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The Basics of the Windows PowerShell 1.0 Interactive Shell

1,872 bytes added, 20:01, 13 November 2008
Customizing the PowerShell Window
== Customizing the PowerShell Window ==
 
The Windows PowerShell interactive shell is invoked either from the ''Start'' menu, or from a command prompt (cmd.exe) window. In either case, the shell will be operating in a window with some pre-set characteristics. For example, the command prompt displays white text on a black background and is restricted to 80 characters in width. The PowerShell window displays white text on a blue background and is typically limited to 157 characters in width.
 
Fortunately just about every aspect of these windows can be changed by clicking with the mouse pointer on the small icon in the top right hand corner of the window title block and selecting the ''Properties'' option from the resulting menu as illustrated in the following figure:
 
 
[[Image:powershell_1.0_window_menu.jpg|Displaying the PowerShell 1.0 window menu]]
 
 
Once the ''Properties'' option has been selected, the properties dialog will appear. A number of tabs are available which, when selected, allow different categories of settings to be changed. The following figure, for example, shows the ''Color'' screen which is used to change settings such the background and foreground colors of the window:
 
 
[[Image:powershell_1.0_window_properties.jpg|Configuring Windows PowerShell Window properties]]
 
 
The settings contained on each tab are as follows:
 
* '''Options''' - Includes cursor size settings, the size of the command history buffer, whether the shell is displayed as a window or full screen and editing options.
 
* '''Font''' - The style and size of font used to display text in the PowerShell window.
 
* '''Layout''' - Settings such as the initial height, width and position of the PowerShell window and size of the screen buffer (the amount of text retained after it has scrolled out of the viewable window area).
 
* '''Colors''' - the foreground and background colors of the screen and popups.

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