For the command for copying with the clipboard, see Cut, copy, and paste.
copy
ScreenshotReactOS-0.4.13 copy command 667x434.png
DeveloperDEC, Intel, MetaComCo, Heath Company, Zilog, Microware, HP, Microsoft, IBM, DR, TSL, Datalight, Novell, Toshiba
Operating systemRT-11, OS/8, RSX-11, ISIS-II, iRMX 86, TOPS-10, TOPS-20, OpenVMS, TRIPOS, HDOS, DOS, MSX-DOS, FlexOS, 4680 OS, 4690 OS, PC-MOS, Z80-RIO, OS-9, MPE/iX, OS/2, Windows, ReactOS, SymbOS, DexOS
GenreCommand
LicenseHDOS: PD
MS-DOS: MIT
PC-MOS: GPL v3
ReactOS: GPL v2

copy is a shell command for copying files.[1][2]

Different implementations provide various capabilities, such as:

  • Combining (concatenating) multiple files into a single file
  • If multiple source files are specified before the path to an existing directory, then files are copied to the directory
  • Support for text vs. binary data; for text, the command stops when it reaches an end-of-file (EOF) character; for binary, files are copied in their entirety, ignoring EOF
  • In DOS, a file can be copied to or from a device. For example, copy path con outputs the file at path to the console, and copy con path copies text typed at the console to a file at path

Implementations

The command is available in RT-11,[3] OS/8,[4] RSX-11,[5] ISIS-II,[6] iRMX 86,[7] TOPS-10,[8] TOPS-20,[9] OpenVMS,[10] MetaComCo TRIPOS,[11] HDOS,[12] Z80-RIO,[13] OS-9,[14] DOS, FlexOS,[15] 4690 OS,[16] PC-MOS,[17] HP MPE/iX,[18] OS/2,[19] Windows,[20] ROM-DOS,[21] ReactOS,[22] SymbOS, DexOS, and 86-DOS.[23]

Under IBM PC DOS/MS-DOS the command is available since version 1.[24]

Some shells provide a copy command with a different name. In Unix-based systems, the copy command is cp. In CP/M, the command is PIP. in OpenVOS, the command is copy_file.[25]

DOS

The following copies existing file fromfile to path tofile.

copy fromfile tofile

A file can be copied to a device. The following sends a file to the printer on lpt1.

copy letter.txt lpt1

The following outputs to stdout, like the type command.

copy letter.txt con

The following concatenates the page# files into book.txt – like cat.

copy page1.txt+page2.txt book.txt

The command can copy files between drives.

The following uses text mode to copy text of the file, stopping when it reaches an EOF character.

copy /a doc1.txt + doc2.txt doc3.txt copy /a *.txt doc3.txt

The following uses binary mode, concatenating files in their entirety and ignoring EOF characters.

copy /b image1.jpg + image2.jpg image3.jpg

References

  1. ^ "Microsoft TechNet Copy article". 11 September 2009.
  2. ^ Rügheimer, Hannes & Spanik, Christian (14 September 1988). AmigaDOS quick reference. Grand Rapids, Mi : Abacus. ISBN 9781557550491. – via Internet Archive.
  3. ^ "RT-11 HELP FILE". paleoferrosaurus.com. Archived from the original on 2018-07-17. Retrieved 2019-07-06.
  4. ^ "Concise Command Language" (CCL)."OS/8 Handbook". April 1974. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  5. ^ John F. Pieper (1987). RSX A Guide for Users. Digital Equipment Corporation. ISBN 0-932376-90-8. Retrieved 2020-09-19.
  6. ^ ISIS II Users Guide
  7. ^ "intel :: iRMX :: 146194-001 irmxR6Intro". – via Internet Archive.
  8. ^ TOPS-10 Operating System Commands Manual. Digital Equipment Corporation. August 1980. Archived from the original on 2020-08-09. Retrieved 2019-02-17.
  9. ^ "TOPS-20 Command manual". Archived from the original on 2020-08-09. Retrieved 2018-07-18.
  10. ^ "OpenVMS User's Manual". www.itec.suny.edu[dead link]
  11. ^ "Operating manual". www.pagetable.com. Retrieved 2020-09-14.
  12. ^ Heath Company. "Software Reference Manual HDOS SYSTEM Chapter 2 General Operations". Archived from the original on 2017-08-07. Retrieved 2020-02-08.
  13. ^ "Z80-RIO OPERATING SYSTEM USER'S MANUAL". Archived from the original on 2022-01-28. Retrieved 2020-02-14.
  14. ^ Paul S. Dayan (1992). The OS-9 Guru - 1 : The Facts. Galactic Industrial Limited. ISBN 0-9519228-0-7.
  15. ^ "FlexOS User's Guide". www.bitsavers.org. 1986. Archived from the original on 2010-08-08. Retrieved 2020-09-14.
  16. ^ [1][dead link]
  17. ^ "roelandjansen/pcmos386v501". GitHub. 2 January 2022.
  18. ^ "MPE/iX Command Reference Manual". Archived from the original on 2018-10-21. Retrieved 2018-10-21.
  19. ^ "OS/2 Commands: Copy". Archived from the original on 14 April 2019. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  20. ^ "copy". docs.microsoft.com. 3 February 2023.
  21. ^ "Datalight ROM-DOS User's Guide". www.datalight.com
  22. ^ "reactos/reactos". GitHub. 3 January 2022.
  23. ^ 86-DOS - Disk Operating System for the 8086 - User's Manual. Version 0.3. Preliminary ed. Seattle, Washington, USA: Seattle Computer Products, Inc.. 1980. Archived from the original on 2019-07-14. Retrieved 2019-07-14. (59 pages)
  24. ^ Running MS-DOS Version 6.22 (20th Anniversary Edition), 6th Revised edition. Microsoft Press. 2003. ISBN 0-7356-1812-7.
  25. ^ "OpenVOS Commands Reference Manual". stratadoc.stratus.com. Retrieved 2020-09-14.

Further reading

  • MS-DOS Commands: Microsoft Quick Reference, 4th Revised edition. Microsoft Press. 1990. ISBN 978-1556152894.
  • Kathy Ivens & Brian Proffit (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.