PowerShell Basics
last modified February 15, 2025
In this article, we show the basics of PowerShell, a powerful automation and configuration tool for Windows systems. PowerShell is designed to help IT professionals and system administrators automate repetitive tasks, manage system configurations, and improve overall efficiency. With its rich set of features and capabilities, PowerShell has become an essential tool for managing and automating various tasks in Windows environments.
PowerShell is a cross-platform task automation solution made up of a command-line shell, a scripting language, and a configuration management framework. The command-line shell provides an interactive environment for running commands and scripts, while the scripting language allows users to write complex scripts for automating tasks. The configuration management framework enables users to manage and maintain system configurations, ensuring that systems remain in a desired state.
PowerShell provides full access to the .NET Framework and the Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI). This integration allows users to leverage the power of .NET libraries and WMI classes to perform advanced tasks and manage system components. With PowerShell, users can interact with various system resources, retrieve information, and execute commands to automate processes and streamline operations. Additionally, PowerShell supports remote management, allowing administrators to execute commands and scripts on remote systems, making it a versatile tool for managing large-scale IT environments.
One of the key features of PowerShell is its extensive library of built-in cmdlets, which are specialized commands designed to perform specific tasks. These cmdlets can be combined and pipelined to create complex workflows and automate intricate processes. Moreover, PowerShell's extensibility allows users to create custom cmdlets and modules, further enhancing its functionality and adaptability to meet diverse automation requirements.
PowerShell variables
In the first example, we demonstrate how to declare and use variables in PowerShell.
$name = "John Doe" Write-Output "Hello, $name!"
In this program, we declare a variable $name and assign it the
value "John Doe". We then use the Write-Output cmdlet to print a
greeting to the console.
$name = "John Doe"
We declare a variable $name and assign it the value "John Doe".
Write-Output "Hello, $name!"
We use the Write-Output cmdlet to print a greeting to the console.
We use string interpolation to include the value of the $name
variable in the output.
PS C:\> .\variables.ps1 Hello, John Doe!
We run the script and see the output.
PowerShell arrays
In the next example, we demonstrate how to create and manipulate arrays in PowerShell.
$fruits = @("apple", "banana", "cherry")
Write-Output "The first fruit is $($fruits[0])"
In this program, we create an array $fruits containing three fruit
names. We then use the Write-Output cmdlet to print the first fruit
in the array.
$fruits = @("apple", "banana", "cherry")
We create an array $fruits containing three fruit names.
Write-Output "The first fruit is $($fruits[0])"
We use the Write-Output cmdlet to print the first fruit in the
array. We use the indexing operator [] to access the first element
in the array.
PS C:\> .\arrays.ps1 The first fruit is apple
We run the script and see the output.
PowerShell loops
PowerShell provides several ways to loop over collections of items.
In this example, we use the for loop.
$fruits = @("apple", "banana", "cherry")
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $fruits.Count; $i++) {
Write-Output "Fruit ${i}: $($fruits[$i])"
}
In this program, we use a for loop to iterate over the $fruits
array and print each fruit along with its index.
$fruits = @("apple", "banana", "cherry")
We create an array $fruits containing three fruit names.
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $fruits.Count; $i++) {
Write-Output "Fruit ${i}: $($fruits[$i])"
}
We use a for loop to iterate over the $fruits array.
We use the indexing operator [] to access each element in the array.
PS C:\> .\loops.ps1 Fruit 0: apple Fruit 1: banana Fruit 2: cherry
We run the script and see the output.
PowerShell functions
PowerShell allows you to define custom functions. In this example, we define a simple function that takes a single argument.
function greet($name) {
Write-Output "Hello, $name!"
}
greet "John Doe"
In this program, we define a function greet that takes a single
argument $name. We then call the function with the argument "John
Doe".
function greet($name) {
Write-Output "Hello, $name!"
}
We define a function greet that takes a single argument
$name.
greet "John Doe"
We call the greet function with the argument "John Doe".
PS C:\> .\functions.ps1 Hello, John Doe!
We run the script and see the output.
PowerShell modules
PowerShell modules allow you to organize and reuse your code. In this example, we create a simple module.
function greet($name) {
Write-Output "Hello, $name!"
}
Export-ModuleMember -Function greet
In this program, we define a function greet and then use the
Export-ModuleMember cmdlet to export the function as part of the
module.
function greet($name) {
Write-Output "Hello, $name!"
}
We define a function greet that takes a single argument
$name.
Export-ModuleMember -Function greet
We use the Export-ModuleMember cmdlet to export the
greet function as part of the module.
PS C:\> .\module.ps1 PS C:\> Import-Module .\module.ps1 PS C:\> greet "John Doe" Hello, John Doe!
We run the script, import the module, and then call the greet
function.
Source
In this article, we have worked with the basics of PowerShell.
Author
List all PowerShell tutorials.