path(CMD) 19 June 1992 path(CMD) Name path - set a search path for executable files Syntax path [[drive:]path[;...]] To display the current search path, use the following syntax: path To clear all search-path settings other than the default setting (the current directory), use the following syntax: path ; Description MS-DOS uses the path command to search for executable files in the direc- tories you specify. By default, the search path is the current directory only. Parameters [drive:]path Specifies a drive, directory, and any subdirectories to search. ; When used as the only parameter, clears all search-path set- tings and specifies that MS-DOS is to search only the current directory. Notes Current directory MS-DOS always searches in the current directory first, before it searches directories in the search path. Length limit for the path command The maximum length of the path command is 127 characters. To fit more directories in the search path, you can shorten directory names, use the subst command to redirect directories to logical drives (which shortens the entries on the path command line), or use the append /x:on command. Files with the same name, different extensions You might have some files in the same directory that share the same filename but have different extensions. For example, you might have a file named ACCNT.COM that starts an accounting program and another file named ACCNT.BAT that connects your system to the accounting system net- work. MS-DOS searches for a file by using default filename extensions in the following order of precedence: .COM, .EXE, and .BAT. To run ACCNT.BAT when ACCNT.COM exists in the same directory, you must include the .BAT extension on the command line. Two or more identical filenames in the path You might have two or more files in the search path that have the same filename and extension. MS-DOS searches for the specified filename first in the current directory, then it searches directories in the order in which they are listed in the path command. Specifying multiple paths To specify more than one path for MS-DOS to search, separate entries with a semicolon (;). Using path in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file If you place the path command in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file, MS-DOS automati- cally initiates the specified search path every time you start your com- puter. Example The following command specifies that MS-DOS is to search three direc- tories to find external commands (the three paths for these directories are C:\USER\TAXES, B:\USER\INVEST, and B:\BIN): path c:\user\taxes;b:\user\invest;b:\bin Related command For information about setting a search path for data files, see the append command.