378
edits
Changes
New page: Windows PowerShell is both a scripting language and an interactive shell. In interactive shell mode, PowerShell provides a command line prompt at which commands may be entered and executed...
Windows PowerShell is both a scripting language and an interactive shell. In interactive shell mode, PowerShell provides a command line prompt at which commands may be entered and executed interactively. The purpose of this chapter is to cover the basics of using the PowerShell 1.0 interactive shell.
== The Windows PowerShell Command Prompt ==
The PowerShell interactive prompt may be accessed in two ways. One option is to launch PowerShell from the ''Start'' menu by selecting ''Start -> All Programs -> Windows PowerShell 1.0 -> Windows PowerShell''. Alternatively, PowerShell may be launched from the Windows Command Prompt (cmd.exe) window simply by entering the command ''powershell''. Once loaded, PowerShell will display copyright information, followed by the shell prompt:
<pre>
Windows PowerShell
Copyright (C) 2006 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
PS C:\Users\Administrator>
</pre>
The interactive shell prompt consists of the letter ''PS'' to indicate that the user is working within the PowerShell, followed by the current working directory. The prompt is terminated with a '>' character after which the cursor appears awaiting user input. The current working directory indicates that any file system based operations will take place relative to that directory on the file system. Typing the ''dir'' or ''ls'' command, therefore, will provide a listing of files and sub-directories in the current working directory (C:\Users\Administrator) in this case:
<pre>
PS C:\Users\Administrator> dir
Directory: Microsoft.PowerShell.Core\FileSystem::C:\Users\Administrator
Mode LastWriteTime Length Name
---- ------------- ------ ----
d-r-- 11/7/2008 4:26 PM Contacts
d-r-- 11/7/2008 4:26 PM Desktop
d-r-- 11/7/2008 4:26 PM Documents
d-r-- 11/7/2008 4:26 PM Downloads
d-r-- 11/7/2008 4:26 PM Favorites
d-r-- 11/7/2008 4:26 PM Links
d-r-- 11/7/2008 4:26 PM Music
d-r-- 11/7/2008 4:26 PM Pictures
d-r-- 11/7/2008 4:26 PM Saved Games
d-r-- 11/7/2008 4:26 PM Searches
d-r-- 11/7/2008 4:26 PM Videos
</pre>
By default, this will be the home directory of the user who invoked PowerShell. The directory may be changed using ''cd'' command, for example:
<pre>
PS C:\Users\Administrator> cd \windows
PS C:\Windows>
</pre>
== The Windows PowerShell Command Prompt ==
The PowerShell interactive prompt may be accessed in two ways. One option is to launch PowerShell from the ''Start'' menu by selecting ''Start -> All Programs -> Windows PowerShell 1.0 -> Windows PowerShell''. Alternatively, PowerShell may be launched from the Windows Command Prompt (cmd.exe) window simply by entering the command ''powershell''. Once loaded, PowerShell will display copyright information, followed by the shell prompt:
<pre>
Windows PowerShell
Copyright (C) 2006 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
PS C:\Users\Administrator>
</pre>
The interactive shell prompt consists of the letter ''PS'' to indicate that the user is working within the PowerShell, followed by the current working directory. The prompt is terminated with a '>' character after which the cursor appears awaiting user input. The current working directory indicates that any file system based operations will take place relative to that directory on the file system. Typing the ''dir'' or ''ls'' command, therefore, will provide a listing of files and sub-directories in the current working directory (C:\Users\Administrator) in this case:
<pre>
PS C:\Users\Administrator> dir
Directory: Microsoft.PowerShell.Core\FileSystem::C:\Users\Administrator
Mode LastWriteTime Length Name
---- ------------- ------ ----
d-r-- 11/7/2008 4:26 PM Contacts
d-r-- 11/7/2008 4:26 PM Desktop
d-r-- 11/7/2008 4:26 PM Documents
d-r-- 11/7/2008 4:26 PM Downloads
d-r-- 11/7/2008 4:26 PM Favorites
d-r-- 11/7/2008 4:26 PM Links
d-r-- 11/7/2008 4:26 PM Music
d-r-- 11/7/2008 4:26 PM Pictures
d-r-- 11/7/2008 4:26 PM Saved Games
d-r-- 11/7/2008 4:26 PM Searches
d-r-- 11/7/2008 4:26 PM Videos
</pre>
By default, this will be the home directory of the user who invoked PowerShell. The directory may be changed using ''cd'' command, for example:
<pre>
PS C:\Users\Administrator> cd \windows
PS C:\Windows>
</pre>
