Course/Terminal Foundations/Anatomy of a Command

Anatomy of a Command

Learn the three building blocks of every terminal command: the command name, flags, and arguments.

Most terminal commands follow the same general structure:
command [options] [arguments]
  • The command is the program you want to run (like ls to list files).
  • Options (also called flags) change how the command behaves. They usually start with - or --.
  • Arguments tell the command what to operate on (like a file, folder, or path).
Example:
ls -l -a
This lists files using:
  • -l → long (detailed) format
  • -a → show hidden files
Many commands let you combine single-letter options:
ls -la
Same result. Fewer keystrokes.
Some commands also support long-form options:
ls --all
Both styles are common.
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Think of it like a sentence: The command is the verb ("list") The flags are adverbs ("in detail") The argument is the noun ("this folder")

Let’s try a real example.
Run this command to list all files (including hidden ones) in your home directory:
ls -la ~
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~ is a shortcut that means “your home folder.” It works across macOS, Linux, and WSL.

WIN

In Command Prompt, the rough equivalent is: dir /a In PowerShell: Get-ChildItem -Force In WSL, ls -la works exactly like Linux.

Practice