Discovering Cmdlets in PowerShell.
Discovering Cmdlets
1. List all cmdlets:
```powershell
PS C:\\> Get-Command
```
- Description: `Get-Command` is used to list all commands available in the current PowerShell session, which includes cmdlets, functions, workflows, scripts, and aliases.
- Details: When you run `Get-Command`, PowerShell will show you a list of commands that are defined in the session. This can include built-in cmdlets, third-party modules, or any custom functions/scripts you have loaded.
- Use case: Useful when you're unsure of what commands are available or when you're looking for a specific cmdlet.
2. Filter cmdlets by verb:
```powershell
PS C:\\> Get-Command Set*
PS C:\\> Get-Command –Verb Set
```
- Description: The `Get-Command` cmdlet can be filtered to show cmdlets based on their verb. In PowerShell, cmdlets follow a naming convention of `<Verb>-<Noun>`, where the verb describes the action, and the noun describes the object being acted upon.
- Details:
- `Set` will list all cmdlets where the verb is `Set`, such as `Set-Item`, `Set-Content`, etc.
- Alternatively, using `-Verb Set` explicitly filters by the verb portion of the cmdlet name.
- Use case: This is helpful if you're looking for a group of cmdlets related to a particular action, such as "Set" for modifying values, "Get" for retrieving information, or "New" for creating items.
3. Filter cmdlets by noun:
```powershell
PS C:\\> Get-Command *Process
PS C:\\> Get-Command –Noun process
```
- Description: Similarly to filtering by verb, you can filter cmdlets by noun. The noun part of the cmdlet name refers to the type of object the cmdlet interacts with.
- Details:
- `Process` will list all cmdlets related to processes, such as `Get-Process`, `Stop-Process`, `Start-Process`, etc.
- `-Noun process` explicitly filters cmdlets that interact with processes.
- Use case: This is helpful when you're interested in a specific type of object, such as processes, services, files, etc.
Getting Assistance
1. Basic help:
```powershell
PS C:\\> Get-Help
```
- Description: `Get-Help` provides basic help information for PowerShell cmdlets, functions, workflows, or scripts.
- Details: When called without any parameters, it shows a summary of `Get-Help` usage, which helps you understand how to get assistance for other cmdlets.
- Use case: If you want to learn more about how to get help for other cmdlets or explore options, this is a good starting point.
2. Cmdlet documentation:
```powershell
PS C:\\> Get-Help <cmdlet>
```
- Description: `Get-Help` followed by a cmdlet name gives you basic documentation for that cmdlet, explaining what it does, its syntax, and its parameters.
- Details:
- Replace `<cmdlet>` with the name of the cmdlet you need help with, such as `Get-Process` or `Set-Item`.
- This will give you a brief description and usage instructions for the cmdlet.
- Use case: Use this when you need a quick refresher or overview of a specific cmdlet’s functionality.
3. Detailed help:
```powershell
PS C:\\> Get-Help <cmdlet> -detailed
```
- Description: The `-detailed` flag provides more in-depth help than the basic help. It includes detailed descriptions of the cmdlet’s parameters, examples, and other useful information.
- Details:
- It shows the cmdlet’s parameters with explanations of what they do, along with example usages.
- This is helpful if you're learning how to use a cmdlet and need more than just the basic description.
- Use case: When you need to understand the full set of options or parameters available with a cmdlet.
4. Examples:
```powershell
PS C:\\> Get-Help <cmdlet> -examples
```
- Description: The `-examples` flag shows example usage of a cmdlet, which can help you understand how it works in practical scenarios.
- Details:
- Example outputs typically show common use cases, which helps users quickly learn how to apply the cmdlet in different contexts.
- This is particularly useful for users who want to avoid reading the documentation and just need to see how the cmdlet can be used directly.
- Use case: When you're looking for real-world examples to understand how to use a cmdlet effectively.
5. Full help:
```powershell
PS C:\\> Get-Help <cmdlet> -full
```
- Description: The `-full` flag gives the most complete documentation available for a cmdlet, including syntax, parameters, examples, and additional details.
- Details:
- This flag returns the complete help documentation, including advanced information like parameter sets and parameter types.
- It can be particularly useful if you're dealing with complex cmdlets that have many parameters.
- Use case: When you need the most thorough and exhaustive information about a cmdlet.
6. Online help (if available):
```powershell
PS C:\\> Get-Help <cmdlet> -online
```
- Description: The `-online` flag opens up the cmdlet’s help documentation online, which may include additional information not available in local help.
- Details:
- This requires an internet connection and will open the browser to the official online documentation for the cmdlet.
- Online help typically provides the most up-to-date documentation and includes links to related cmdlets, FAQs, and troubleshooting.
- Use case: When you want to access the most current and complete documentation available.
Cmdlet Shortcuts
1. List all aliases:
```powershell
PS C:\\> Get-Alias
```
- Description: `Get-Alias` lists all aliases for PowerShell cmdlets. Aliases are shorthand names for commands to make them easier to type.
- Details:
- Examples of common aliases include `ls` for `Get-ChildItem`, `cat` for `Get-Content`, and `ps` for `Get-Process`.
- This cmdlet helps you identify what aliases are defined in the current session.
- Use case: When you want to see which cmdlets have shorter aliases to improve productivity or if you’re trying to remember or identify an alias.
2. Expand an alias to its full command:
```powershell
PS C:\\> alias <unknown alias>
PS C:\\> alias gcm
```
- Description: If you’re unsure of the full command behind an alias, you can use the `alias` keyword to display its full cmdlet.
- Details:
- `alias gcm` will expand the `gcm` alias to its full command, which is `Get-Command`.
- This is useful when you encounter an unfamiliar alias and want to know what it represents.
- Use case: When you want to quickly find the full cmdlet name for an alias or confirm what an alias corresponds to.
These cmdlets are essential for discovering, understanding, and utilizing the vast array of commands that PowerShell offers. With the help options and the ability to filter by verb or noun, users can efficiently navigate and learn PowerShell cmdlets.
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