What Is PowerShell?

A Shell and a Scripting Language

PowerShell is Microsoft's command-line shell and scripting framework, built on .NET. It automates system administration and application tasks across Windows, Linux and macOS.

Why It Is Different

• Object pipeline - Commands pass rich objects, not text.
• Cmdlets - Small single-purpose functions like Get-Process.
• Full language - Variables, loops, functions, error handling.
• Remoting - Run commands on many machines at once.

Windows PowerShell vs PowerShell 7

Windows PowerShell is the legacy 5.1 built into Windows. PowerShell 7 is the modern cross-platform version on .NET, the recommended one for new automation. Windows ships only the former; PowerShell 7 installs separately.

What Teams Automate

Provisioning servers, user and AD administration, log parsing, backups, CI-CD task glue, and configuration-as-code tasks are the daily bread of PowerShell.

Key Points

• PowerShell passes objects instead of plain text.
• Cmdlets follow Verb-Noun naming.
• PowerShell 7 is the current cross-platform release.
• Automation, not just interactive use, is its strength.