title: is cmd.exe a shell, a terminal emulator or both?
body: <p>In Linux I have shells (for instance bash, csh etc.) and terminal emulators (for instance xterm). Shells execude commands and terminal emulators display black window with white letters.</p>
  
  <p>And how is it in Windows? I know I have cmd.exe there, but what is it? Is it a shell, or is a terminal emulator, or is it both?</p>
  
  <p>And how is called the interpreter that executes bat files? Are they executed by cmd.exe or by something else?</p>