Aliases for windows command line

alias.cmd

::
:: Aliases for windows command line
::
:: Installation:
::
:: - create a folder for your aliases (eg: ```c:\cmd-aliases```)
:: - add that folder to your PATH variable
:: - save this script as setalias.cmd on that folder
:: - run "alias" to see usage
::
:: author: Benjamin Eidelman <[email protected]>
::
@echo off

set operation=%1
set aliasname=%2
set aliasfile=%~dp0%2.cmd

IF "%~1"=="" GOTO help
IF /I "%~1"=="list" GOTO listaliases
IF /I "%~1"=="set" GOTO setalias
IF /I "%~1"=="get" GOTO getalias
IF /I "%~1"=="delete" GOTO deletealias
IF /I "%~1"=="here" GOTO setaliashere

:help

echo. Usage:
echo.   alias list                        - list available cmd aliases
echo.   alias set [name] [command line]   - set an alias
echo.   alias get [name]                  - show an alias
echo.   alias delete [name]               - delete alias
echo.   alias here [name] [command line]  - create alias cmd on cwd

exit /B

:listaliases

dir /B %~dp0*.cmd
exit /B

:setaliashere

set aliasfile=%2.cmd

:setalias

if "%aliasname%"=="alias" (
	echo ERROR: cannot set this alias
	exit /B 1
)

echo %1 %2> "%aliasfile%"
for %%a in ("%aliasfile%") do set /a length=%%~za 
set /a length=length-1
set commandline=%*
setlocal enableDelayedExpansion
call set commandline=!commandline:~%length%!
set commandline=%commandline% %%*
echo %commandline%> "%aliasfile%"
echo INFO: alias "%aliasname%" set
exit /B

:getalias

if exist %aliasfile% (
  type %aliasfile%
) ELSE (
  echo ERROR: alias not found
  exit /B 1
)
exit /B

:deletealias

if /I "%aliasname%"=="alias" (
	echo ERROR: cannot delete this alias
	exit /B 1
)

if exist %aliasfile% (
  del %aliasfile%
  echo INFO: alias deleted
) ELSE (
  echo INFO: alias not found
)
exit /B

The installation instructions should say save this script as alias.cmd instead of setalias.cmd.

Aliases defined with this tool cannot be used in other .cmd scripts, since execution stops after the first one. For example:

five.cmd:

@echo off
one
one
one
one
one

one.cmd:

@echo off
echo one

When running five.cmd, I expect it to output 5 times a line one. Instead, only the first line is output.

Could someone add commands and explanations to it? I am a Linux guy, know a lot about
ruby too but windows is black magic to me. :(

this is just chef's kiss amazing

@echo off

REM Define the directory for storing aliases
set "ALIASES_DIR=%APPDATA%\aliases.d"

REM Create the directory if it doesn't exist
if not exist "%ALIASES_DIR%\" mkdir "%ALIASES_DIR%\"

REM Check if there are no existing alias batch files, and create some defaults
if not exist "%ALIASES_DIR%\*.bat" (
    >"%ALIASES_DIR%\ll.bat"  echo::: unix: alias ls='ls -F --color=auto --show-control-chars'
    >>"%ALIASES_DIR%\ll.bat" echo:@for /f "tokens=*" %%%%i in ^('dir %%1^^^|findstr /b [0-9]'^) do @^(if "%%%%~xi"=="" ^(echo:�^^^[94m%%%%i\�^^^[0m^) else ^(echo:%%%%i^)^)
    >"%ALIASES_DIR%\~.bat"   echo:@pushd "%%USERPROFILE%%"
    >"%ALIASES_DIR%\e..bat"  echo:@explorer .
    >"%ALIASES_DIR%\cp.bat"  echo:@copy %%*
    >"%ALIASES_DIR%\ls.bat"  echo:@dir %%*
    >"%ALIASES_DIR%\mv.bat"  echo:@move %%*
    >"%ALIASES_DIR%\ni.bat"  echo:@if not "%%~1"=="" echo/^>"%%~f1"
    >"%ALIASES_DIR%\rm.bat"  echo:@del %%*
)

REM Add the aliases directory to current session PATH
call set "PATH=%ALIASES_DIR%;%%PATH:%ALIASES_DIR%;=%%"

REM Enable delayed expansion for variable manipulation
setlocal enabledelayedexpansion

REM Check command line arguments
if "%~1"=="" (
    echo Try '%~nx0 /?' for more information.
    echo. & call :show
    exit /b 0
) else if "%~1"=="/?" (
    goto :help
) else if /i "%~1"=="/d" (
    if "%~2"=="" (
        echo Alias name is required.
        exit /b 1
    )
    set REMOVE_ALIAS=1
    shift /1
) else if "%~2"=="" (
    call :show "%~1.bat"
    exit /b 0
) else (
    call :char "%~1" || (
        echo ERROR: The alias name invalid character "%~1".
        exit /b 1
    )
    if /i "%~nx1"=="%~nx0" (
        echo ERROR: The alias name cannot be the same as this script "%~nx0".
        exit /b 1
    )
)

REM Set alias name, value, and file path
set "ALIAS_NAME=%~1"
set "ALIAS_VALUE=%~2"
set "ALIASES_FILE=%ALIASES_DIR%\%ALIAS_NAME%.bat"

REM Check for spaces in alias name
if not ["%ALIAS_NAME: =%"] == ["%ALIAS_NAME%"] (
    echo ERROR: The alias name cannot contains spaces.
    exit /b 1
)

REM Execute the alias creation or removal
call :test "%ALIAS_NAME%" "%ALIASES_FILE%"
if %errorlevel% equ 0 exit /b 1

REM Remove the alias if option '/d' is used.
if defined REMOVE_ALIAS (
    if exist "%ALIASES_FILE%" del /q "%ALIASES_FILE%"
    exit /b 0
)

REM Check if alias value is provided
if not defined ALIAS_VALUE (
    echo ERROR: Alias value is required.
    exit /b 1
)

REM Create and update the aliases file.
echo::%ALIAS_NAME%>"%ALIASES_FILE%"
echo:@%ALIAS_VALUE%>>"%ALIASES_FILE%"
echo:Alias "%ALIAS_NAME%" successfully created.
exit /b 0

@REM :: Alternatives for creating aliases
@REM echo::%ALIAS_NAME%=%ALIAS_VALUE%>"%ALIASES_FILE%"
@REM set /p x=@%ALIAS_VALUE%< nul >>"%ALIASES_FILE%"

:test -- Execute alias validation
if "%~1"=="" exit /b 1
setlocal enabledelayedexpansion
set "name=%~1"
set "file=%~f2"
set "names=!PATHEXT:.=%name%.!;%name%.PS1"
for %%I in (%names%) do if not "%%~$PATH:I"=="" (
    if /i "%%~$PATH:I"=="%file%" exit /b 1
    echo WARNING: The alias same as "%%~nx$PATH:I".
    exit /b 0
)
exit /b 1

:char -- Validate characters in alias name
if "%~1"==""  exit /b 1
if "%~1"=="<" exit /b 1
if "%~1"==">" exit /b 1
if "%~1"=="/" exit /b 1
if "%~1"=="\" exit /b 1
if "%~1"=="|" exit /b 1
if "%~1"==":" exit /b 1
if "%~1"=="?" exit /b 1
if "%~1"=="*" exit /b 1
exit /b 0

:show -- Display all defined aliases
setlocal
for %%A in ("%ALIASES_DIR%\*%~n1.bat") do (
    for /f "eol=: tokens=* delims=@ " %%B in ('type "%%~fA"') do (
        if not defined %%~nA (set "%%~nA=1" & echo:%%~nA=%%B)
    )
)
exit /b 0

:help -- Display script usage information
echo. Usage: %~nx0 [/d] [name[=value] ... ]
echo.   %~nx0 - a recalls Windows commands.
echo.
echo.   name       The name of the alias
echo.   value      The value of the alias
echo.   /d ^<name^>  Remove the alias from the list
echo.
echo.   The NAME and/or VALUE must be enclosed in double quotes.
echo.   For escaping the env-var sign, use '^^%%' instead of '%%%%'.
echo.
echo.   Invalid characters in alias NAME : ^< ^> ^\ ^/ ^| ^? ^: ^*
echo.   Escaped characters in this script: ^^^| ^^^& ^^^< ^^^> ^^^( ^^^)
echo.
echo. Examples:
echo.   %~nx0 d="dir "^^%%ProgramFiles^^^^(x86^^^^)^^%%" %%*"
echo.   %~nx0 log="^(foo.exe ^&^& bar.bat)^ ^> log.txt"
echo.   %~nx0 /d log
goto :EOF