Windows PowerShell About Help Topics

Article
11/21/2011

Applies To: Windows PowerShell 2.0

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.

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