PUSHD vs START

Date: 2025 10-October 03

Command Comparison: START vs. PUSHD (Windows Command Prompt)

Feature	START	PUSHD
Primary Goal	Process Management & Execution. To launch a program, open a document, or run a command in a new window/process.	Directory Stack Management. To save the current working directory to a memory stack and simultaneously change to a new location.
Introduction	MS-DOS (Likely version 5.0+, definitely by Windows 95/NT). A very old, fundamental command for interfacing with the shell/desktop environment.	Windows NT / Later CMD Extensions. Introduced later than `START` to provide advanced, stack-based directory management, mirroring similar functionality in Unix shells (like Bash).
Related Command	`WAIT` (flag), `TITLE` (first quoted argument), `/B` (run without new window).	`POPD` (Pop Directory). This command retrieves and removes the topmost directory from the stack, returning the user to that saved location.
Scope of Action	Affects the operating system's process table and window management. It creates new resources (a process/window).	Affects the current shell instance's environment variables (`%CD%` and the internal directory stack).
Syntax Example	`START "My Title" /MIN python.exe pipeline.pyz --run`	`PUSHD "%~dp0"` (Saves current path, changes directory to batch file path)
Typical Usage	Launching GUI programs, opening documents in their default editor, or, as in our case, running a console application in a new, independent window that can be explicitly controlled (e.g., minimized or waited upon).	Essential for complex batch scripts that must navigate into a specific directory (like the `dist/` folder) to run an executable, and then automatically return to the original path when finished. Also used to temporarily map UNC network paths to a drive letter.
Community Perception	Extremely common. Often the first command developers learn to use to prevent a batch file window from closing immediately. Widely used in desktop shortcuts and simple `.bat` files.	Highly regarded by advanced scripters for reliability and robustness. Considered superior to saving the original path in an environment variable (`SET ORIGINAL_DIR=%CD%`) because `PUSHD` supports nested calls (the stack).

Detailed Usage Notes

PUSHD and POPD Stack

The PUSHD command operates on a Last-In, First-Out (LIFO) stack. Every time PUSHD is called, the current location is pushed onto the stack. POPD then retrieves and removes the most recently pushed location, making it the current working directory. This nesting capability is crucial for calling functions or subroutines that temporarily change the directory.

START and Quoting Behavior

A common pitfall with START is its quoting rule: If the first argument to START is enclosed in quotation marks, it is always treated as the new window's Title. To run a command or path that contains spaces and must be quoted, an empty title must be provided first:

Wrong (Treats executable path as title): START "C:\Program Files\App.exe"
Correct (Runs App.exe with no title): START "" "C:\Program Files\App.exe"
Correct (Runs App.exe with "Pipeline App" title): START "Pipeline App" "C:\Program Files\App.exe"