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TCC : Upgrading the Windows CMD Command Line Prompt

TCC : CMD Command Line Replacement
TCC : Windows command prompt and CMD shell replacement

The command line is essential for developers, systems administrators and advanced users, offering many advantages to anyone wanting to save time, expand their control and/or to automate their tasks.

TCC is our console mode Windows command processor (formerly known as 4NT). TCC is a replacement for CMD.EXE, the default Windows command processor. TCC is compatible with your existing Windows console  applications and batch files, but offers major improvements to the CMD prompt in command line editing,  interactive file and system management, batch file programming and debugging.

TCC is a superset of CMD, with 270+ internal commands (CMD has about 42), 780+ internal variables and functions (CMD has 6), hundreds of additional options for existing CMD commands, and thousands of additional features.

Whether you're a seasoned CMD prompt user or just getting started, TCC is the tool that will take your command line prompt experience to the next level.

Why Switch From the CMD Shell  to TCC?

Familiarity

TCC is a CMD replacement Windows command processor that is compatible with your existing CMD commands and batch files while adding hundreds of new commands, variables, and variable functions.

Productivity

TCC provides vastly improved line editing and tab file completion, and adds thousands of new features. You're immediately more productive, and you can learn  TCC's new features at your own pace.

Batch Files

Create and debug your batch scripts in a fraction of the time with TCC's integrated editor and batch file debugger.

Comprehensive Help

The extensive help (including context-sensitive popup help for command and variable syntax) speeds your development time and reduces errors.

Syntax

TCC's internal commands share a consistent syntax, reducing your learning and development time.

Multilingual

The user interface is available in English, French, German, Italian, Russian, and Spanish. (Online help is available in English, French, German, and Spanish.)

12 Reasons Why You Need to Replace CMD.EXE

CMD is a Windows console mode command shell that runs the commands you enter at the prompt, and simple batch scripts (files with a .CMD or .BAT extension). Unfortunately, the CMD command line has always been woefully lacking in even the most basic features compared to the command shells available in other operating systems. And it hasn’t changed significantly since its first appearance in Windows NT 3.1 (released in 1993). Imagine what CMD could be if Microsoft had made an effort to continually update and refine it ...

So What’s Wrong with the CMD Prompt?

  1. CMD in Win 10 and 11 has about 42 internal commands. That’s only a couple more than it had in Windows NT 3.1 30 years ago. Take Command has more than 265 internal commands, and offers major enhancements for commands like COPY, DEL, DIR, MOVE, RENAME, and START. And with Take Command's command dialogs, it's easier to use than CMD!
  2. There’s no way to extend CMD with new commands or variables; your only choice is writing new external apps. Take Command has a plugin SDK for writing your own plugins, and you can download dozens of third-party plugins.
  3. CMD has (almost) no configuration options. There are a handful of switches you can specify on the startup line, and that’s it. Take Command has hundreds of configuration options that are easily set with the OPTION dialog.
  4. Editing at the CMD prompt is (extremely) simplistic. Take Command features the best line editor of any command shell (yes, including any of the Linux command shells!).
  5. CMD can set its foreground and background command prompt colors, and … nothing else. Take Command adds configurable command and variable syntax coloring, different colors for input, output, and errors, and colorized directories.
  6. File viewing is limited to TYPE. If you want to display a page at a time, pipe to MORE. Want to go back a page, search, scroll up and down? You can’t. Take Command includes The V File Viewer, the ultimate Windows text and binary file viewer.
  7. CMD prompt filename completion is crude and non-programmable. Take Command includes (optionally programmable) intelligent popup file completion, and adds command, directory, alias, and variable completion.
  8. Variables in CMD consist of the environment variables and a total of 6 internal variables. All of those internal Windows system settings you’d like to query? Not available. Take Command adds more than 780 internal variables and variable functions. And you can create your own with user-defined functions and plugins.
  9. Aliases? Sort of. Just don’t try anything other than the most basic command alias. Take Command has command aliases, directory aliases, keystroke aliases, shared aliases, and more.
  10. 30+ years into the Internet era, and CMD's  support for the Internet consist of … nothing. No HTTPS or FTP(S) file access for internal commands. No SSL or SSH, and no SMTP. Take Command supports all of these, and much more.
  11. Creating, editing, and debugging batch files is a demanding task and needs an integrated solution. What is Microsoft’s solution? Edit the batch file in Notepad, run it at the prompt, and see what happens. Take Command has an easy to use and extremely powerfull IDE for creating, editing, and debugging your batch scripts.
  12. Help is nearly non-existent. Sometimes, there is a paragraph or two of text output when you enter the command name followed by a /?. Want to see the command syntax while you’re constructing a command line or writing a batch file? Help on redirection, command line parsing, filename wildcards and regular expressions, or batch file creation? Forget it. Take Command has an extensive interactive and context sensitive help system, available anytime at the press of a key.

TCC is an upwardly compatible CMD replacement that solves all of the problems above, and provides you with thousands of additional features. 

Features CMD Command Line Users Need

  • The TCC command processor is a complete upwardly-compatible replacement for the CMD command line.
  • Create and debug batch files with the integrated graphical IDE. The IDE includes tabbed edit windows and a sophisticated debugger with single stepping, breakpoints, syntax coloring, tooltips, bookmarks, tabbed variable and watch windows. Windows batch file programming has never been easier or more powerful!
  • The TCC scripting language is a massive superset of the CMD commands, with 270+ internal commands,  440+ internal functions, and 340+ system variables. Almost all of the CMD commands (CD, COPY, DEL, DIR, MOVE, REN, SET, START, etc.) are enhanced with hundreds of additional options. And TCC adds more than 220 new commands. TCC can usually do in one or two lines what requires dozens of CMD commands and external apps.
  • The scripting language includes a complete set of extended flow control commands, including IF-Then-Else, DO and FOR loops, SWITCH, subroutines, batch libraries, and more.
  • TCC supports ANSI, UTF8, and UTF16, including files, redirection and pipes.
  • Colorize your command line with TCC's syntax coloring, input, output, error, selection and directory colors, and ANSI x3.64 support.
  • Most interactive commands (such as COPY, DEL, DIR, MOVE, REN, START, etc.) have command dialogs that allow you to select filenames and options and see your command line before executing it. The most powerful Windows command processor is also the easiest to use!
  • Monitor your system's hardware and software events, and execute commands when an event is triggered. You can monitor directory changes, the clipboard, event logs, Ethernet and WiFi connections, services, processes, and USB and Bluetooth connections. And all monitoring commands support the TCC command dialogs (see above).
  • Monitor your long running processes and batch files with notifications of output activity / inactivity in a session.
  • You can redefine your commands with aliasing, create new commands and functions for your regular tasks, and assign frequently used commands to a single keystroke.
  • Environment variable substitution is greatly enhanced, including nested variables, delayed expansion, indirect variables, multidimensional array variables, and direct access to the system, user, and volatile variables in the registry.
  • Select or exclude files by date, time, size, owner, and extended wildcards or regular expressions for extraordinary flexibility in file management.
  • Specify multiple filenames for most file processing commands (i.e., COPY, DEL, DIR, MOVE, etc.), or optionally the name of a file that contains the filename arguments. (COPY even supports multiple targets as well as multiple sources.)
  • Multiple types of I/O redirection are available, including redirecting and piping to STDERR, "in-process" pipes, "here-document" and "here-string" redirection, and PEE, TEE and Y pipe fittings. And you can view pipe activity in realtime with the PIPEVIEW command.
  • Browse your command and directory history, and use numerous cut and paste options with the advanced line editor.
  • Customize filename completion for any internal or external command. This allows TCC to intelligently select and display directories or filenames based on the command you are entering.
  • Send keystrokes to any app to automate your applications.
  • TCC includes the V File Viewer, the best text and binary file viewer available for Windows. V includes bidirectional scrolling, hex listings, rulers, grid lines, extensive searching and printing features, and much more.
  • Find any directory on your system by entering only part of its name with extended directory searches.
  • TCC includes internal compression and extraction commands for ZIP, 7ZIP, TAR, JAR, GZIP, and BZIP archive files.
  • You can access FTP and HTTP (including SSL and SSH) directories and files in all command processor file-handling commands (COPY, DEL, 
    DIR, MOVE, REN, etc.).
  • Create your own command processor variables or commands with the plugin SDK, or choose from the many third-party plugin libraries.
  • Internal support is included for Powershell, LuaREXXPythonTcl/tk, and any Windows Active Scripting language. You can even combine multiple languages in your batch scripts.
  • And many thousands more -- see our context-sensitive online help for details.
Take Command

$99.95

Single system; multisystem discounts

  • Tabbed console windows with 18 themes - run any character-mode app in a tab window
  • Includes TCC and CMDebug
  • Windows Explorer integration
  • Programmable toolbar
  • Forum-based support; optional Extended Support
  • 90-day unconditional return guarantee
TCC

$69.95

Single system; multisystem discounts

  • Windows command processor (CMD replacement)
  • 270+ internal commands (the CMD shell has about 42)
  • More than 780 internal variables and variable functions
  • Forum-based support; optional Extended Support
  • 90-day unconditional return guarantee
CMDebug

$29.95

Single system; multisystem discounts

  • Batch editor and debugger for CMD and TCC-RT batch files
  • Set breakpoints and single-step through your batch files
  • Watch variables, call stack, breakpoint, and modified variables windows
  • Forum-based support
  • 90-day unconditional return guarantee

Support Forums

With Take Command, you'll not only have access to a wide range of powerful features and enhanced commands, but also a supportive community of command line enthusiasts. The JP Software Support Forums are a valuable resource for learning new tricks, sharing tips, and getting help when you need it. The Forums are also the place to hear about the latest updates, announcements, and product releases from JP Software. 

The Support Forums include forums for Take Command, TCC, CMDebug, and TCC-RT support, Tips and Tricks, TCC Plugins, and Suggestions for future versions.

Satisfaction Guarantee

We stand behind our products 100% -- if you are not completely satisfied with your individual copy of any JP Software product, return it within 90 days for a full refund. For complete details and terms see the Satisfaction Guarantee section of our Software License.