This section contains the conceptual ("about") help topics in Windows PowerShell.

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

Explains how Windows PowerShell finds commands.

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_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_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_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_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_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_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_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_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_Types.ps1xml

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

about_Type_Operators

Describes the operators that work with .NET types.

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_2.0

Describes the features introduced in the Windows PowerShell 2.0.

about_Windows_PowerShell_ISE

Describes the Windows PowerShell Integrated Scripting Environment.

about_WMI_Cmdlets

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

about_WS-Management_Cmdlets

Provides an overview of Web Services for Management (WS-Management) as background for using the WS-Management cmdlets in Windows PowerShell.

See Also