What does Windows PowerShell Do?

Built-in Windows PowerShell commands, called cmdlets, let you manage the computers in your enterprise from the command line. Windows PowerShell providers let you access data stores, such as the registry and certificate store, as easily as you access the file system. In addition, Windows PowerShell has a rich expression parser and a fully-developed scripting language.

Windows PowerShell 1.0 includes the following features:

• 129 standard cmdlets that perform common system administration tasks, such as managing the registry, services, processes, and event logs, and using Windows Management Instrumentation.
• A task-based scripting language and support for existing scripts and command-line tools.
• Consistent design. Because Windows PowerShell cmdlets and system data stores use common syntax and naming conventions, data can be shared easily and the output from one cmdlet can be used as the input to another cmdlet without reformatting or manipulation.
• Simplified, command-based navigation of the operating system, which lets users navigate the registry and other data stores by using the same techniques that they use to navigate the file system.
• Powerful object manipulation capabilities. Objects can be directly manipulated or sent to other tools or databases.
• Extensible interface. Independent software vendors and enterprise developers can build custom tools and utilities to administer their software.

What new functionality does this feature provide?

Windows PowerShell provides the ability to manipulate objects rather than just text. It provides a powerful scripting language based on the .NET Framework. It provides a consistent way of traversing data stores, such as the registry, through the concept of providers.