Cmdlets

Cmdlets are specialized, lightweight commands in the PowerShell environment that perform a single function. They are typically implemented as .NET-based binary commands compiled into modules and loaded into a PowerShell session. In practice, a cmdlet is discovered and invoked through the PowerShell runtime, and cmdlets participate in pipelines by sending and consuming objects. PowerShell also supports advanced functions that mimic cmdlets, but true cmdlets are implemented as compiled code and loaded from modules.

Most cmdlets follow a Verb-Noun naming convention, such as Get-Process, Set-Item, or Remove-Item. The naming is guided by a published list of approved verbs to convey intent consistently. Cmdlets expose parameters that control their behavior, including built-in common parameters like -Verbose, -ErrorAction, and -WarningAction.

Input and output: Cmdlets typically output .NET objects, not text, enabling downstream cmdlets to operate on structured data. They can accept input from the pipeline (by value or by property name) and can define parameter sets to support different usage modes. They integrate with providers to access data stores such as the filesystem or registry.

Development and usage: Developers create cmdlets in C# or other .NET languages and package them into modules. End users discover available cmdlets with Get-Command, learn usage with Get-Help, and compose scripts by piping cmdlets together. Cmdlets are central to PowerShell automation and administration.

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