PowerShell: What is Cmdlet

In PowerShell, the command you type are technically of different kinds: cmdlets, Alias, Function, and other independent programs such as explorer, tree. All are called commands.

The commands like Get-ChildItem (alias dir), Set-Location (alias cd), are called cmdlets.

cmdlets are written based on the dotnet framework. They follow a specific naming convention, parameter syntax, behavior. Vast majority of PowerShell command are cmdlets.

help about_Core_Commands

Show core commands.

Here's a list of core commands:

ChildItem cmdlets

• Get-ChildItem

Content cmdlets

• Add-Content
• Clear-Content
• Get-Content
• Set-Content

Item cmdlets

• Clear-Item
• Copy-Item
• Get-Item
• Invoke-Item
• Move-Item
• New-Item
• Remove-Item
• Rename-Item
• Set-Item

ItemProperty cmdlets

• Clear-ItemProperty
• Copy-ItemProperty
• Get-ItemProperty
• Move-ItemProperty
• New-ItemProperty
• Remove-ItemProperty
• Rename-ItemProperty
• Set-ItemProperty
• Location cmdlets
• Get-Location
• Pop-Location
• Push-Location
• Set-Location

Path cmdlets

• Join-Path
• Convert-Path
• Split-Path
• Resolve-Path
• Test-Path

PSDrive cmdlets

• Get-PSDrive
• New-PSDrive
• Remove-PSDrive

PSProvider cmdlets

• Get-PSProvider