PowerShell

PowerShell is a cross-platform automation and configuration framework consisting of a command-line shell and a scripting language. It is designed for system administration and task automation, enabling administrators to control and automate the configuration of operating systems and applications.

Originally released as Windows PowerShell in 2006 and built on the .NET Framework, a cross-platform successor began as PowerShell Core and was later unified under the PowerShell name with version 7. It runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux and is distributed as open-source software on GitHub.

Key concepts include the pipeline of objects, where cmdlets output .NET objects passed to subsequent commands. The Verb-Noun naming convention underpins many built-in commands (for example, Get-Process, Set-Service, New-Item). The language supports variables, functions, conditionals, loops, error handling, and modules. It provides remote management via PowerShell Remoting and SSH, and a large standard library and third-party modules via the PowerShell Gallery.

PowerShell also includes Desired State Configuration for declarative configuration management and can integrate with cloud services and automation tools. Security features include execution policies, script signing, and constrained endpoints. It is widely used for automation of administrative tasks, cross-platform management, and orchestration in on-premises and cloud environments.