Take Command
The most powerful Windows console command line tools and batch scripting solution available. Create batch file commands and Windows batch files that you can use every day - for everything from launching applications to serious file management and scripting.
License model
- Paid • Proprietary
Platforms
- Windows
Features
- Command line interface
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Take Command information
What is Take Command?
The most powerful Windows console command line tools and batch scripting solution available. Create batch file commands and Windows batch files that you can use every day - for everything from launching applications to serious file management and scripting. Its the command line and console environment for programmers, operations and tech support personnel. Download today, and discover how our products can help you. Try our innovative real-time backup and archiving tools that provide continuous document protection
Comments and Reviews
I've been using Take Command since it was 4DOS, sometime in the late 1980s.
Like Powershell or Bash, it has a command shell replacement. It's called TCC, and it replaces CMD.EXE. Like Bash, it's a far superior scripting environment to CMD, but unlike Bash, it is backwards compatible with CMD. There are hundreds of improvements, in all sorts of areas: scripting, variables, functions, operators, command line expansion, directory history, internal commands, the works.
There's so much, it's almost overwhelming, to be honest. But since it's backwards compatible with CMD, you can just start with what you know, and grow over time.
To give a comparison, say you want to check the amount of free space on a disk.
Bash: df -h | awk '$1=="/dev/disk0s2"{print $4}' PowerShell: Get-WMIObject Win32_Logicaldisk -filter "deviceid='C:'" -ComputerName chi-core01 TCC: echo %@diskfree[C:]
If you already know Bash or PowerShell, you're probably already comfortable with them. But if you're getting into scripting for Windows, I'd argue that TCC is a lot easier to learn (and arguably more powerful, but that's a debate).
There's a free version of the TCC command shell, called TCC/LE (for "lite edition"). This free version is several versions behind the current product, and of course it's not supported. But it's a great way for people to try it out and see if it suits them.
But Take Command is more than just the TCC shell. It's also a console, which supports a built in folder and list view, full tab support, a configurable toolbar, and more. Of course, it uses TCC as the default shell, but you can also have tabs with CMD, or Bash, or PowerShell, or anything other command shell. And, of course, if you just want to use TCC or TCC/LE, it can be used in Cmder/ConEmu or other consoles.
It's not for everyone. If you're not comfortable with the command line, it's probably not going to convince you. But if you're used to the power of Bash or Powershell, and hate the weak CMD shell that Windows provides, this is a huge improvement.
I strongly recommend it. When I configure a new PC, this is the first piece of software I install on it.
... is only a 30-days-trial. Indeed this is truely a commercial application.
You're right: the download is not a limited version of the app but only a trial, so I set it as commercial.
Reply written May 17, 2013