are running in a full screen; the mouse does not work when such applications run in a window if QuickEdit mode is on. Use the start command to retain use of the mouse when starting a program from a command-prompt window with QuickEdit mode enabled.

To copy and paste text at the command prompt using QuickEdit mode

1. If necessary, turn on QuickEdit mode in the window properties.
2. Position the pointer at the beginning of the text you want to copy. Press the left mouse button. Keeping the left mouse button depressed, drag the cursor to the last character of the section you want to copy and release the left mouse button. The portion of the screen you want to copy is highlighted.
3. Right-click to copy the highlighted area to the Clipboard. The highlight will disappear.
4. Right-click to copy the contents of the Clipboard to the command-prompt cursor. If you copy more than one line, a carriage return (CR) is added at the end of each line.

   You must still use the Paste command from the Edit menu to paste the contents of the Clipboard into Windows-based applications.