CP/M Commands

 CP/M has two types of commands: built-in and transient.  

If the CCP does not recognize the command as one of the built-in commands, it then searches the current disk for a file of the same name as the command and tries to load and execute it. In this way CP/M can be extended by any user developed program as a command.

The built in commands are part of the CCP and are always available from the command prompt

• ERA - Erased one or more files from the disk
• DIR - Displays a directory of filenames on the disk
• REN - Renames a specified file
• SAVE - Saves blocks of memory contents to a file
• TYPE - Displays the contents of a file on the console
• USER - Changes the user number for disk access

The transient commands are loaded into the TPA from disk and executed.   Here are some of the typical transient commands bundled with CP/M 2.2:

• STAT - Lists the number of bytes of storage remaining on the currently logged disk, provides statistical information about particular files, and displays or alters device assignment.
• ASM - Loads the CP/M assembler and assembles the specified program from disk, generating an Intel HEX machine code format.
• LOAD - Loads the file in Intel HEX machine code format and produces a file in machine executable form which can be loaded into the TPA. This loaded program becomes a new command under the CCP.
• DDT - Loads the CP/M debugger into TPA and starts execution.
• PIP - Loads the Peripheral Interchange Program for subsequent disk file and peripheral transfer operations.
• ED - Loads and executes the CP/M text editor program.
• SYSGEN - Creates a new CP/M system disk.
• SUBMIT - Submits a file of commands for batch processing.
• DUMP - Dumps the contents of a file in hex.
• MOVCPM - Regenerates the CP/M system for a particular memory size.

References: CP/M manual Chapter 1