Command-Line Editing

 

SHORT DESCRIPTION

Editing commands at the Windows PowerShell command prompt

 

LONG DESCRIPTION

When you type a command at the PowerShell command prompt or use the command history to retrieve a command, you can modify the elements of that command at the command prompt before you run the command. PowerShell allows you to move backward and forward within the command as well as edit individual characters.

 

To move forward or backward within a command or to edit any of the command elements, you can take any of the following steps:

 

·         Press the Left Arrow key to move the cursor to the left, and press the Right Arrow key to move the cursor to the right.

·         Press the Home key to move the cursor to the beginning of the command, and press the End key to move the cursor to the end of the command.

·         Press Ctrl+Left Arrow to move the cursor one word to the left, and press Ctrl+Right Arrow to move the cursor one word to the right.

·         Press the Insert key to put the command line into overstrike mode, and press the Insert key again to put the command line back into insert mode. When the command line is in overstrike mode, the character you type replaces the character highlighted by the cursor. When the command line is in insert mode (the default mode), the character you type is inserted before the cursor.

·         Press the Backspace key to delete the character in front of the cursor (overstrike mode or insert mode). In overstrike mode, press the Delete key to delete the highlighted character. In insert mode, press the Delete key to delete the next character.

·         Press the Tab key to automatically complete a path that you have begun to type. If the first path displayed in not the path you want, press Tab again until the correct path is displayed. Note that the Tab key will complete the path only to one child level. For example, if you type c:\ and then press the Tab key, one of your path options will be c:\windows, but not c:\windows\system32. To move to the next level in the hierarchy, type a backslash after the selected parent and then press the Tab key. For example, if you press Tab until c:\windows is displayed, you can then type the backslash key at the end of the line, and then press the Tab key to tab through to next level in the hierarchy.

 

SEE ALSO

For information about the command history, enter the following command at the PowerShell command prompt:

 

 

For information about command syntax, enter the following command:

 

 

For information about path syntax, enter the following command: