Show-Command

JuanPablo Jofre|Last Updated: 11/17/2016

|
2 Contributors

IN THIS ARTICLE
SYNOPSIS
SYNTAX
DESCRIPTION
EXAMPLES
Example 1: Open the Commands window
Example 2: Open a cmdlet in the Commands window
Example 3: Open a cmdlet with specified parameters
Example 4: Specify new default parameter values for a cmdlet
Example 5: Send output to a grid view
Example 6: Display a command that you create in the Commands window
Example 7: Save a command to a variable
Example 8: Save the output of a command to a variable
PARAMETERS
-ErrorPopup
-Height
-Name
-NoCommonParameter
-PassThru
-Width
CommonParameters
INPUTS
None
OUTPUTS
System.String, System.Object
NOTES
RELATED LINKS

SYNOPSIS
Creates Windows PowerShell commands in a graphical command window.

SYNTAX
Show-Command [[-Name] <String>] [-Height <Double>] [-Width <Double>] [-NoCommonParameter] [-Er
rorPopup]
[-PassThru] [<CommonParameters>]

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DESCRIPTION
The Show-Command cmdlet lets you create a Windows PowerShell command in a command
window. You can use the features of the command window to run the command or have it return the
command to you.
Show-Command is a very useful teaching and learning tool. Show-Command works on all
command types, including cmdlets, functions, workflows and CIM commands.
Without parameters, Show-Command displays a command window that lists all available
commands in all installed modules. To find the commands in a module, select the module from the
Modules drop-down list. To select a command, click the command name.
To use the command window, select a command, either by using the Name or by clicking the
command name in the Commands list. Each parameter set is displayed on a separate tab.
Asterisks indicate the mandatory parameters. To enter values for a parameter, type the value in the
text box or select the value from the drop-down box. To add a switch parameter, click to select the
parameter check box.
When you're ready, you can click Copy to copy the command that you've created to the clipboard or
click Run to run the command. You can also use the PassThru parameter to return the command to
the host program, such as the Windows PowerShell console. To cancel the command selection and
return to the view that displays all commands, press Ctrl and click the selected command.
In the Windows PowerShell Integrated Scripting Environment (ISE), a variation of the ShowCommand window is displayed by default. For information about using this command window, see
the Windows PowerShell ISE Help topics.
This cmdlet was introduced in Windows PowerShell 3.0.

EXAMPLES
Example 1: Open the Commands window
PS C:\>Show-Command

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This command displays the default view of the Show-Command window. The Commands window
displays a list of all commands in all modules that are installed on the computer.

Example 2: Open a cmdlet in the Commands window

PS C:\>Show-Command -Name "Invoke-Command"

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This command opens the Invoke-Command cmdlet display in the Show-Command window. You
can use the Invoke-Command display to run Invoke-Command commands.

Example 3: Open a cmdlet with specified parameters

PS C:\>Show-Command -Name "Connect-PSSession" -Height 700 -Width 1000 -ErrorPopup

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This command opens a Show-Command window for the Connect-PSSession cmdlet. It uses the
Height and Width parameters to specify the dimension of the command window and the ErrorPopup
parameter to display the error command window.
When you click Run, the Connect-PSSession command runs, just as would if you typed the
Connect-PSSession command at the command line.

Example 4: Specify new default parameter values for a cmdlet

PS C:\>$PSDefaultParameterValues = @{"Show-Command:Height" = 700; "Show-Command:Width" = 1000;
"Show-Command:ErrorPopup" = $True}

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This command uses the $PSDefaultParameterValues automatic variable to set new default values
for the Height, Width, and ErrorPopup parameters of the Show-Command cmdlet. Now when you
run a Show-Command command, the new defaults are applied automatically.
To use these default values in every Windows PowerShell session, add the
$PSDefaultParameterValues variable to your Windows PowerShell profile. For more information,
see about_Profiles and
about_PSDefaultParameterValueshttp://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=228266
(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=228266).

Example 5: Send output to a grid view

PS C:\>Show-Command Get-ChildItem | Out-GridView

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This command shows how to use the Show-Command and Out-GridView cmdlets together.
The command uses the Show-Command cmdlet to open a command window for the Get-ChildItem
cmdlet. When you click the Run button, the Get-ChildItem command runs and generates output.
The pipeline operator ( | ) sends the output of the Get-ChildItem command to the Out-GridView
cmdlet, which displays the Get-ChildItem output in an interactive window.

Example 6: Display a command that you create in the

Commands window
PS C:\>Show-Command -PassThru

Get-EventLog -LogName "Windows PowerShell" -Newest 5

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This command shows the command that you created in the Show-Command window. The
command uses the PassThru parameter, which returns the Show-Command results in a string.
For example, if you use the Show-Command window to create a Get-EventLog command that gets
the five newest events in the Windows PowerShell event log, and then click OK, the command
returns the following output.
Viewing the command string helps you to learn Windows PowerShell.

Example 7: Save a command to a variable

PS C:\>$C = Show-Command -PassThru

This command displays the command string in the $C variable.

PS C:\>$C
Get-EventLog -LogName "Windows PowerShell" -Newest 5

These commands use the Invoke-Expression cmdlet to run the string in the $C variable. The firs
t command uses the full cmdlet name. The second command uses the "iex" alias for the **InvokeExpression** cmdlet. These commands are equivalent and you can use them interchangeably.The ou
tput shows the five newest events in the Windows PowerShell event log.
PS C:\>Invoke-Expression $C

PS C:\>iex $C
Index Time

EntryType

Source

InstanceID Message

----- ----

---------

------

---------- -------

11520 Dec 16 16:37 Information PowerShell

rom None to Available....

400 Engine state is changed f

11519 Dec 16 16:37

arted. ...

Information PowerShell

600 Provider "Variable" is St

11518 Dec 16 16:37

arted. ...

Information PowerShell

600 Provider "Registry" is St

11517 Dec 16 16:37

arted. ...

Information PowerShell

600 Provider "Function" is St

11516 Dec 16 16:37

Started. ...

Information PowerShell

600 Provider "FileSystem" is

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This command shows how to run the command string that you get when you use the PassThru
parameter of the Show-Command cmdlet. This strategy lets you see the command and use it.

The first command uses the PassThru parameter of the Show-Command cmdlet. It saves the
results of the command in the $C variable.
The command opens a Show-Command window. In this case, we use the Show-Command
window to create a Get-EventLog command that gets the five newest events in the Windows
PowerShell event log. When you click OK, Show-Command returns the command string, which is
saved in the $C variable.

Example 8: Save the output of a command to a variable

PS C:\>$P = Show-Command Get-Process -ErrorPopup

The second command displays the value in the $P variable.

PS C:\>$P
Handles

NPM(K)

PM(K)

WS(K) VM(M)

CPU(s)

Id ProcessName

-------

------

-----

----- -----

------

-- -----------

473

33

94096

112532

709

2.06

4492 powershell

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These commands use the ErrorPopup parameter of the Show-Command cmdlet to save the output
of a command in a variable.
The first command runs the Show-Command cmdlet with the ErrorPopup parameter. In addition to
displaying errors in a window, ErrorPopup returns command output to the current command, instead
of creating a new command.
When you run this command, the Show-Command window opens. You can use the window
features to set parameter values. To run the command, click the Run button in the Show-Command
window.

PARAMETERS
-ErrorPopup
Indicates that the cmdlet displays errors in a pop-up window, in addition to displaying them at the
command line. By default, when a command that is run in a Show-Command window generates an
error, the error is displayed only at the command line.
Also, when you run the command (by using the Run button in the Show-Command window), the
ErrorPopup parameter returns the command results to the current command, instead of running the
command and returning its output to a new command. You can use this feature to save the
command results in a variable.
Type: SwitchParameter

Parameter Sets: (All)

Aliases:

Required: False
Position: Named
Default value: None
Accept pipeline input: False
Accept wildcard characters: False

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-Height
Specifies the height of the Show-Command window in pixels. Enter a value between 300 and the
number of pixels in the screen resolution. If the value is too large to display the command window on
the screen, Show-Command generates an error. The default height is 600 pixels. For a ShowCommand command that includes the Name parameter, the default height is 300 pixels.
Type: Double
Parameter Sets: (All)
Aliases:

Required: False
Position: Named
Default value: None
Accept pipeline input: False
Accept wildcard characters: False

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-Name
Displays a command window for the specified command. Enter the name of one command, such as
the name of a cmdlet, function, workflow, or CIM command. If you omit this parameter, ShowCommand displays a command window that lists all of the Windows PowerShell commands in all
modules installed on the computer.
Type: String
Parameter Sets: (All)
Aliases: CommandName

Required: False
Position: 0
Default value: None
Accept pipeline input: False
Accept wildcard characters: False

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-NoCommonParameter
Indicates that this cmdlet omits the Common Parameters section of the command display. By
default, the Common Parameters appear in an expandable section at the bottom of the command
window.
Type: SwitchParameter
Parameter Sets: (All)
Aliases:

Required: False
Position: Named
Default value: None
Accept pipeline input: False
Accept wildcard characters: False

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-PassThru
Returns an object representing the item with which you are working. By default, this cmdlet does not
generate any output.
To run the command string, copy and paste it at the command prompt or save it in a variable and
use the Invoke-Expression cmdlet to run the string in the variable.
Type: SwitchParameter
Parameter Sets: (All)
Aliases:

Required: False
Position: Named
Default value: None
Accept pipeline input: False

Accept wildcard characters: False

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-Width
Specifies the width of the Show-Command window in pixels. Enter a value between 300 and the
number of pixels in the screen resolution. If the value is too large to display the command window on
the screen, Show-Command generates an error. The default width is 300 pixels.
Type: Double
Parameter Sets: (All)
Aliases:

Required: False
Position: Named
Default value: None
Accept pipeline input: False
Accept wildcard characters: False

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CommonParameters
This cmdlet supports the common parameters: -Debug, -ErrorAction, -ErrorVariable, InformationAction, -InformationVariable, -OutVariable, -OutBuffer, -PipelineVariable, -Verbose, WarningAction, and -WarningVariable. For more information, see about_CommonParameters
(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=113216).

INPUTS
None
You cannot pipe input to Show-Command.

OUTPUTS
System.String, System.Object
When you use the PassThru parameter, Show-Command returns a command string. When you use
the ErrorPopup parameter, Show-Command returns the command output (any object).Otherwise,
Show-Command does not generate any output.