How do I open a Windows Command Prompt in my console?
Author: Deron Eriksson
Description: This tutorial describes how to open a Command Prompt in the Eclipse Console view.
Tutorial created using: Windows XP || JDK 1.5.0_09 || Eclipse Web Tools Platform 1.5.1


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One easy way to open a Windows Command Prompt inside EclipseSW is to set up an External Tool launch configuration for 'CMD.EXE' that utilizes the Eclipse Console. Just a warning, though... Since this runs inside Eclipse, it can act a little strangely if you try to do anything too funky (like use 'Edit' or open windows or things like that). However, for basic stuff, it's fine.

You can set up a new External Tool configuration by clicking the 'External Tools...' option on the External Tools menu.

External Tools

Click the 'New Launch Configuration' button to create a new External Tool configuration.

New Launch Configuration

I named this configuration 'Command Prompt'. I clicked the 'Browse File System...' button to select the location of 'cmd.exe' (C:\WINDOWS\system32\cmd.exe). I set the Working Directory to 'C:\' so that the Command Prompt will start at C:\. I clicked Apply.

Creating External Tool Configuration for Command Prompt

I went to the Common tab and made sure that the Allocate Console checkbox was checked. Then I clicked Run.

Common Tab

As you can see, this opens the Windows Command Prompt in the Console view, as shown below.

Windows Command Prompt in the Console view

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