Windows PowerShell Core About Topics

Applies To: Windows PowerShell 2.0, Windows PowerShell 3.0

This section contains the conceptual ("About") help topics that apply to all Windows PowerShell modules. For the About topics for other modules, see the help topics for the particular module.

Topic Description

about_Aliases

Describes alternate names for cmdlets and commands in Windows PowerShell.

about_Arithmetic_Operators

Describes the operators that perform arithmetic in Windows PowerShell.

about_Arrays

Describes arrays; a compact data structure for storing data elements.

about_Assignment_Operators

Describes the operators that assign values to variables.

about_Automatic_Variables

Describes the automatic variables, which that store state information for Windows PowerShell.

about_Break

Explains how to use the Break statement, a statement that immediately exits Foreach, For, While, Do, and Switch statements.

about_Command_Precedence

Describes how Windows PowerShell determines which command to run.

about_Command_Syntax

Explains the command format in Windows PowerShell.

about_Comment_Based_Help

Explains how to write comment-based help topics for functions and scripts.

about_CommonParameters

Describes parameters that can be used with any cmdlet.

about_Comparison_Operators

Describes the operators that compare values in Windows PowerShell.

about_Continue

Describes the Continue statement, which immediately returns to top of a program loop.

about_Core_Commands

Lists the cmdlets designed for use with Windows PowerShell providers.

about_Data_Sections

Describes the Data section of scripts, which is designed to isolate data from code logic.

about_Debuggers

Describes the Windows PowerShell script debugger, a set of cmdlets for debugging scripts and functions.

about_Do

Describes the Do statement, which runs a script block one or more times subject to a While or Until condition.

about_Environment_Variables

Explains how to access Windows environment variables in Windows PowerShell.

about_Escape_Characters

Introduces the escape character in Windows PowerShell (`) and explains its effect.

about_Eventlogs

Describes the Windows PowerShell event log in Event Viewer.

about_Execution_Policies

Describes the Windows PowerShell execution policies and explains how to manage them.

about_For

Describes the For loop in Windows PowerShell.

about_ForEach

Describes the ForEach statement, a statement that acts on each item in a collection.

about_Format.ps1xml

Describes the Format.ps1xml files that define the default display of objects in the console.

about_Functions

Explains how to create and use functions in Windows PowerShell.

about_Functions_Advanced

Introduction to advanced functions; the functions that act like cmdlets.

about_Functions_Advanced_Methods

Explains how to use the methods and properties that are available to cmdlets in advanced functions.

about_Functions_Advanced_Parameters

Shows how to declare parameters for advanced functions.

about_Functions_CmdletBindingAttribute

Describes the CmdletBinding attribute, which identifies a function that works like a cmdlet.

about_Functions_OutputTypeAttribute

Describes an attribute that reports the type of object that the function returns.

about_Group_Policy_Settings

Describes the Group Policy settings for Windows PowerShell.

about_Hash_Tables

Explains how to create, use, and sort hash tables in Windows PowerShell.

about_History

Explains how to get and run commands from the command history.

about_If

Describes the If statement, which establishes conditions for an action.

about_Jobs

Describes Windows PowerShell background jobs.

about_Job_Details

Provides detailed information about background jobs.

about_Join

Describes the Join operator, which combines multiple strings into a single string.

about_Language_Keywords

Describes the keywords in the Windows PowerShell scripting language.

about_Line_Editing

Describes the editing features of the Windows PowerShell console.

about_Locations

Explains how to use the working location in Windows PowerShell.

about_Logical_Operators

Describes the operators that connect statements in Windows PowerShell.

about_Methods

Explains how to use methods to perform actions on objects in Windows PowerShell.

about_Modules

Explains how to install, import, and use Windows PowerShell modules.

about_Objects

Explains how to work with objects in Windows PowerShell.

about_Object_Creation

Explains how to create objects in Windows PowerShell.

about_Operators

The overview topic that describes operators in Windows PowerShell. Contains topics about each operator type.

about_Operator_Precedence

Lists the Windows PowerShell operators in precedence order.

about_Parameters

Explains how to working with cmdlet parameters in Windows PowerShell.

about_Parameters_Default_Values

Explains how to set custom default values for the parameters of cmdlets and advanced functions.

about_Parsing

Explains how Windows PowerShell parses commands.

about_Path_Syntax

Describes full and relative path name formats in Windows PowerShell.

about_Pipelines

Explains how to combine commands into pipelines in Windows PowerShell.

about_PowerShell.exe

Displays help for the PowerShell.exe command-line tool.

about_PowerShell_Ise.exe

Displays help for the PowerShell_ISE.exe command-line tool.

about_Preference_Variables

Describes the preference variables that customize Windows PowerShell.

about_Profiles

Explains how to create and use a Windows PowerShell profile.

about_Prompts

Explains how to create and use a Windows PowerShell profile.

about_Properties

Explains how to use object properties in Windows PowerShell.

about_Providers

Describes the Windows PowerShell providers and explains how to use the data that they expose.

about_PSSessions

Describes Windows PowerShell sessions (PSSessions) and explains how to use them to run remote commands.

about_PSSession_Details

Provides detailed information about Windows PowerShell sessions.

about_PSSnapins

Describes Windows PowerShell snap-ins and explains how to use them to extend Windows PowerShell.

about_Quoting_Rules

Explains the rules for using single and double quotation marks in Windows PowerShell, including here-strings.

about_Redirection

Explains how to redirect output to variables and text files. Includes redirection operators.

about_Ref

Explains how to create and use a reference variable type.

about_Regular_Expressions

Explains how to use regular expressions in Windows PowerShell.

about_Remote

How to run remote commands in Windows PowerShell.

about_Remote_Disconnected_Sessions

Explains how to disconnect from and reconnect to a PSSession.

about_Remote_FAQ

Questions and answers about running remote commands in Windows PowerShell.

about_Remote_Jobs

Explains how to run background jobs on remote computers

about_Remote_Output

Interpreting and formatting the output of remote commands.

about_Remote_Requirements

System requirements and configuration requirements for running remote commands in Windows PowerShell.

about_Remote_Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting remote operations in Windows PowerShell.

about_Remote_Variables

Explains how to use local and remote variables in remote commands.

about_Requires

Describes the Requires statement, which prevents a script from running without required snap-ins and versions.

about_Reserved_Words

Lists words that are reserved to Windows PowerShell.

about_Return

Exits the current scope, which can be a function, script, or script block.

about_Scopes

Explains how to set and change the scope of functions and variables in Windows PowerShell.

about_Script_Blocks

Explains how to use script blocks to combine expressions, statements and commands into a single code block.

about_Script_Internationalization

Describes the features that make it easy for scripts to display user messages in the language selected for Windows.

about_Scripts

Explains how to write and run scripts in Windows PowerShell.

about_Session_Configurations

Describes session configurations, which determine the users who can connect to the computer remotely and the commands they can run.

about_Session_Configuration_Files

Describes session configuration files, which define the environment of sessions that use the session configuration.

about_Signing

Describes the Windows PowerShell execution policies, explains how to manage them, and explains to how sign scripts so they comply with the execution policies.

about_Special_Characters

Describes the special characters in Windows PowerShell.

about_Splatting

Explains how to use splatting to pass parameters to commands in Windows PowerShell.

about_Split

Describes the Split operator, which splits strings into substrings.

about_Switch

Explains how to use a switch statement to replace multiple If statements.

about_Throw

Describes the Throw keyword, which generates a terminating error.

about_Transactions

Explains how to manage transacted operations in Windows PowerShell.

about_Trap

Describes the Trap keyword, which handles a terminating error.

about_Try_Catch_Finally

Error handling in scripts is done using the Try, Catch, and Finally script blocks.

about_Type_Operators

Describes the operators that work with .NET types.

about_Types.ps1xml

Describes the Types.ps1xml files that let you extend the .NET types of objects used in Windows PowerShell.

about_Updatable_Help

Describes the updatable help system in Windows PowerShell.

about_Variables

An overview topic that explains the types of variables in Windows PowerShell.

about_While

Describes While loops in Windows PowerShell.

about_Wildcards

Explains how to use the wildcard character (*) in Windows PowerShell.

About_Windows_PowerShell_3.0

Describes the features introduced in Windows PowerShell 3.0.

about_Windows_PowerShell_ISE

Describes Windows PowerShell® Integrated Scripting Environment (ISE).

about_WMI

Describes Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI), which is Microsoft’s implementation of the Web-Based Enterprise Management (WBEM) industry standard.

about_WMI_Cmdlets

Provides background information about Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) and Windows PowerShell.

about_WQL

Describes WMI Query Language (WQL), which can be used to get WMI objects in Windows PowerShell.

See Also

Concepts

Windows PowerShell 3.0
about_Scheduled_Jobs
about_WMI_Cmdlets

Other Resources

Windows PowerShell
Windows PowerShell Core
about_WS-Management_Cmdlets
Windows PowerShell SDK