help on console programs needed

how do console programs work? are they basically dos programs that get interpretted by window's command prompt? also, if that's so, how can you make it to where it uses cmd.exe and not command.com? (i'm assuming it uses command.com because i've noticed that in calls to system("c:\somefolder\somefile.exe") you had to truncate it like system("c:\somefo~1\somefi~1.exe") to follow the 8.3 rule that the 16bit command.com requires). i really don't want to have to think of a way to convert standard directory definitions to truncated for input and output. any clarification of any of this would be greatly appreciated.

No. Console programs are Windows programs 'dressed up' to look like old-style DOS programs. But they are in fact 32-bit executables all the same. The filename mess is just a cruel MS imposition. There is a workaround though. If you include <windows.h> you can call the function GetCommandLine(). Voila - unadultered filenames...whee! Unfortunately, it returns a single string (char*, that is) that must be parsed to get the individual filenames. A small price to pay, though, and well worth the effort...

great thanks a lot.
i appreciate the help.