Understanding PowerShell Cmdlets

Cmdlets (pronounced "command-lets") are the native commands of PowerShell. They are designed to perform specific actions, such as retrieving information, managing system resources, or configuring settings. Cmdlets are built on the .NET Framework and are written in languages like C# or PowerShell itself.

PowerShell cmdlets follow a verb-noun naming convention, which makes them easy to understand and discover. For example:

  • Get-Process: Retrieves information about running processes.
  • Stop-Service: Stops a running service.
  • Set-ExecutionPolicy: Sets the execution policy for PowerShell scripts.

This convention ensures consistency and predictability across the PowerShell environment.

Common Cmdlet Categories

Cmdlets are organized into modules that group related functionality. Here are some common categories you'll encounter:

Microsoft.PowerShell.Management

Core cmdlets for managing operating system components like processes, services, event logs, and registry keys.

Microsoft.PowerShell.Utility

Cmdlets for general utility tasks such as formatting output, working with strings, creating GUIDs, and managing variables.

Microsoft.PowerShell.Core

Cmdlets that manage the PowerShell environment itself, including the shell, sessions, and command discovery.

Microsoft.PowerShell.Security

Cmdlets for managing security-related aspects of PowerShell, such as certificates and code signing.

Microsoft.PowerShell.Diagnostics

Cmdlets for working with performance counters and event logs.

Microsoft.PowerShell.Host

Cmdlets related to the PowerShell host application, such as interacting with the console.

Finding and Learning Cmdlets

You can discover cmdlets using the Get-Command cmdlet:

Get-Command -Noun Process

To get detailed information about a specific cmdlet, use the Get-Help cmdlet:

Get-Help Get-Process -Full

The documentation for each cmdlet includes its syntax, parameters, input and output types, and examples of usage.