Appendix A: Cmdlet Reference
Overview
In Appendix A we cover the cmdlets that are included with the base PowerShell shell. This doesn't include any cmdlets that are added by a custom shell such as the version of PowerShell included with Microsoft Exchange Server.
For each cmdlet we'll list the cmdlet name and all of its parameters. Certain parameters are referred to as ubiquitous, meaning they are shared by many cmdlets. We'll cover ubiquitous parameters first and you can refer back to them as necessary. In the syntax for each cmdlet, the ubiquitous parameters will be italicized so you can identify them more easily.
For each parameter, we'll give you the parameter name and its type:
[ -Name <String> ]
In this context, the outermost square brackets indicate that the parameter and its value are optional. Because the parameter and value appear in the brackets together, they must be used together. In other words, if you want to specify the value, then you must also specify the parameter name. We list the value type in angle brackets, while the primary possible value types are listed in Table A-1.
 |
| Value Type | Description |
|---|---|
| <ActionPreference> | |
| <Boolean> | $true or $false |
| <Int32> | Integer number. |
| <Object> | Any type is accepted. Usually a string or numeric value of some kind. |
| <PSCredential> | Security credential. May be created with the Get-Credential Cmdlet. |
| <String> | Series of characters enclosed in quotation marks. |
| <SwitchParameter> | Indicates that the parameter is just a switch that does not require a value. It's either present or not, to specify some option. |
| <enum> | Indicates that the parameter takes one of several predefined values. Generally, the cmdlet's help will specify the acceptable values. |
Open table as spreadsheet |
You may see some value types listed like this:
[ -Include <String[]> ]
The square brackets next to String indicate that the parameter can either accept a single value of the String type or an array of the String type.
You may also see parameter types listed as <System.String> instead of <String>. This indicates that PowerShell is listing the full .NET Framework type. Usually you'll just use the last portion of the type ("String," in this case) to refer to the table above.
