2012

Table Of Contents
The start command starts a separate window and runs a specified program or
command. If start is used without any parameters, it opens a new command
prompt window. The start command has many command line switches that
affect the display of the new window. To launch a Windows application, use
start without any switches. The start command is also very useful for starting
a document that is associated with an application. For example, you can use
start to directly open a document created with a word processor or an HTML
file.
The cmd command opens a command prompt window that acts as a shell of
AutoCAD. This window must be closed before control returns to the AutoCAD
command prompt. Two command line switches, /c and /k, are useful for
external commands. The /c switch carries out the specified command and
then stops (the window closes). The /k switch carries out the specified
command and then continues (the window remains open). When using the
/k switch, you must close the command window (with the exit command).
In general, use start to start a new window or application that is to be a separate
process from AutoCAD. Use cmd to run a batch file or command script that
does not create a separate window, or to create a window that must be closed
before control is passed back to AutoCAD. For more information about these
commands and switches, see your Windows system command documentation.
Custom-Defined Commands
The following example defines three new commands: RUN, LISTSET, and
DXB2BLK.
RUN, cmd /c,0,*Batch file to run: ,
LISTSET,cmd /k SET,0
DXB2BLK,cmd /c DXBCOPY,0,DXB file: ,2
The RUN command runs a batch file or command script. The cmd command
followed by the /c switch opens a command window, runs the batch file, and
then closes.
The LISTSET command displays the current DOS environment variable settings.
Because this example uses cmd /k rather than start, the command window
must be closed before returning to AutoCAD. If you want this window to
remain active, use start /realtime. For more information about these commands
and switches, see your Windows system command documentation.
The DXB2BLK command creates a block definition from the specified DXB
file. The DXB file converts all objects into lines. One beneficial by-product of
this procedure is that it provides a simple method for exploding text objects
into lines.
Define External Commands | 23