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 prompt(CMD)                     19 June 1992                     prompt(CMD)


 Name

    prompt - change the MS-DOS command prompt

 Syntax


    prompt [text]


 Description

    You can customize the command prompt to display any text you want,
    including such information as the name of the current directory, the time
    and date, and the MS-DOS version number.

 Parameter


    text  Specifies any text and information you want included in your system
          prompt.  The following list shows the character combinations you
          can include instead of, or in addition to, any character string(s)
          in the text parameter.  The list includes a brief description of
          the text or information that each character combination adds to
          your command prompt.

          $q   = (equal sign)

          $$   $ (dollar sign)

          $t   Current time

          $d   Current date

          $p   Current drive and path

          $v   MS-DOS version number

          $n   Current drive

          $g   > (greater-than sign)

          $l   < (less-than sign)

          $b   | (pipe)

          $   EnterLinefeed

          $e   ASCII escape code (code 27)

          $h   Backspace (to delete a character that has been written to the
               prompt command line)


 Notes


    Using the prompt command without the text parameter

    When you use the prompt command without specifying a value for text,
    prompt resets the command prompt to the default setting, the current
    drive letter followed by a greater-than sign (>).

    Using the $p value for text

    If you include the $p character in the text parameter, MS-DOS reads your
    disk after you enter each command to determine the current drive and
    path.  This can take extra time, especially for floppy disk drives.

 Examples

    The following example sets the command prompt to display the current
    drive and path followed by the greater-than sign (>):

       prompt $p$g


    The following command displays a two-line prompt in which the current
    time appears on the first line and the current date appears on the second
    line:

       prompt time is: $t$date is: $d


    If your CONFIG.SYS file loads ANSI.SYS, you can use ANSI escape sequences
    in your prompts.  The following command, for example, displays your
    prompt in reverse video mode and returns to usual video mode for other
    text:

       prompt $e[7m$n:$e[m


    The characters following the escape code ($e) are ANSI escape sequences.

 Related commands

    For information about setting the current date and time, see the
    date(CMD) and time(CMD) commands.