PowerShell Documentation

Welcome to the comprehensive documentation for Microsoft PowerShell. PowerShell is a task automation and configuration management framework from Microsoft, consisting of a command-line shell and associated scripting language built on the .NET Framework.

What is PowerShell?

PowerShell provides administrators and power users with a command-line shell and scripting language that offers a more robust and flexible environment for system administration. It leverages the .NET Common Language Runtime (CLR) and the .NET Framework, allowing for powerful object-based manipulation and extensive extensibility.

Key Concepts

  • Cmdlets: Native PowerShell commands that perform specific actions. They follow a Verb-Noun naming convention (e.g., Get-Process, Set-Service).
  • Objects: Unlike traditional shells that deal with text, PowerShell works with .NET objects, providing structured data that can be filtered, sorted, and manipulated more effectively.
  • Providers: Allow access to different data stores (like the file system, registry, or certificates) as if they were file systems.
  • Pipeline: Enables chaining commands together, passing the output (objects) from one cmdlet as input to another.
  • Scripting Language: PowerShell has a powerful scripting language with constructs for variables, loops, conditional statements, functions, and error handling.

Getting Started

To begin using PowerShell, you typically need to install it on your Windows machine. PowerShell is included by default in modern versions of Windows. You can launch it from the Start Menu by searching for "PowerShell".

Here's a simple example to get you started:

# Get a list of running processes
Get-Process

# Get information about your system's disk drives
Get-PSDrive

# Get the current date and time
Get-Date

Key Areas of Documentation

Cmdlet Reference

The Cmdlet Reference provides detailed information on individual cmdlets, including their syntax, parameters, and examples. You can search for specific cmdlets or browse by category.

To get help on a specific cmdlet, use the Get-Help cmdlet:

Get-Help Get-Process -Full

Scripting Guide

Learn to write powerful PowerShell scripts to automate repetitive tasks. This section covers variables, operators, control flow, functions, error handling, and more.

Example: Looping through files

$files = Get-ChildItem -Path "C:\Temp" -Filter "*.log"
foreach ($file in $files) {
    Write-Host "Processing file: $($file.Name)"
    # Add your processing logic here
}

Remoting

PowerShell Remoting allows you to execute PowerShell commands and scripts on remote computers. This is essential for managing distributed systems.

Key cmdlets include Enable-PSRemoting, Invoke-Command, and Enter-PSSession.

Modules and Extensibility

PowerShell modules extend its functionality by packaging cmdlets, functions, variables, and providers. You can find a vast repository of community and Microsoft-developed modules on the PowerShell Gallery.

Install a module:

Install-Module -Name Pester

Desired State Configuration (DSC)

DSC is a management platform in PowerShell that enables you to deploy and manage configuration data for your software services and their environments. It allows you to define the desired state of your systems and ensure they remain in that state.

For more advanced topics, visit the official PowerShell documentation.