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New-Alias

Module:
Microsoft.PowerShell.Utility Module

Creates a new alias.

Syntax

Default (Default) 

New-Alias
    [-Name] <String>
    [-Value] <String>
    [-Description <String>]
    [-Option <ScopedItemOptions>]
    [-PassThru]
    [-Scope <String>]
    [-Force]
    [-WhatIf]
    [-Confirm]
    [<CommonParameters>]

Description

The New-Alias cmdlet creates a new alias in the current Windows PowerShell session. Aliases created by using New-Alias are not saved after you exit the session or close Windows PowerShell. You can use the Export-Alias cmdlet to save your alias information to a file. You can later use Import-Alias to retrieve that saved alias information.

Examples

Example 1

New-Alias list get-childitem

This command creates an alias named "list" to represent the Get-ChildItem cmdlet.

Example 2

New-Alias -Name w -Value get-wmiobject -Description "quick wmi alias" -Option ReadOnly
Get-Alias -Name w | Format-List *

This command creates an alias named "w" to represent the Get-WMIObject cmdlet. It creates a description, "quick wmi alias", for the alias and makes it read only. The last line of the command uses Get-Alias to get the new alias and pipes it to Format-List to display all of the information about it.

Parameters

-Confirm

Prompts you for confirmation before running the cmdlet.

Parameter properties

Type:SwitchParameter
Default value:False
Supports wildcards:False
DontShow:False
Aliases:cf

Parameter sets

(All)
Position:Named
Mandatory:False
Value from pipeline:False
Value from pipeline by property name:False
Value from remaining arguments:False

-Description

Specifies a description of the alias. You can type any string. If the description includes spaces, enclose it in quotation marks.

Parameter properties

Type:String
Default value:None
Supports wildcards:False
DontShow:False

Parameter sets

(All)
Position:Named
Mandatory:False
Value from pipeline:False
Value from pipeline by property name:False
Value from remaining arguments:False

-Force

If set, act like set-alias if the alias named already exists.

Parameter properties

Type:SwitchParameter
Default value:None
Supports wildcards:False
DontShow:False

Parameter sets

(All)
Position:Named
Mandatory:False
Value from pipeline:False
Value from pipeline by property name:False
Value from remaining arguments:False

-Name

Specifies the new alias. You can use any alphanumeric characters in an alias, but the first character cannot be a number.

Parameter properties

Type:String
Default value:None
Supports wildcards:False
DontShow:False

Parameter sets

(All)
Position:1
Mandatory:True
Value from pipeline:False
Value from pipeline by property name:True
Value from remaining arguments:False

-Option

Specifies the value of the Options property of the alias. Valid values are:

  • None: The alias has no constraints (default value)
  • ReadOnly: The alias can be deleted but cannot be changed except by using the Force parameter
  • Constant: The alias cannot be deleted or changed
  • Private: The alias is available only in the current scope
  • AllScope: The alias is copied to any new scopes that are created
  • Unspecified: The option is not specified

To see the Options property of all aliases in the session, type Get-Alias | Format-Table -Property Name, Options -AutoSize.

Parameter properties

Type:ScopedItemOptions
Default value:[System.Management.Automation.ScopedItemOptions]::None
Accepted values:None, ReadOnly, Constant, Private, AllScope, Unspecified
Supports wildcards:False
DontShow:False

Parameter sets

(All)
Position:Named
Mandatory:False
Value from pipeline:False
Value from pipeline by property name:False
Value from remaining arguments:False

-PassThru

Returns an object representing the new alias. By default, this cmdlet does not generate any output.

Parameter properties

Type:SwitchParameter
Default value:False
Supports wildcards:False
DontShow:False

Parameter sets

(All)
Position:Named
Mandatory:False
Value from pipeline:False
Value from pipeline by property name:False
Value from remaining arguments:False

-Scope

Specifies the scope of the new alias. Valid values are "Global", "Local", or "Script", or a number relative to the current scope (0 through the number of scopes, where 0 is the current scope and 1 is its parent). "Local" is the default. For more information, see about_Scopes.

Parameter properties

Type:String
Default value:Local
Supports wildcards:False
DontShow:False

Parameter sets

(All)
Position:Named
Mandatory:False
Value from pipeline:False
Value from pipeline by property name:False
Value from remaining arguments:False

-Value

Specifies the name of the cmdlet or command element that is being aliased.

Parameter properties

Type:String
Default value:None
Supports wildcards:False
DontShow:False

Parameter sets

(All)
Position:2
Mandatory:True
Value from pipeline:False
Value from pipeline by property name:True
Value from remaining arguments:False

-WhatIf

Shows what would happen if the cmdlet runs. The cmdlet is not run.

Parameter properties

Type:SwitchParameter
Default value:False
Supports wildcards:False
DontShow:False
Aliases:wi

Parameter sets

(All)
Position:Named
Mandatory:False
Value from pipeline:False
Value from pipeline by property name:False
Value from remaining arguments:False

CommonParameters

This cmdlet supports the common parameters: -Debug, -ErrorAction, -ErrorVariable, -InformationAction, -InformationVariable, -OutBuffer, -OutVariable, -PipelineVariable, -ProgressAction, -Verbose, -WarningAction, and -WarningVariable. For more information, see about_CommonParameters.

Inputs

None

You cannot pipe input to this cmdlet.

Outputs

None or System.Management.Automation.AliasInfo

When you use the Passthru parameter, New-Alias generates a System.Management.Automation.AliasInfo object representing the new alias. Otherwise, this cmdlet does not generate any output.