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123 changes: 64 additions & 59 deletions docs/learning-powershell/powershell-beginners-guide.md
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Expand Up @@ -18,17 +18,17 @@ In this section, you will learn how to
- find syntax of PowerShell cmdlets
- and more

As mentioned above, PowerShell commands are designed to have Verb-Noun structure, for instance Get-Process, Set-Location, Clear-Host, etc.
As mentioned above, PowerShell commands are designed to have Verb-Noun structure, for instance `Get-Process`, `Set-Location`, `Clear-Host`, etc.
Let’s exercise some of the basic PowerShell commands, also known as **cmdlets**.

Please note that we will use the PowerShell prompt sign **PS />** as it appears on Linux in the following examples.
It is shown as **PS C:\\>** on Windows.
It is shown as `PS C:\>` on Windows.

**1. Get-Process**: Gets the processes that are running on the local computer or a remote computer.
1. `Get-Process`: Gets the processes that are running on the local computer or a remote computer.

By default, you will get data back similar to the following:

``` PowerShell
```powershell
PS /> Get-Process

Handles NPM(K) PM(K) WS(K) CPU(s) Id ProcessName
Expand All @@ -42,9 +42,10 @@ Handles NPM(K) PM(K) WS(K) CPU(s) Id ProcessName
```

Only interested in the instance of firefox process that are running on your computer?

Try this:

```PowerShell
```powershell
PS /> Get-Process -Name firefox

Handles NPM(K) PM(K) WS(K) CPU(s) Id ProcessName
Expand All @@ -56,7 +57,7 @@ Handles NPM(K) PM(K) WS(K) CPU(s) Id ProcessName
Want to get back more than one process?
Then just specify process names and separate them with commas.

```PowerShell
```powershell
PS /> Get-Process -Name firefox, powershell
Handles NPM(K) PM(K) WS(K) CPU(s) Id ProcessName
------- ------ ----- ----- ------ -- -----------
Expand All @@ -65,19 +66,19 @@ Handles NPM(K) PM(K) WS(K) CPU(s) Id ProcessName

```

**2. Clear-Host**: Clears the display in the host program.
2. `Clear-Host`: Clears the display in the host program.

```PowerShell
```powershell
PS /> Get-Process
PS /> Clear-Host
```

Type too much just for clearing the screen?

Here is how the alias can help.

**3. Get-Alias**: Gets the aliases for the current session.
3. `Get-Alias`: Gets the aliases for the current session.

```PowerShell
```powershell
PS /> Get-Alias

CommandType Name
Expand All @@ -93,42 +94,42 @@ Alias gmo -> Get-Module
Alias ri -> Remove-Item
Alias type -> Get-Content
…
```

As you can see "cls" is an alias of Clear-Host.
Now try it:
As you can see `cls` is an alias of `Clear-Host`.

Now try it:
```powershell
PS /> Get-Process
PS /> cls
```

**4. cd - Set-Location**: Sets the current working location to a specified location.
4. `cd -> Set-Location`: Sets the current working location to a specified location.

```PowerShell
```powershell
PS /> Set-Location /home
PS /home>
```

**5. dir - Get-ChildItem**: Gets the items and child items in one or more specified locations.

```PowerShell
Get all files under the current directory:
5. `dir -> Get-ChildItem`: Gets the items and child items in one or more specified locations.

```powershell
# Get all files under the current directory:
PS /> Get-ChildItem

Get all files under the current directory as well as its subdirectories:
# Get all files under the current directory as well as its subdirectories:
PS /> cd $home
PS /home/jen> dir -Recurse

List all files with "txt" file extension.

# List all files with "txt" file extension.
PS /> cd $home
PS /home/jen> dir –Path *.txt -Recurse
```

**6. New-Item**: Creates a new item.
*6. `New-Item`: Creates a new item.

```PowerShell
An empty file is created if you type the following:
```powershell
# An empty file is created if you type the following:
PS /home/jen> New-Item -Path ./test.txt


Expand All @@ -140,11 +141,13 @@ Mode LastWriteTime Length Name
-a---- 7/7/2016 7:17 PM 0 test.txt
```

You can use the **-Value** parameter to add some data to your file.
For example, the following command adds the phrase "Hello world!" as a file content to the test.txt.
Because the test.txt file exists already, we use **-Force** parameter to replace the existing content.
You can use the `-Value` parameter to add some data to your file.

For example, the following command adds the phrase `Hello world!` as a file content to the `test.txt`.

```PowerShell
Because the test.txt file exists already, we use `-Force` parameter to replace the existing content.

```powershell
PS /home/jen> New-Item -Path ./test.txt -Value "Hello world!" -Force

Directory: /home/jen
Expand All @@ -157,13 +160,14 @@ Mode LastWriteTime Length Name
```

There are other ways to add some data to a file.
For example, you can use Set-Content to set the file contents:

```PowerShell
For example, you can use `Set-Content` to set the file contents:

```powershell
PS /home/jen>Set-Content -Path ./test.txt -Value "Hello world again!"
```

Or simply use ">" as below:
Or simply use `>` as below:

```powershell
# create an empty file
Expand All @@ -174,31 +178,31 @@ Or simply use ">" as below:

```

The pound sign (#) above is used for comments in PowerShell.
The pound sign `#` above is used for comments in PowerShell.

**7. type - Get-Content**: Gets the content of the item at the specified location.
7. `type -> Get-Content`: Gets the content of the item at the specified location.

```PowerShell
```powershell
PS /home/jen> Get-Content -Path ./test.txt
PS /home/jen> type -Path ./test.txt

Hello world again!
```

**8. del - Remove-Item**: Deletes the specified items.
8. `del -> Remove-Item`: Deletes the specified items.

This cmdlet will delete the file /home/jen/test.txt:
This cmdlet will delete the file `/home/jen/test.txt`:

```PowerShell
```powershell
PS /home/jen> Remove-Item ./test.txt
```

**9. $PSVersionTable**: Displays the version of PowerShell you are currently using.
9. `$PSVersionTable`: Displays the version of PowerShell you are currently using.

Type **$PSVersionTable** in your PowerShell session, you will see something like below.
Type `$PSVersionTable` in your PowerShell session, you will see something like below.
"PSVersion" indicates the PowerShell version that you are using.

```PowerShell
```powershell
Name Value
---- -----
PSVersion 6.0.0-alpha
Expand All @@ -213,69 +217,70 @@ SerializationVersion 1.1.0.1

```

**10. Exit**: To exit the PowerShell session, type "exit".
10. `Exit`: To exit the PowerShell session, type `exit`.

```PowerShell
```powershell
PS /home/jen> exit
```

## Need Help?

The most important command in PowerShell is possibly the Get-Help, which allows you to quickly learn PowerShell without having to search around the internet.
The Get-Help cmdlet also shows you how PowerShell commands work with examples.
The most important command in PowerShell is possibly the `Get-Help`, which allows you to quickly learn PowerShell without having to search around the internet.

The `Get-Help` cmdlet also shows you how PowerShell commands work with examples.

It shows the syntax and other technical information of the Get-Process cmdlet.
It shows the syntax and other technical information of the `Get-Process` cmdlet.

```PowerShell
```powershell
PS /> Get-Help -Name Get-Process
```

It displays the examples how to use the Get-Process cmdlet.
It displays the examples how to use the `Get-Process` cmdlet.

```PowerShell
```powershell
PS />Get-Help -Name Get-Process -Examples
```

If you use **-Full** parameter, for example, `Get-Help -Name Get-Process -Full`, it will display more technical information.

## Discover Commands Available on Your System

You want to discover what PowerShell cmdlets available on your system? Just run "Get-Command" as below:
You want to discover what PowerShell cmdlets available on your system? Just run `Get-Command` as below:

```PowerShell
```powershell
PS /> Get-Command
```

If you want to know whether a particular cmdlet exists on your system, you can do something like below:

```PowerShell
```powershell
PS /> Get-Command Get-Process
```

If you want to know the syntax of Get-Process cmdlet, type:
If you want to know the syntax of `Get-Process` cmdlet, type:

```PowerShell
```powershell
PS /> Get-Command Get-Process -Syntax
```

If you want to know how to use the Get-Process, type:
If you want to know how to use the `Get-Process`, type:

```PowerShell
```powershell
PS /> Get-Help Get-Process -Example
```

## PowerShell Pipeline '|'
## PowerShell Pipeline `|`

Sometimes when you run Get-ChildItem or "dir", you want to get a list of files and folders in a descending order.
To achieve that, type:

```PowerShell
```powershell
PS /home/jen> dir | Sort-Object -Descending
```

Say you want to get the largest file in a directory

```PowerShell
```powershell
PS /home/jen> dir | Sort-Object -Property Length -Descending | Select-Object -First 1


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