--- a/cmd2.py	Wed Oct 07 13:33:58 2009 -0400
+++ b/cmd2.py	Thu Oct 08 17:30:12 2009 -0400
@@ -274,10 +274,15 @@
     reserved_words = []
     feedback_to_output = False
     quiet = False
+    all_defaults_to_shell = False
     settable = ['prompt', 'continuation_prompt', 'default_file_name', 'editor',
-                'case_insensitive', 'feedback_to_output', 'quiet', 'echo', 'timing', 
-                'abbrev']   
+                'case_insensitive', 'feedback_to_output', 'quiet', 'echo',
+                'timing', 'abbrev', 'all_defaults_to_shell']   
     settable.sort()
+    if os.uname()[0] == 'Windows':
+        shell_commands = 'dir rename delete type'.split()
+    else:
+        shell_commands = 'ls pwd dir cat rm'.split()
     
     def poutput(self, msg):
         self.stdout.write(msg)
@@ -664,7 +669,11 @@
                 self.lastcmd = statement.parsed.expanded   
                 funcname = self.func_named(statement.parsed.command)
                 if not funcname:
-                    return self.postparsing_postcmd(self.default(statement))  
+                    if self.all_defaults_to_shell or (
+                        statement.parsed.command.lower() in self.shell_commands):
+                        return self.postparsing_postcmd(self.do_shell(statement.parsed.raw))
+                    else:
+                        return self.postparsing_postcmd(self.default(statement))  
                 try:
                     func = getattr(self, funcname)
                 except AttributeError:
@@ -935,10 +944,12 @@
         fname = args.fname or self.default_file_name
         if args.idx == '*':
             saveme = '\n\n'.join(self.history[:])
-        elif args.idx:
-            saveme = self.history[int(args.idx)-1]
-        else:
-            saveme = self.history[-1]
+        saveindex = (args.idx and int(args.idx)-1) or -1
+        try:
+            saveme = self.history[saveindex]
+        except IndexError:
+            'That command not found in the history (`hi` to review)'
+            return
         try:
             f = open(os.path.expanduser(fname), 'w')
             f.write(saveme)