New-Alias
Creates a new alias.
Syntax
New-Alias
[-Name] <String>
[-Value] <String>
[-Description <String>]
[-Option <ScopedItemOptions>]
[-PassThru]
[-Scope <String>]
[-Force]
[-WhatIf]
[-Confirm]
[<CommonParameters>]
Description
The New-Alias
cmdlet creates a new alias in the current PowerShell session. Aliases
created by using New-Alias
are not saved after you exit the session or close PowerShell.
You can use the Export-Alias
cmdlet to save your alias information to a file. You can later use
Import-Alias
to retrieve that saved alias information.
Examples
Example 1: Create an alias for a cmdlet
New-Alias -Name "List" Get-ChildItem
This command creates an alias named List to represent the Get-ChildItem cmdlet.
Example 2: Create a read-only alias for a cmdlet
This command creates an alias named C
to represent the Get-ChildItem
cmdlet. It creates a
description of "quick gci alias" for the alias and makes it read-only.
New-Alias -Name "C" -Value Get-ChildItem -Description "quick gci alias" -Option ReadOnly
Get-Alias -Name "C" | Format-List *
HelpUri : https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=2096492
ResolvedCommandName : Get-ChildItem
DisplayName : C -> Get-ChildItem
ReferencedCommand : Get-ChildItem
ResolvedCommand : Get-ChildItem
Definition : Get-ChildItem
Options : ReadOnly
Description : quick gci alias
OutputType : {System.IO.FileInfo, System.IO.DirectoryInfo}
Name : C
CommandType : Alias
Source :
Version :
Visibility : Public
ModuleName :
Module :
RemotingCapability : PowerShell
Parameters : {[Path, System.Management.Automation.ParameterMetadata], [LiteralPath,
System.Management.Automation.ParameterMetadata], [Filter,
System.Management.Automation.ParameterMetadata], [Include,
System.Management.Automation.ParameterMetadata]…}
The Get-Alias
command piped to Format-List
shows all of the information about the new alias.
Example 3: Create an alias for a command with parameters
function Set-ParentDirectory {Set-Location -Path ..}
New-Alias -Name .. -Value Set-ParentDirectory
The first command creates the function Set-ParentDirectory
, which uses Set-Location
to set the
working location to the parent directory. The second command uses New-Alias
to create an alias
of ..
to call the Set-ParentDirectory
function. Since the Value parameter requires a cmdlet,
function, or executable value, you must create a custom function to create an alias that uses
parameters. Running the alias ..
changes the current location to the parent directory.
Parameters
-Confirm
Prompts you for confirmation before running the cmdlet.
Type: | SwitchParameter |
Aliases: | cf |
Position: | Named |
Default value: | False |
Required: | False |
Accept pipeline input: | False |
Accept wildcard characters: | False |
-Description
Specifies a description of the alias. You can type any string. If the description includes spaces, enclose it in quotation marks.
Type: | String |
Position: | Named |
Default value: | None |
Required: | False |
Accept pipeline input: | False |
Accept wildcard characters: | False |
-Force
Indicates that the cmdlet acts like Set-Alias
if the alias named already exists.
Type: | SwitchParameter |
Position: | Named |
Default value: | None |
Required: | False |
Accept pipeline input: | False |
Accept wildcard characters: | False |
-Name
Specifies the new alias. You can use any alphanumeric characters in an alias, but the first character cannot be a number.
Type: | String |
Position: | 0 |
Default value: | None |
Required: | True |
Accept pipeline input: | True |
Accept wildcard characters: | False |
-Option
Specifies the value of the Options property of the alias. Valid values are:
None
: The alias has no constraints (default value)ReadOnly
: The alias can be deleted but cannot be changed except by using the Force parameterConstant
: The alias cannot be deleted or changedPrivate
: The alias is available only in the current scopeAllScope
: The alias is copied to any new scopes that are createdUnspecified
: The option is not specified
These values are defined as a flag-based enumeration. You can combine multiple values together to set multiple flags using this parameter. The values can be passed to the Option parameter as an array of values or as a comma-separated string of those values. The cmdlet will combine the values using a binary-OR operation. Passing values as an array is the simplest option and also allows you to use tab-completion on the values.
To see the Options property of all aliases in the session, type
Get-Alias | Format-Table -Property Name, Options -AutoSize
.
Type: | ScopedItemOptions |
Accepted values: | None, ReadOnly, Constant, Private, AllScope, Unspecified |
Position: | Named |
Default value: | [System.Management.Automation.ScopedItemOptions]::None |
Required: | False |
Accept pipeline input: | False |
Accept wildcard characters: | False |
-PassThru
Returns an object representing the item with which you are working. By default, this cmdlet does not generate any output.
Type: | SwitchParameter |
Position: | Named |
Default value: | None |
Required: | False |
Accept pipeline input: | False |
Accept wildcard characters: | False |
-Scope
Specifies the scope of the new alias. The acceptable values for this parameter are:
Global
Local
Script
- A number relative to the current scope (0 through the number of scopes, where
0
is the current scope and1
is its parent).
Local
is the default. For more information, see
about_Scopes.
Type: | String |
Position: | Named |
Default value: | None |
Required: | False |
Accept pipeline input: | False |
Accept wildcard characters: | False |
-Value
Specifies the name of the cmdlet or command element that is being aliased.
Type: | String |
Position: | 1 |
Default value: | None |
Required: | True |
Accept pipeline input: | True |
Accept wildcard characters: | False |
-WhatIf
Shows what would happen if the cmdlet runs. The cmdlet is not run.
Type: | SwitchParameter |
Aliases: | wi |
Position: | Named |
Default value: | False |
Required: | False |
Accept pipeline input: | False |
Accept wildcard characters: | False |
Inputs
None
You can't pipe objects to this cmdlet.
Outputs
None
By default, this cmdlet returns no output.
When you use the PassThru parameter, this cmdlet returns an AliasInfo object representing the new alias.
Notes
Windows PowerShell includes the following aliases for New-Alias
:
nal
To create a new alias, use
Set-Alias
orNew-Alias
. To change an alias, useSet-Alias
. To delete an alias, useRemove-Item
.
Related Links
PowerShell