dpath

In DOS the append command allows programs to open data files in specified directories as if they were in the current directory. Since Windows NT this is not working as the cmd.exe introduced command processor extensions and append become redundant. Despite this the executable was and is still available in 32-bit versions of Windows. Anyway, the command relied on %DPATH% environment variable, which can be edited with the dpath command. In the modern Windows installations only the dpath command is working despite the help message still is pointing to the append command.^[4][5]

     DPATH pathname [;pathname] [;pathname] [;pathname]...
     DPATH
     DPATH ;
  pathname : drive letter and/or folder
   ;       : the command 'DPATH ;' will clear the path

Without parameters the will display the current list of the directories. Editing %DPATH% environment variable also can be used. DPATH /? will print the append command help message.

Input redirection:^[4]

C:\>echo hello>c:\test\in.txt
C:\batch>type c:\test\in.txt
hello
C:\>dir /a /b
C:\>set /p var=<in.txt
The system cannot find the file specified.
C:\>set var
Environment variable var not defined
C:\>dpath c:\test;
C:\>set /p var=<in.txt
C:\>set var
var=hello

With TYPE command:^[5]

C:\>echo hello>c:\test\in.txt
C:\batch>type c:\test\in.txt
hello
C:\>dir /a /b
C:\>set /p var=<in.txt
The system cannot find the file specified.
C:\>type in.txt
hello

• List of DOS commands

1. ^ "JRT Help - OS/2 Commands".
2. ^ Hill, Tim (1998). Windows NT Shell Scripting. Macmillan Technical Publishing. ISBN 978-1578700479.
3. ^ "Path - Search path for executable files - Windows CMD - SS64.com". ss64.com. Retrieved 2025-10-25.
4. ^ a b "[Undocumented] Input redirection check DPATH (Page 1) / Windows CMD Shell / SS64 Forum".
5. ^ a b "[Undocumented] New info for Type command, Dpath is not deprecated (Page 1) / Meta / SS64 Forum".

• Peter Dyson (1995). Mastering OS/2 Warp. Sybex. ISBN 978-0782116632.
• Kathy Ivens; Brian Proffit (1993). OS/2 Inside & Out. Osborne McGraw-Hill. ISBN 978-0078818714.
• Barry Nance; Greg Chicares (1992). Using OS/2 2.0. Que Publishing. ISBN 978-0880228633.

• Microsoft TechNet Append article
• PATH command on SS64.COM