Get Help - PowerShell

Overview

The Get-Help command provides comprehensive information about PowerShell cmdlets, functions, scripts, and providers. It allows users to quickly access command documentation, syntax, and examples, making it an indispensable tool for PowerShell users.

Syntax

Get-Help [-Name] <cmdlet_name> [-Category <category_name>] [-ShowWindow <window_type>] 
[-Full] [-Error] [-Examples] [-Online] [-PSPath <PSPath>] [-Parameter <parameter_name>] 
[-Syntax] [-InputObject <input_object>]

Options/Flags

| Option/Flag | Description | Default Value |
|—|—|—|
| -Name | Specify the name of the cmdlet or function to get help for. | Required |
| -Category | Filter the help results by a specific category, such as “Network” or “Security”. | All categories |
| -ShowWindow | Display the help content in a specific window type: Console, Message, Popup, or None. | Console |
| -Full | Display the full help content, including detailed descriptions, parameters, examples, and related commands. | False |
| -Error | Display only the error messages and warnings associated with the command. | False |
| -Examples | Display code examples that demonstrate how to use the command. | False |
| -Online | Connect to the Microsoft Help service to retrieve the latest help content. | False |
| -PSPath | Specify a path to a file or module containing the command to get help for. | N/A |
| -Parameter | Display help information for a specific parameter of the command. | N/A |
| -Syntax | Display only the syntax of the command, without full help content. | False |
| -InputObject | Use an input object to customize the help content. | N/A |

Examples

Get full help for the “Get-Process” cmdlet:

Get-Help Get-Process -Full

Get help for the “PSPath” parameter of the “Get-Item” cmdlet:

Get-Help Get-Item -Parameter PSPath

Display help content in a popup window:

Get-Help Get-Command -ShowWindow Popup

Connect to Microsoft Help service for up-to-date content:

Get-Help Get-DnsClient -Online

Common Issues

  • Command not found: Ensure that the command you are trying to get help for is installed and available in the current PowerShell session.
  • Help content not displayed: If the -ShowWindow option is set to None, the help content will not be displayed. Set it to a valid window type to see the results.
  • Incorrect syntax: Carefully check the syntax of the Get-Help command and make sure you have specified the correct arguments and parameters.

Integration

Get-Help can be integrated with other PowerShell commands to create powerful scripts. For example:

  • Generate a help documentation file:
Get-Help Get-Process -Full | Out-File Help-GetProcess.txt
  • Get help for a command from a script:
$script = Get-Content ".\MyScript.ps1"
Get-Help $script
  • Get-Command: Get information about commands, functions, scripts, and other PowerShell elements.
  • Help: Display basic help content for a specified command.
  • About_: Provides additional information about a specific command.