Professional Windows® PowerShell

Chapter 5. Using Snapins, Startup Files, and Preferences

Windows PowerShell allows you to configure several aspects that control what happens when you launch PowerShell and how PowerShell behaves after launching it. You can even add additional providers and cmdlets to those available by default.

To add further providers and cmdlets, you can load PowerShell snapins in addition to the core snapins that load by default when Windows PowerShell is started up. A snapin is a .NET assembly that contains Windows PowerShell providers and/or Windows PowerShell cmdlets.

You can create profile files that customize the behavior of every Windows PowerShell that you launch. Or you can customize behavior for each user individually.

You can also change the behavior of Windows PowerShell by using aliases. There are many practical advantages in PowerShell having a unique and consistent behavior. For example, once you become familiar with the verb-noun syntax convention, it becomes pretty easy to guess what the name of a command to carry out a particular task might be. However, there are also advantages in PowerShell having the flexibility to modify the behavior of the command shell to conform to user expectations or past experience. For example, by providing familiar commands (using aliases) PowerShell enables users who are familiar with other widely used command line shells to get up and running straightaway, since, at least in part, they can use commands they are already familiar with to achieve ...