PowerShell Get-Help

The PowerShell Get-Help cmdlet is used to display information about the PowerShell commands and concepts. It displays the information, including functions, providers, workflows, scripts, and aliases of cmdlets. To get help for a PowerShell cmdlet, type the Get-Help followed by the name of a cmdlet, such as: Get-Help Set-Item. We can also get help for a PowerShell provider, type the Get-Help cmdlet followed by the provider name.

Syntax

1. Get-Help   
2. [[-Name] <string>]   
3. [-Path <string>]   
4. [-Category {Alias | Cmdlet | Provider | General | FAQ | Glossary | HelpFile | ScriptCommand | Function | Filter | ExternalScript | All |DefaultHelp | Workflow | DscResource | Class | Configuration}]   
5. [-Component <string[]>]   
6. [-Functionality <string[]>]   
7. [-Role <string[]>]   
8. [-Full]    
9. [<CommonParameters>]  

1. Get-Help   
2. [[-Name] <string>]   
3. -Detailed   
4. [-Path <string>]   
5. [-Category {Alias | Cmdlet | Provider | General | FAQ | Glossary | HelpFile | ScriptCommand | Function | Filter | ExternalScript |All | DefaultHelp | Workflow | DscResource | Class | Configuration}]   
6. [-Component <string[]>]   
7. [-Functionality <string[]>]   
8. [-Role <string[]>]    
9. [<CommonParameters>]  

1. Get-Help   
2. [[-Name] <string>]   
3. -Examples   
4. [-Path <string>]   
5. [-Category {Alias | Cmdlet | Provider | General | FAQ | Glossary | HelpFile | ScriptCommand | Function | Filter | ExternalScript |All | DefaultHelp | Workflow | DscResource | Class | Configuration}]   
6. [-Component <string[]>]   
7. [-Functionality <string[]>]   
8. [-Role <string[]>]    
9. [<CommonParameters>]  

1. Get-Help   
2. [[-Name] <string>]   
3. -Parameter <string>   
4. [-Path <string>]   
5. [-Category {Alias | Cmdlet | Provider | General | FAQ | Glossary | HelpFile | ScriptCommand | Function | Filter |ExternalScript | All | DefaultHelp | Workflow | DscResource | Class | Configuration}]   
6. [-Component <string[]>]   
7. [-Functionality <string[]>]   
8. [-Role <string[]>]    
9. [<CommonParameters>]  

1. Get-Help   
2. [[-Name] <string>]   
3. -Online   
4. [-Path <string>]   
5. [-Category {Alias | Cmdlet | Provider | General | FAQ | Glossary | HelpFile | ScriptCommand | Function | Filter | ExternalScript |All | DefaultHelp | Workflow | DscResource | Class | Configuration}]   
6. [-Component <string[]>]   
7. [-Functionality <string[]>]   
8. [-Role <string[]>]    
9. [<CommonParameters>]  

Parameters

-Name

The -Name parameter is used to get the help about the specified command or concept.

-Path

The -Path parameter is used to get the help which explain how the cmdlet works in the specified provider path. To use this parameter, we can install the help file for a module that includes the provider.

-Category

The -Category parameter is used to display the help only for those items which exist in the specified category and their aliases. Following are the acceptable values for this parameter:

• All
• DefaultHelp
• Workflow
• DscResource
• Class
• Alias
• Glossary
• HelpFile
• ScriptCommand
• Function
• Filter
• Cmdlet
• Provider
• General
• FAQ
• ExternalScript
• Configuration

-Component

The -Component parameter is used to display the commands with the given component value. Wildcard characters are accepted.

-Functionality

The -Functionality parameter is used to display help for the items with the given functionality. Wildcard characters are accepted.

-Role

The -Role parameter is used to display the help which is customized for the specified user role. Wildcard characters are accepted.

-Full

The -Full parameter is used to display the entire help article for a cmdlet. It is effective only when the help files are installed on the computer.

-Detailed

The -Detailed parameter is used to add the examples and description of a parameter to the basic help display.

-Examples

The -Examples parameter is used to display only the names, synopsis, and examples.

-Parameter

The -Parameter is a parameter that displays only the detailed description of the given parameters.

-Online

The -Online parameter is used to show the online version of a help article in a default browser. It is valid only for function, cmdlet, workflows, and script help articles. We cannot use this parameter with Get-Help cmdlet in a remote session.

Examples

Example 1: To display basic help information about a cmdlet

The cmdlet in this example is used to display the basic help information on a PowerShell console about the get-Item cmdlet.

Example 2: To display more information for a cmdlet

The cmdlet in this example is used to display more detailed information for help about a get-Item cmdlet.

The -Detailed parameter is used in this cmdlet to display the detailed view of help article’s which includes parameter descriptions and examples.

The -Full parameter is used to display the full view of help article’s which includes an example of parameters, descriptions, input and output object types, and additional notes.

Example 3: To display selected part of a cmdlet

The cmdlet in this example is used to display the selected portion of the get-Item cmdlet.

Example 4: To display an online version of the help of a cmdlet

The cmdlet in this example is used to display the online version of the help article for the get-Item cmdlet in the default web browser.

Example 5: To display help about the PowerShell help system

The cmdlet in this example is used to display the information about the PowerShell help system.

Example 6: To display the available help articles

The cmdlet in this example is used to display the list of help articles which are available on the computer.