Start (command)
| Company type | Command-line utility |
|---|---|
| Industry | Computing / Software |
| Products | Command for starting programs, executing batch files, opening files/folders |
In computing, the start command is utilized within the IBM OS/2, Microsoft Windows, and ReactOS command-line interpreter cmd.exe to initiate programs, execute batch files, or open files and folders using their default applications. This command is not an independent executable; it relies on the underlying Win32 API function known as <syntaxhighlight lang="text" class="" style="" inline="1">ShellExecute</syntaxhighlight>.
This command also exists in the Keyboard Monitor (KMON) of the DEC RT-11 operating system. Furthermore, both the TOPS-10 and TOPS-20 systems provide a start command designed to launch programs at designated memory locations.
Other environments
- Common Unix shells such as bash do not maintain an internal registry for file associations or default programs. Comparable utilities on Linux include
xdg-openandrun-mailcap. - Within the Cygwin environment, the functionality is provided by the
cygstartexecutable. - In PowerShell, the
Invoke-Itemcmdlet serves to open files or execute applications. - On Apple’s macOS and MorphOS, the analogous command is
open. - For Stratus OpenVOS, this role is fulfilled by
start_process.
Windows, ReactOS
start ["title"] [/D path] [/I][/B][/MIN][/MAX][/WAIT] [command/program] [parameters] "title" Specifies the window title. Path Defines the starting directory. I Uses the original cmd.exe environment. B Executes without creating a new window. MIN Launches minimized. MAX Launches maximized. WAIT Waits until the process ends. command The command or program with its arguments.
Windows, ReactOS
<syntaxhighlight lang="doscon"> C:\>start notepad file.txt C:\>start "C:\My Music\My Song.mp3" C:\>start www.wikipedia.org </syntaxhighlight>
See also
Further reading
- Ivens, Kathy; Proffit, Brian (1993). OS/2 Inside & Out. Osborne McGraw-Hill. ISBN 978-0078818714
- Frisch, Æleen (2001). Windows 2000 Commands Pocket Reference. O'Reilly. ISBN 978-0-596-00148-3