简体中文
EnglishWebsite review
This review may include AI-generated content and is not individually verified. Domain, certificate and other facts come from the observed data on this page.
What is SS64 Command line reference?
SS64 is a long-running reference site for command-line syntax across several operating systems and shells. Its front page describes it as a command line reference for Windows CMD, PowerShell, macOS and Linux bash, and it also covers SQL Server database commands. Rather than a tutorial course or an interactive sandbox, it is a lookup resource: you arrive with a command or a task in mind and find the switches, arguments and examples you need.
What you can look up
- Windows CMD and PowerShell commands, including options and usage notes.
- macOS and Linux bash commands, useful when you move between platforms and need to check whether a flag behaves the same way.
- SQL Server database commands.
- Reference material around the edges of scripting, such as ASCII and VBScript topics, plus a tools and passwords section.
Who it suits
The typical reader is someone who already works at a command line but does not memorise every option. System administrators, developers, support technicians and students all fit that description. It is also handy for cross-platform work: if you know tar or find on Linux but need the macOS or Windows equivalent, a side-by-side habit of checking the same command on each platform saves guesswork.
A concrete scenario: you need to copy a directory tree on Windows but exclude certain files. You open the CMD or PowerShell entry for the copy command, scan the option list for exclusion or filter flags, and adapt the example to your paths. That is a two-minute lookup rather than a search through forum threads.
How it compares with alternatives
| Resource type | Strength | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| SS64 | Broad multi-platform command coverage in one place | Reference-style, not a guided learning path |
| Official vendor documentation | Authoritative for the current version | Split across many sites and versions |
| Community Q&A sites | Real-world problem solving | Answers vary in quality and age |
The practical rule: use SS64 for quick syntax checks and option discovery, then confirm anything version-sensitive or security-related against the official documentation for your exact OS or database release. For Linux specifically, the manual pages installed on your own machine remain the final word, since they match your distribution.
A useful next step is to bookmark the site and search it directly by command name rather than by task description, since entries are organised around individual commands. If you frequently work across Windows and Linux, keep two tabs open and compare the same command on each platform before you commit a script to automation.
How do I look up the syntax for a specific Windows CMD or PowerShell command?
Go to SS64 and use the platform tabs to open the Windows CMD or PowerShell section, then browse or search for the command name to see its syntax, options and examples on a single page. SS64 Command line reference
How the lookup works in practice
The site is organised by shell and operating system, so the first decision is which command language you actually need:
- CMD pages cover classic Windows batch commands, useful when you are editing
.bat/.cmdfiles or following older documentation. - PowerShell pages cover cmdlets and their parameters, useful for scripts, automation and anything using the modern Windows admin tooling.
- Linux/macOS bash pages exist alongside these, which matters if you work across platforms and keep mixing up flags between shells.
Each command page typically shows the command name, a syntax line with placeholders, a list of switches or parameters, and short usage examples. That structure is the main reason to use a reference site rather than guessing: it lets you confirm exact spelling, required arguments and whether a flag takes a value.
A concrete scenario
Suppose a scheduled task fails and you want to check why a file copy step is not overwriting an existing file. You would open the CMD section, find the copy command, and read the switch list to confirm which option forces an overwrite and how it behaves with read-only files. Then you paste the corrected line into your batch file and re-run the task. The same pattern applies in PowerShell when a cmdlet's parameter name differs from what you remembered.
Practical decision criteria
- Match the shell first. CMD and PowerShell syntax are not interchangeable, even for similar-sounding tasks.
- Check the parameter list, not just the example. Examples rarely cover edge cases like quoting paths with spaces.
- Prefer the reference for syntax; use
Get-Helpin PowerShell when you need version-specific details for the machine you are on, since built-in help reflects your installed version. - Cross-check destructive commands. For anything that deletes, overwrites or reformats, verify the flag meaning before running it.
If you want a second source for Windows commands, Microsoft's own documentation is the authoritative option: Microsoft Learn. For a broader set of Unix-style commands when you are working in bash, man7.org hosts manual pages.
Where can I find the equivalent Linux or macOS bash command for a Windows command I already know?
SS64 is a command line reference that covers Windows CMD, PowerShell, macOS, and Linux bash side by side, which makes it a practical place to translate a Windows command into its Linux or macOS equivalent. If you already know the Windows command and just need the bash counterpart, start at SS64 Command line reference and look for the matching command page — the site groups commands by platform so you can compare names, syntax, and common flags in one place.
How to use it for a Windows-to-bash lookup
- Identify the Windows command you know (for example, a file, directory, or process command).
- Find that command's page, then check the equivalent command listed for Linux or macOS.
- Compare the options and arguments, since the same task often uses different flag names across platforms.
What to expect
The mapping is rarely one-to-one. Windows commands and bash commands often differ in:
- Flag syntax — Windows uses
/for switches; bash typically uses-or--. - Path style — Windows uses backslashes and drive letters; Linux and macOS use forward slashes and a single root.
- Command names — some tasks share a name, others are split across different tools.
Practical next step
If you are working in a terminal, confirm the equivalent on your own system with the built-in help, such as man <command> or <command> --help, because installed versions and options can vary between distributions and macOS releases. Use SS64 as the quick cross-reference, then verify locally before relying on a flag in a script.
For a concrete example: a Windows user who knows a directory-listing command can look up the bash equivalent on SS64, then run man ls on their machine to confirm which options their version supports.
How can I use the site to write or debug a Windows batch script?
SS64 works best as a lookup reference while you write or debug a batch script, rather than as a tutorial you read start to finish. You keep a browser tab open, look up the exact syntax of a command, paste the pattern into your .bat or .cmd file, and test it in a command prompt.
Writing a script
Start from the command pages for the operations you need. Typical building blocks:
setandset /afor variables and arithmetic.if,for, andgotofor branching and loops.callfor subroutines and calling other scripts.findstrfor filtering text output.robocopyorxcopyfor file copying.
Each command page shows the syntax, the switches, and short examples. Copy the syntax line into your script, then replace the placeholders with your own paths and variable names. Because batch quoting is fiddly, check the page for how a command expects spaces and quotes before you assume your version is right.
Debugging a script
The site is most useful when a command behaves unexpectedly and you need to confirm what a switch actually does. Work through this loop:
- Add
echo on(or remove@echo off) so each line prints as it runs. - Isolate the failing line into a small test script.
- Look that command up on SS64 and compare your usage against the documented syntax.
- Check exit codes with
%errorlevel%after the command. - Use
pausebefore the script exits so the window stays open and you can read the output.
Common failures that a reference lookup resolves quickly: quoting around paths with spaces, % versus %% inside a script versus at the prompt, delayed expansion with setlocal enabledelayedexpansion, and confusing for variants (for /f, for /r, for /d).
A concrete scenario
Suppose a script that renames log files fails only on files with spaces in the name. You look up ren and for, see how the for variable and quoting interact, and rewrite the loop to quote the variable. Then you test it on a folder of dummy files before running it on real data.
Decision criterion
Use SS64 when you know roughly which command you need but not its exact switches or syntax. For learning batch scripting from scratch, a structured course or book is a better fit; SS64 assumes you already know what you want to do. Its coverage of Windows CMD sits alongside PowerShell, macOS and Linux shell references, so it is also handy if you move between platforms and keep mixing up equivalents.
What SQL Server database commands and references are available here?
SS64 is a command-line reference site that covers Windows CMD, PowerShell, macOS, Linux bash, and SQL Server database commands. Its SQL Server section is a lookup reference for T-SQL and related command-line/database tooling rather than a tutorial course or hosted database service.
What you'll find in the SQL Server area
Based on the site's own description and page evidence, the SQL Server material sits alongside the other command references and is organized as terse syntax documentation:
- T-SQL command syntax — statement-level reference for querying and modifying data, defining objects, and managing permissions.
- SQL Server command-line tools — reference for utilities used to run scripts and queries from a terminal, such as
sqlcmdandbcp, which are common when you need repeatable batch work rather than interactive query editing. - Cross-referencing with the rest of the site — because CMD, PowerShell, and bash references live on the same domain, it is practical to look up a shell command and its database counterpart in one place when scripting an export, backup, or scheduled job.
The page evidence shows the site dates back to 1999 and is still updated, with a "Last update" line and a donate/about contact section. That longevity matters for a reference site: syntax pages tend to be stable, and long-running references accumulate the edge cases people actually search for.
Who it suits
| Reader | Fit |
|---|---|
| Developer or DBA who knows what they want to type | Strong — fast syntax lookup, low page weight |
| Someone learning SQL Server from scratch | Weak — a reference assumes context and doesn't teach concepts |
| Scripter automating backups or bulk loads | Strong — tool syntax plus shell references on one site |
| Reader wanting version-specific behavior notes | Mixed — verify against current Microsoft documentation |
Next step
If you are writing a batch job, open the reference page for the specific tool you plan to use, copy the syntax skeleton, and test it against a non-production database first. For authoritative behavior differences between SQL Server versions, cross-check with the vendor's own documentation at Microsoft Learn; for broader command-line coverage beyond databases, SS64 Command line reference itself is the starting point.
How do I find ASCII codes, VBScript references, or command-line tools on this site?
SS64 is a reference site, not a tutorial course, so you navigate it by category rather than by search intent. Its homepage is essentially a directory: separate sections for Linux, macOS, Windows CMD, PowerShell, ASCII, VBScript and Tools. Pick the section matching your operating system or language, then drill into the specific command or code chart you need.
Finding each type of reference
- ASCII codes: use the ASCII section. It is the place for character-to-code lookups, useful when you are escaping characters in a script, debugging encoding, or checking what a control character actually is.
- VBScript: use the VBScript section for language reference material — statements, functions and objects. This suits someone maintaining legacy Windows scripts (logon scripts,
.vbsautomation) rather than writing new code. - Command-line tools: split by platform. Windows CMD and PowerShell are separate sections, and Linux and macOS sit alongside them. The Tools section covers utilities that do not belong to a single shell.
How to choose your entry point
| What you need | Where to start | Typical reader |
|---|---|---|
| A character's numeric code | ASCII section | Scripters handling escaping or encoding |
| A VBScript function or object | VBScript section | Anyone maintaining legacy Windows scripts |
| A Windows batch command's syntax | CMD section | Sysadmins and IT support |
| A cmdlet or pipeline operator | PowerShell section | Windows automation and admin work |
| A shell command on Unix-like systems | Linux or macOS sections | Developers and server admins |
| A helper utility | Tools section | Mixed-platform users |
A practical next step
Decide first which shell or language you are actually working in, then go straight to that section instead of browsing the whole site. If you are cross-checking behaviour between platforms, keep two tabs open — for example the CMD page and the Linux page for the equivalent task — because SS64 documents each platform's own syntax rather than translating between them.
For broader shell references beyond this site, GNU covers the core Unix utilities, and Microsoft Learn is the official source for PowerShell and CMD documentation when you need vendor-authoritative behaviour.
Google Workspace
User reviews (0)