Optimizing your shell experience

PowerShell is a command-line shell and a scripting language used for automation.

Wikipedia includes the following description of a shell:

A shell manages the user-system interaction by prompting users for input, interpreting their input, and then handling output from the underlying operating system (much like a read-eval-print loop or REPL).

Similar to other shells like bash or cmd.exe, PowerShell allows you to run any command available on your system, not just PowerShell commands.

PowerShell commands are known as cmdlets (pronounced command-lets). Cmdlets are PowerShell commands, not stand-alone executables. PowerShell commands can't be run in other shells without running PowerShell first.

Features of the PowerShell command-line interface

PowerShell is a modern command shell that includes the best features of other popular shells. Unlike most shells that only accept and return text, PowerShell accepts and returns .NET objects. The shell has several features that you can use to optimize your interactive user experience.

• Robust command-line history
• Tab completion and command prediction
• Supports command and parameter aliases
• Pipeline for chaining commands
• In-console help system, similar to Unix man pages