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Console Aliases

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Important

This document describes console platform functionality that is no longer a part of our ecosystem roadmap. We do not recommend using this content in new products, but we will continue to support existing usages for the indefinite future. Our preferred modern solution focuses on virtual terminal sequences for maximum compatibility in cross-platform scenarios. You can find more information about this design decision in our classic console vs. virtual terminal document.

Console aliases are used to map source strings to target strings. For example, you can define a console alias that maps "test" to "cd \a_very_long_path\test". When you type "test" at the command line, the console subsystem expands the alias and executes the specified cd command.

To define a console alias, use Doskey.exe to create a macro, or use the AddConsoleAlias function. The following example uses Doskey.exe:

doskey test=cd \a_very_long_path\test

The following call to AddConsoleAlias creates the same console alias:

AddConsoleAlias( TEXT("test"),
                 TEXT("cd \\<a_very_long_path>\\test"),
                 TEXT("cmd.exe"));

To add parameters to a console alias macro using Doskey.exe, use the batch parameters $1 through $9. For more information on the special codes that can be used in Doskey macro definitions, see the command-line help for Doskey.exe or Doskey on TechNet.

All instances of an executable file running in the same console window share any defined console aliases. Multiple instances of the same executable file running in different console windows do not share console aliases. Different executable files running in the same console window do not share console aliases.

To retrieve the target string for a specified source string and executable file, use the GetConsoleAlias function. To retrieve all aliases for a specified executable file, use the GetConsoleAliases function. To retrieve the names of all aliases for which console aliases have been defined, use the GetConsoleAliasExes function.