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+# DOS-Like Shell (Zig)
+
+A small DOS-inspired shell implemented in Zig. It aims to reproduce the feel of classic MS-DOS utilities and behaviors, including 8.3 filename formatting, backslash paths, simple prompts, and a subset of built-in commands.
+
+This project is educational and intentionally simplified; it is not a full DOS emulator or a drop-in replacement for CMD.
+
+## Features
+
+- DOS-style prompt with basic variables:
+  - `$p` current path (formatted in DOS style)
+  - `$g` greater-than character (`>`)
+- Path handling:
+  - Converts `/` to `\` and uppercases drive letters and names
+  - Formats individual path segments to 8.3-style names where applicable
+  - Defaults to `C:` when no drive is present
+- Built-in commands (subset):
+  - `ECHO` (plain and text)
+  - `CLS`
+  - `EXIT`
+  - `VER`
+  - `DATE` and `TIME` (simplified calculations/formatting)
+  - `DIR` (lists files/directories with simplified date/time and sizes)
+  - `TYPE` (prints file contents with basic character handling)
+  - `SORT` (reads from redirected input and prints sorted lines)
+  - `CD`/`CHDIR` (change directory; basic cases like `..` and root)
+  - `COPY` (file copy; also supports `COPY CON destination` for interactive input until Ctrl+Z)
+  - `DEL`/`ERASE` (file removal; no wildcards yet)
+  - `MKDIR`/`MD` (make directory)
+- Redirection:
+  - Input: `< file`
+  - Output overwrite: `> file`
+  - Output append: `>> file`
+- External command execution:
+  - Executes programs in your environment when not matched by a built-in
+
+## Limitations
+
+- Simplified date/time and calendar calculations
+- No full wildcard support (e.g., in `DEL`)
+- Device names (`CON`, `PRN`, `LPTx`) are recognized in limited contexts
+- Not a complete DOS environment; behavior is “DOS-like” rather than exact
+
+## Build
+
+Requirements:
+- Zig (recent version)
+
+Build:
+
+```
+zig build
+```
+
+This produces an executable in `zig-out/bin`.
+
+## Run
+
+Start the shell:
+
+```
+zig-out/bin/dose
+```
+
+You’ll see a DOS-like prompt. Example interactions:
+
+```
+C:\> VER
+DOSE Version 6.22
+C:\> DIR
+... directory listing ...
+C:\> COPY CON hello.txt
+Hello world! 
+^Z
+ 1 File(s) copied
+C:\> TYPE hello.txt
+Hello world!
+```
+
+Redirection:
+
+```
+C:\> DIR > dir.txt
+C:\> TYPE dir.txt
+```
+
+Change directory:
+
+```
+C:\> CD ..
+C:\> DIR
+```
+
+## Development Notes
+
+- The shell uses a simple parser and a set of built-in command handlers.
+- Paths shown to the user are normalized to DOS conventions (uppercase, backslashes, and 8.3-style segments).
+- External commands are executed via the host OS process APIs; errors are reported in a DOS-like manner.
+
+## Roadmap
+
+- Wildcards for file operations
+- More built-in commands and switches
+- Improved date/time correctness
+- Better device/file semantics
+- Enhanced error messages and testing
+
+## License
+
+GNU AGPLv3.