cd - Using this command, without specifying any folder, takes you to the Home folder.įigure 2 illustrates how the command can be used to change directories from the terminal.cd - It takes you to the directory you've been browsing before using the cd command.In other words, it takes you one level above the current working directory. For instance, if you are in the Desktop/Work folder, running cd.

With this command, you can go back one folder. Otherwise, you need to provide the full path.īut, you can do more stuff using the cd command. Note: It only works if the Work folder is inside Desktop. The above command takes you from one folder ( Desktop) to another one ( Work). For instance, if you are in the Desktop folder and want to go to the Work folder, you can run the following command: cd Work The cd command allows you to navigate between directories on your machine. Change directories - cdĪnother terminal command developers use a lot is the cd command, which is the shorthand for ' change directory'. The ls command is the terminal alternative for opening the 'Finder' on your machine and browsing the content of a specific folder. For instance, if you are in the Downloads directory, it shows you all the files and directories inside it.įigure 1 shows an example of running the list command in the terminal. When you run the ls command, it shows you all the files and directories in the current directory. The ls command allows you to view the content of a directory.

One of the most common and important commands is the list command or ls in short. In this article, you will see the main terminal commands you will most likely use daily as a developer. Thus, the terminal is an essential tool in any developer's toolbelt, and knowing how to use it is very beneficial. Developers use the terminal for tasks such as: When it comes to developers, the terminal it's even more important because they spend a good chunk of time each day using it. One example would be creating a directory from the terminal with one command. Using the terminal, users can accomplish the same tasks as when they use the standard graphical user interface (GUI) and even more. The Mac terminal is a command-line interface (CLI) that allows users to interact with the operating system through text commands.

Command line for mac os x