Alias namespaces and classes

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

Alias namespaces and classes

Examples of WMI alias classes are listed in the following table:

Alias class	Description
MSFT_CliTranslateTable	Verb-specific switches. WMIC includes translation tables called BasicXml and NoComma.
MSFT_CliTranslateTableEntry	Used in the translation table.
MSFT_CliSeeAlso	The MSFT_CliSeeAlso association provides a relationship between an alias and any aliases with some kind of functional relationship to the alias. You can extend the alias schema to allow aliases to be categorized and navigated in various ways. Use the SeeAlso verb of the Alias alias to see this information.
MSFT_CliAlias	MSFT_CliAlias class is the principal class in the alias schema. Instances of this class are aliases.

An MSFT_CliAlias instance has the following properties:

Property	Description
FriendlyName	The name of the alias. It must be unique.
Description	A description of the alias. This is the descriptive text when /? is entered at the WMIC command line.
Formats	A list, each of which has a name and a list of properties (objects of the class MSFT_CliProperty) to be displayed for that format. All formats are objects of the class MSFT_CliFormat.
Verbs	Verbs: A list, each of which are the various behaviors available through this alias. The behaviors come in two forms: Standard verbs, which are directly supported by the utility. User-defined verbs, which must map to some method defined for the target of the alias. All verbs are objects of the class MSFT_CliVerb.
Qualifiers	A list, similar to WMI qualifiers. All qualifiers are objects of the class MSFT_Qualifier.
Target	A list, similar to WMI qualifiers. All qualifiers are objects of the class MSFT_Qualifier.
PWhere clause	Optional WHERE clause that limits the Target. It have substitution values which are the parameters of the alias. The substitution values are marked with #. If multiple parameters are needed, they are matched with the # markers in sequence.
Connection	Details on which computers to connect to, the security details to be used, and so on. If a connection is not specified, the computers to be accessed is the value of /NODE, and the namespace is the value of /NAMESPACE. If a user name and password are not provided, then the value of /USER and /PASSWORD, if available, is used (otherwise the current account is used). Connection is an object of the class MSFT_CliConnection.
View an alias schema	Use a metaalias Alias to view an alias schema; example: ALIAS OS

MSFT_CliAlias properties contain the following classes to define objects that are used in the properties:

Class	Used in	Description
MSFT_CliFormat	aliases	The MSFT_CliFormat class defines a named format that determines the set of properties to be displayed by the utility on a LIST command. Each MSFT_CliFormat instance has a name, a list of properties and a Format property that contains the name of a style sheet (XSL file) that must be used to format the property display.
MSFT_CliProperty	formats	Each MSFT_CliFormat instance contains a list of MSFT_CliProperty instances. Instances of the MSFT_CliProperty class define the set of properties to be displayed for a given format. Each MSFT_CliProperty instance has a derivation that might be either a constant, the name of a property or a WMI command line GET command. Each MSFT_CliProperty also has a localized description. Formats are related to a specific XSL by the NAME property of the format object. FULL, BRIEF, and INSTANCE correspond to particular XSLs, and the NAME can specify the name of a custom XSL file.
MSFT_CliVerb	aliases	Instances of the MSFT_CliVerb class represent verbs defined for the alias. Verbs are either standard verbs (GET, LIST, CALL and SET ) or user defined. Standard verbs have descriptions and usages but no parameters.
MSFT_CliParam	verbs
MSFT_CliQualifier	aliases and verbs	WMIC qualifiers serve the same purpose as WMI qualifiers.
MSFT_CliConnection	aliases	Instances of this class provides connection details.

Notes

• When viewing the role namespaces using WMI browsing tools (such as CIM Studio), only the MSFT_CliAlias and MSFT_CliTranslateTable classes have instances. Their properties might include objects of the other classes, but the other classes will not have instances of their own.

• For this reason, when creating aliases (see Creating and editing aliases), you create instances primarily in the MSFT_CliAlias class. You create instances of the other classes as properties of the MSFT_CliAlias class or as properties of its properties.

For more information, see Windows Management Instrumentation Command-line.