The commando window consists of a combo box for selecting a commando file, and two tabs; the first contains GUI controls for specifying command-line settings, the second shows the resulting command line (or command lines, if the commando file defines more than one command to be run).

Currently, settings specified in the commando window are remembered for the duration of the current jEdit session. In the future, integration with a project management plugin will be provided, for specifying command line tool settings on a per-project basis.

One you have configured the necessary settings, click OK to run each command specified in the commando file in turn. Most commando files will only specify one command to run.

Some commands will be executed automatically, others will ask for confirmation; if a command fails, you will always be asked for confirmation before running the next one, no matter what. Some commando files, such as the diff file included with the Console plugin, show their output in a new buffer, rather than the console window.