PlatyPS overview

PlatyPS is the primary tool for creating the PowerShell help displayed using Get-Help. PowerShell help files are stored in an XML format known as Microsoft Assistance Markup Language (MAML). Prior to PlatyPS, the help files were hand authored using complex tool chains. Markdown is widely used in the open source community, supported by many editors including Visual Studio Code, and easier to author. PlatyPS simplifies the process by allowing you to write the help files in Markdown and then converted to MAML.

There are two major versions of PlatyPS.

• platyPS v0.14.2 is the current version of PlatyPS that's used to create PowerShell help files in Markdown format.
• Microsoft.PowerShell.PlatyPS v1.0.0-preview1 is the new version of PlatyPS. This version is a complete rewrite in C# leveraging markdig for parsing Markdown. This release includes several improvements:
  • Provides a more accurate description of a PowerShell cmdlet and its parameters
  • Increased performance - processes 1000s of Markdown files in seconds
  • Creates an object model of the help file that you can manipulate in memory
  • Provides cmdlets that you can chain together to perform complex operations
  • Defines a new Markdown schema that includes all elements needed for Get-Help, plus information that was previously unavailable.
  • Provide automatic conversion of existing Markdown (using the old schema) to new objects, enabling you to export to new Markdown, YAML, or MAML.