What is PowerShell?

PowerShell is a command-line interface tool for Microsoft Windows machines and for the applications that run on them. It is designed for IT administrators and developers to be able to automate, manage, and administer data stores, certificates, and other resources using a navigation system much like a file system.

PowerShell provides the network administrator or an application developer command-line level access to create and manage automated processes through “cmdlets.” cmdlets are PowerShell commands that are already included with PowerShell or can be developed for specific tasks. An administrator or developer can use the built in scripting capabilities to develop custom automated processes and functions.

The scripting language for PowerShell uses a .NET framework. The user can write executable programs for either the operating system and network administration, or to be embedded in runtime applications. PowerShell hosts an Application Programming Interface that allows the user to create, test, and embed scripts without having to open the application code. The embedded scripts can then use the operating system and network tools, as well as PowerShell’s automated processes and functions, to automate tasks, gather information, or access data in other applications.