What is the equivalent of "touch" on windows cmd?

Question

I'm trying to create a JavaScript .js file via the PowerShell Command-line, however, when I tried echo the file just disappears right after I create it. Is there an equal to the BASH command $ touch in PowerShell?

Echo Attempt in PowerShell

Answer 1

It looks like your in PowerShell, which is slightly different than the Windows CMD-Prompt.

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PowerShell Equivalent to the Linux Command $> touch

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In PowerShell they the Command, a Cmdlet, and unlike BASH there is a specific Cmdlet for creating new files & directories (among other entities as well).

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The PowerShell Cmdlet: $> New-Item

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You can (for the most part) replace the BASH $> touch command with the PowerShell CmdLet $> New-item when creating files in a shell-environment.

Creating new items works a bit differently in PowerShell& than in Linux Shells (I am specifically referring to Bash in this answer). For example, Windows PowerShell's CmdLet $> New-item can create more than one type of item — for example, PowerShell create both directories, and files — therefore; in PowerShell, you need to specify the item type. To specify an item-type you will use the ItemType flag -ItemType <argument>. The pseudo-argument was a place holder I added in. Actual -ItemType arguments would be File &/or Directory.

EXAMPLE | New File:

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Here is the Cmdlet format thats considered the standard for creating new files:

    New-Item -Path 'A:\testing\one\two\three.txt' -ItemType File

Creates the file, three.txt in the directory two, and the file's full pathname would be, A:\testing\one\two\three.txt

EXAMPLE | New Directory:

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The $> New-item CmdLet is specific for creating files & directories. This is somewhat unique, as the Linux Shell BASH implements the $> mkdir command, but it only makes directories, not files. BASH demonstrates that a SHELL doesn't have to have a command thats specificly for file creation, however; that's not to say that having a file-creation command doesn't have any benifits. But, in Windows, you can, and you should, use the New-Item CmdLet for creating directories.

Here is how to create a directory when using PowerShell:

New-Item -Path 'Z:\sum-directory' -ItemType Directory

This command creates a new directory named sum-directory. The directory is located in the drive-letter Z:\, and the directory's full pathname would be Z:\sum-directory

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FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS TOPIC, PLEASE VISIT:

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https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/scripting/samples/working-with-files-and-folders?view=powershell-7.1#creating-files-and-folders

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Answer 2

You should use type or copy instead of echo.

C:> type nul >> "file.txt"

or

C:> copy nul "file.txt"

This link has more information: https://www.shellhacks.com/windows-touch-command-equivalent/