Set-Location
Sets the current working location to a specified location.
Syntax
Set-Location
[[-Path] <String>]
[-PassThru]
[-UseTransaction]
[<CommonParameters>]
Set-Location
-LiteralPath <String>
[-PassThru]
[-UseTransaction]
[<CommonParameters>]
Set-Location
[-PassThru]
[-StackName <String>]
[-UseTransaction]
[<CommonParameters>]
Description
The Set-Location
cmdlet sets the working location to a specified location. That location could be
a directory, a subdirectory, a registry location, or any provider path.
You can also use the StackName parameter to make a named location stack the current location stack. For more information about location stacks, see the Notes.
Examples
Example 1: Set the current location
PS C:\> Set-Location -Path "HKLM:\"
PS HKLM:\>
This command sets the current location to the root of the HKLM:
drive.
Example 2: Set the current location and display that location
PS C:\> Set-Location -Path "Env:\" -PassThru
Path
----
Env:\
PS Env:\>
This command sets the current location to the root of the Env:
drive. It uses the PassThru
parameter to direct PowerShell to return a PathInfo object that represents the Env:\
location.
Example 3: Set location to the current location in the C: drive
PS C:\Windows\> Set-Location HKLM:\
PS HKLM:\> Set-Location C:
PS C:\Windows\>
The first command sets the location to the root of the HKLM:
drive in the Registry provider.
The second command sets the location to the current location of the C:
drive in the FileSystem
provider.
When the drive name is specified in the form <DriveName>:
(without backslash), the cmdlet sets
the location to the current location in the PSDrive.
To get the current location in the PSDrive use Get-Location -PSDrive <DriveName>
command.
Example 4: Set the current location to a named stack
PS C:\> Push-Location -Path 'C:\Program Files\PowerShell\' -StackName "Paths"
PS C:\Program Files\PowerShell\> Set-Location -StackName "Paths"
PS C:\Program Files\PowerShell\> Get-Location -Stack
Path
----
C:\
The first command adds the current location to the Paths stack. The second command makes the Paths location stack the current location stack. The third command displays the locations in the current location stack.
The *-Location
cmdlets use the current location stack unless a different location stack is
specified in the command. For information about location stacks, see the Notes.
Parameters
-LiteralPath
Specifies a path of the location. The value of the LiteralPath parameter is used exactly as it is typed. No characters are interpreted as wildcard characters. If the path includes escape characters, enclose it in single quotation marks. Single quotation marks tell PowerShell not to interpret any characters as escape sequences.
Type: | String |
Aliases: | PSPath |
Position: | Named |
Default value: | None |
Required: | True |
Accept pipeline input: | True |
Accept wildcard characters: | False |
-PassThru
Returns a PathInfo object that represents the location. By default, this cmdlet does not generate any output.
Type: | SwitchParameter |
Position: | Named |
Default value: | False |
Required: | False |
Accept pipeline input: | False |
Accept wildcard characters: | False |
-Path
Specify the path of a new working location. If no path is provided, Set-Location
defaults to the
current user's home directory. When wildcards are used, the cmdlet chooses the container (directory,
registry key, certificate store) that matches the wildcard pattern. If the wildcard pattern matches
more than one container, the cmdlet returns an error.
Type: | String |
Position: | 0 |
Default value: | None |
Required: | False |
Accept pipeline input: | True |
Accept wildcard characters: | True |
-StackName
Specifies an existing location stack name that this cmdlet makes the current location stack. Enter
a location stack name. To indicate the unnamed default location stack, type $null
or an empty
string (""
).
Using this parameter does not change the current location. It only changes the stack used by the
*-Location
cmdlets. The *-Location
cmdlets act on the current stack unless you use the
StackName parameter to specify a different stack. For more information about location stacks,
see the Notes.
Type: | String |
Position: | Named |
Default value: | None |
Required: | False |
Accept pipeline input: | True |
Accept wildcard characters: | False |
-UseTransaction
Includes the command in the active transaction. This parameter is valid only when a transaction is in progress. For more information, see about_Transactions.
Type: | SwitchParameter |
Aliases: | usetx |
Position: | Named |
Default value: | False |
Required: | False |
Accept pipeline input: | False |
Accept wildcard characters: | False |
Inputs
You can pipe a string that contains a path, but not a literal path, to this cmdlet.
Outputs
None
By default, this cmdlet returns no output.
When you use the PassThru parameter with Path or LiteralPath, this cmdlet returns a PathInfo object representing the new location.
When you use the PassThru parameter with StackName, this cmdlet returns a PathInfoStack object representing the new stack context.
Notes
Windows PowerShell includes the following aliases for Set-Location
:
cd
chdir
sl
PowerShell supports multiple runspaces per process. Each runspace has its own current directory.
This is not the same as [System.Environment]::CurrentDirectory
. This behavior can be an issue
when calling .NET APIs or running native applications without providing explicit directory paths.
Even if the location cmdlets did set the process-wide current directory, you can't depend on it because another runspace might change it at any time. You should use the location cmdlets to perform path-based operations using the current working directory specific to the current runspace.
The Set-Location
cmdlet is designed to work with the data exposed by any provider. To list the
providers available in your session, type Get-PSProvider
. For more information, see
about_Providers.
A stack is a last-in, first-out list in which only the most recently added item can be accessed. You
add items to a stack in the order that you use them, and then retrieve them for use in the reverse
order. PowerShell lets you store provider locations in location stacks. PowerShell creates an
unnamed default location stack. You can create multiple named location stacks. If you do not specify
a stack name, PowerShell uses the current location stack. By default, the unnamed default location
is the current location stack, but you can use the Set-Location
cmdlet to change the current
location stack.
To manage location stacks, use the *-Location
cmdlets, as follows:
To add a location to a location stack, use the
Push-Location
cmdlet.To get a location from a location stack, use the
Pop-Location
cmdlet.To display the locations in the current location stack, use the Stack parameter of the
Get-Location
cmdlet. To display the locations in a named location stack, use the StackName parameter ofGet-Location
.To create a new location stack, use the StackName parameter of
Push-Location
. If you specify a stack that does not exist,Push-Location
creates the stack.To make a location stack the current location stack, use the StackName parameter of
Set-Location
.
The unnamed default location stack is fully accessible only when it is the current location stack.
If you make a named location stack the current location stack, you can no longer use the
Push-Location
or Pop-Location
cmdlets to add or get items from the default stack or use the
Get-Location
cmdlet to display the locations in the unnamed stack. To make the unnamed stack
the current stack, use the StackName parameter of the Set-Location
cmdlet with a value of
$null
or an empty string (""
).
Related Links
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