How to use the command Get-Alias (with examples)

Get-Alias is a PowerShell command that allows users to list and retrieve command aliases in the current PowerShell session. An alias is a short name or abbreviation that can be used as a substitute for a command. This command is only available in PowerShell.

Use case 1: List all aliases in the current session

Code:

Get-Alias

Motivation: This use case is useful when you want to see a complete list of all the aliases available in the current PowerShell session. It can help you discover and familiarize yourself with the aliases that are available to use.

Example output:

CommandType     Name                                               Version    Source
-----------     ----                                               -------    ------
Alias           % -> ForEach-Object                                 
Alias           ? -> Where-Object                                   
Alias           ac -> Add-Content                                   
Alias           cat -> Get-Content                                  
Alias           cd -> Set-Location                                  
...

Use case 2: Get the aliased command name

Code:

Get-Alias command_alias

Motivation: In some cases, you may come across an alias and want to know the actual command it represents. This use case helps you retrieve the original command name associated with a specific alias.

Example output:

CommandType     Name                                               Version    Source
-----------     ----                                               -------    ------
Alias           cat -> Get-Content                                  

Use case 3: List all aliases assigned to a specific command

Code:

Get-Alias -Definition command

Motivation: When you want to know all the aliases assigned to a specific command, this use case can be handy. It allows you to find all the aliases associated with a particular command efficiently.

Example output:

CommandType     Name                                               Version    Source
-----------     ----                                               -------    ------
Alias           cat -> Get-Content                                  
Alias           gc -> Get-Content                                  
Alias           type -> Get-Content                                 

Use case 4: List aliases that begin with ‘abc’, excluding those which end at ‘def’

Code:

Get-Alias abc* -Exclude *def

Motivation: This use case is useful when you want to filter aliases based on specific patterns. In this example, it lists all the aliases that begin with ‘abc’ while excluding those that end with ‘def’. It allows you to narrow down your search and focus only on relevant aliases.

Example output:

CommandType     Name                                               Version    Source
-----------     ----                                               -------    ------
Alias           abc1 -> Some-Command
Alias           abc2 -> Another-Command