PowerShell vs Command Prompt: Understanding the Real Difference

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Perhaps since Windows 7, you've noticed a new way to write programming besides the Command Prompt: PowerShell. PowerShell is far superior and more powerful than the Command Prompt, allowing administrators to use more useful programming languages. Furthermore, it seems like the Command Prompt has been outperformed by other operating system shells, such as Linux and Unix. However, PowerShell can compete well with other shells.

What's the Difference Between PowerShell and the Command Prompt?

PowerShell is very different from the Command Prompt, using a different command line known as cmdlets. Many system administration tasks can manage the registry through WMI (Windows Management Instrumentation), while the Command Prompt can't handle this.

PowerShell utilizes pipes, like Linux and Unix. Pipes allow you to pass the output of one cmdlet to the input of another, using multiple cmdlets on a series of command lines to manipulate data.

Unlike Unix, which can only use pipes for characters or text, PowerShell can use pipes for objects as well. PowerShell isn't just a shell; it can also be useful for writing scripts, making managing a Windows system easier than using the Command Prompt.

While the Command Prompt is essentially just a copy of various DOS commands, you can execute all DOS commands within it. In short, the Command Prompt is very limited, especially for accessing the Windows administrative system, especially since its command capabilities are not complex.

When to Use PowerShell?

If you're a casual Windows user and use the Command Prompt to ping, you don't need PowerShell. You can use PowerShell for much more. For example, renaming multiple files at once.

PowerShell and Command Prompt Command Examples

Many Command Prompt commands can be run in PowerShell, from ipconfig to cd. This is because PowerShell uses "aliases" that represent old commands in new cmdlets. Here are examples of commands in PowerShell and Command Prompt:

Changing folders or directories

• DOS: cd
• PowerShell: Set-Location

Listing files in a folder

• DOS: dir
• PowerShell: Get-ChildItem

Renaming a file

• DOS: rename
• PowerShell: Rename-Item

To see how DOS gets aliases in PowerShell, you can use Get-Alias. For example, if you type Get-Alias ​​cd, PowerShell will show that cd can be run with the Set-Location cmdlet.