Display information about Windows PowerShell cmdlets and concepts.
Syntax
Get-Help [[-name] string] [-component string[]]
[-functionality string[]]
[-role string[]] [-category string[]]
[ {-full | -detailed | -examples | -parameter string}]
[-Online] [-ShowWindow] [-Path string] [CommonParameters]
Key
-name
Request help about string
A cmdlet name, topic, alias, script or function name. Wildcards are permitted.
e.g. -name Get-Member, -name "About_Object", -name "ls"
The "-Name" is optional.
-category
Display help for items in the specified category.
Valid values: Alias, Cmdlet, Provider, General, FAQ, Glossary, HelpFile, ScriptCommand, Function
Filter, ExternalScript, All, DefaultHelp, Workflow, DscResource, Class, Configuration
Conceptual topics are in the HelpFile category.
-component
Display a list of cmdlets with the specified component value,
such as "Exchange."
-detailed
Display additional information about a cmdlet, including
descriptions of the parameters and examples of using
the cmdlet. This parameter has no effect on displays
of conceptual ("About_") help.
-examples
Display examples of using the cmdlet.
To display only the examples, type
"(get-help cmdlet-name).examples".
-full
Display the entire help file for a cmdlet, including
technical information about the parameters.
This parameter has no effect on displays of
conceptual ("About_") help.
-functionality
Display help for cmdlets with the specified functionality.
Wildcards are permitted.
-Online
Display the online version of a help topic in the default Internet browser.
This parameter is valid only for cmdlet, function, and script help topics.
see Help about_Comment_Based_Help
-parameter
Display a detailed description of the specified parameter.
These descriptions are included in the Full view of help.
Wildcards are permitted.
-Path string
Get help that explains how the cmdlet works in the specified provider path.
Enter a Windows PowerShell provider path.
This parameter is effective only for help about a provider cmdlet and only when
the provider includes a custom version of the provider cmdlet help topic.
Go to the provider path location and enter Get-Help or, from any path location,
use Get-Help -Path. For more information, see about_Providers.
-role String
Display help customized for the specified user role.
The role that the user plays in an organization.
This parameter has no effect for the core cmdlets.
-ShowWindow
Display the help text in a popup GUI window. (PowerShell 3.0+)
CommonParameters:
-Verbose, -Debug, -ErrorAction, -ErrorVariable, -WarningAction, -WarningVariable,
-OutBuffer -OutVariable.
Examples
List of all help files in the PowerShell help system:
PS C:\> get-help *
Display detailed help for the Get-Childitem cmdlet by specifying one of its aliases, ls :
PS C:\> get-help ls -detailed
Display descriptions of the parameters of the Get-Childitem cmdlet that begin with "f" (filter and force):
PS C:\> get-help get-childitem -parameter f*
To see descriptions of all parameters, type "get-help get-childitem parameter*"
Display only the syntax of the write-object cmdlet:
PS C:\> (get-help write-object).syntax
Syntax is one of many properties of help objects; others are: description, details, examples, and parameters.
To find all properties and methods of help objects, type "get-help <cmdlet-name> | get-member", for example, "get-help start-service | get-member"
"Evangelise wherever you go, and, if necessary, use words" ~ St Francis of Assisi
Related PowerShell Cmdlets:
Update-Help - Download and install the newest help files on your computer.
Get-Command - Retrieve basic information about a command
Get-PSDrive - Get drive information (DriveInfo)
Get-Member - Enumerate the properties of an object
Equivalent bash command: man - Display helpful information about commands.