command-line variable

noun

UK /kəˈmɑːnd laɪn ˈveəriəbl/

US /kəˈmænd laɪn ˈveriəbl/

A command-line variable is a named value that a computer program can use when you type commands.

You can set a command-line variable to tell the program which folder to use.

SYNONYMS

environment variable shell variable system variable command variable

RELATED WORDS

command line terminal shell environment script

OTHER MEANINGS

2. A placeholder in a command that gets replaced with a real value when the command runs.

The script uses a command-line variable to store the user's name.

3. A setting stored by the operating system that programs can read from the command line.

The PATH command-line variable lists the folders where the system looks for programs.

4. A value you can change before running a command to affect how it behaves.

She changed the command-line variable to switch the program into quiet mode.