In PowerShell, a cmdlet (command-let) is a small program that performs a specific task or operation. Cmdlets are the basic building blocks of PowerShell scripting, and they are used to manage and automate tasks in the PowerShell environment. Commands, on the other hand, are more general instructions that are typically used to interact with the operating system or applications.
Cmdlets are a subset of commands specifically designed for PowerShell, whereas commands can include external programs and scripts not inherently part of the PowerShell environment.
- Cmdlets: These are lightweight, single-function commands native to PowerShell, built on .NET and designed to be easy to use from the command line. Cmdlets follow a ‘Verb-Noun’ naming convention like
Get-Item,Set-Service, etc., and output objects which can be easily piped to other cmdlets. - Commands: This is a more general term that can refer to cmdlets, but it also includes other command types in PowerShell such as functions, scripts, aliases, or executable programs. Basically, any operation that you can execute in PowerShell could be considered a command.
Here is a table summarizing the key differences between cmdlets and commands in PowerShell:
| Feature | Cmdlets | Commands |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Perform specific tasks or operations | Interact with the operating system or applications |
| Structure | Consist of a verb, noun, and parameters | Consist of a verb and parameters (optional) |
| Output | Typically return objects that can be piped to other cmdlets | Typically return text or error messages |
| Scope | Designed for managing and automating tasks in PowerShell | Designed for general interaction with the operating system or applications |
Cmdlets differ from commands in other command-shell environments in the following ways:
- Cmdlets are instances of .NET Framework classes; they are not stand-alone executables.
- Cmdlets can be created from as few as a dozen lines of code.
- Cmdlets do not generally do their own parsing, error presentation, or output formatting. Parsing, error presentation, and output formatting are handled by the Windows PowerShell runtime.
- Cmdlets process input objects from the pipeline rather than from streams of text, and cmdlets typically deliver objects as output to the pipeline.
- Cmdlets are record-oriented because they process a single object at a time.
Here are some examples of cmdlets:
- Get-Help
- Get-Process
- New-Object
- Set-Variable
- Remove-Item
Here are some examples of commands:
- dir
- cd
- copy
- mkdir
- rm
In general, cmdlets are more powerful and flexible than commands. They are also more consistent in their structure and output, making them easier to learn and use. However, commands are still useful for basic tasks and for interacting with applications that do not support cmdlets.
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