## Name

COPY — Copy data from one path to another

## Synopsis

`copy` `path` `path` [ `-s` ]

## Description

This command copies data from the first file or device specified to the second. The first file or device must already exist, the second file is automatically created if the second path is a file on a mass storage device. Data may be of any type and is NOT modified in any way as it is copied.

Data is transferred using large block reads and writes until end-of-file occurs on the input path. Because block transfers are used, normal output processing of data does not occur on character-oriented devices such as terminals, printers, etc. Therefore, the list command is preferred over copy when a file consisting of text is to be sent to a terminal or printer.

The “-s” option causes copy to perform a single drive copy operation. The second pathlist must be a full pathlist if “-s” appears. Copy will read a portion of the source disk into memory, you remove the source disk and place the destination disk into the drive, enter a “C” whereupon copy writes on the destination disk, this process continues until the entire file is copied.

Using the shell's alternate memory size modifier to give a large memory space will increase speed and reduce the number of media exchanges required for single drive copies.

## Examples

    copy file1 file2 #15k           (copies file1 to file2)

    copy /d1/joe/news /D0/peter/messages

    copy /term /p                   (copies console to printer)

    copy /d0/cat /d0/animals/cat -s #32k
    Ready DESTINATION, hit C to continue: c
    Ready SOURCE, hit C to continue: c
    Ready DESTINATION, hit C to continue:c