How to Sort MS-DOS 6.22 DIR by Date and Time

The DIR command in MS-DOS 6.22 provides built-in functionality to organize directory listings chronologically rather than displaying them in the order they exist on the disk. By appending the sort switch /O combined with the date parameter D, users can display files and subdirectories ordered from oldest to newest or reverse the order to view the most recently modified files first.

The Basic Chronological Sort Syntax

To sort directory contents in chronological order (oldest files first), use the /O (Order) switch followed by the D (Date) parameter:

DIR /O:D

(Note: The colon is optional; DIR /OD functions identically.)

When this command runs, MS-DOS evaluates the last-modified timestamp of each file and subdirectory, presenting the oldest entries at the top of the list and the newest entries at the bottom.

Sorting in Reverse Chronological Order

To display files in reverse chronological order (newest files first), add a minus sign (-) directly before the D parameter:

DIR /O:-D

This syntax instructs the operating system to invert the date sort, placing the most recently created or updated files at the top of the output.

Combining with Display Modifiers

Because directory listings can be lengthy, the chronological sort switch is frequently paired with display switches:

Paginated Output (/P): To pause scrolling after each screenful of data, append /P:
```
DIR /O:D /P
```
Include Subdirectories (/S): To view all files across the current directory and all subdirectories sorted chronologically within their respective folders:
```
DIR /O:D /S
```
Bare Format (/B): To display only file and directory names in chronological sequence without size, date, or header details:
```
DIR /O:D /B
```

Setting a Permanent Default Sort Order

If you prefer MS-DOS 6.22 to always sort directory listings chronologically without having to type the switch every time, you can configure the DIRCMD environmental variable. Adding the following line to your AUTOEXEC.BAT file applies the date sort as the system default:

SET DIRCMD=/O:D

To override this default temporarily during a DOS session, you can run DIR /O with a different parameter or use DIR /-O to view files in unsorted disk order.