Get-Content (with examples)
- Windows
- November 5, 2023
Display the content of a file
Get-Content -Path path\to\file
Motivation: This use case is helpful when you want to quickly view the content of a file without opening it in a separate text editor. It allows you to directly access the content of the file using PowerShell.
Explanation: The -Path parameter is used to specify the path of the file whose content you want to display. Replace path\to\file with the actual path of the file.
Example Output:
Hello, World!
This is the content of the file.
Display the first few lines of a file
Get-Content -Path path\to\file -TotalCount 10
Motivation: Sometimes you may want to quickly preview the beginning of a large file without loading the entire content. This use case helps you to display only the specified number of lines from the file.
Explanation: The -TotalCount parameter specifies the number of lines to be displayed. Replace 10 with the desired number of lines. The -Path parameter is used to specify the path of the file.
Example Output:
Hello, World!
This is the first line.
This is the second line.
...
This is the 10th line.
Display the content of the file and keep reading from it until Ctrl + C is pressed
Get-Content -Path path\to\file -Wait
Motivation: When monitoring logs or continuously changing files, it can be useful to keep reading the content of the file in real-time. This use case allows you to observe any updates made to the file without the need for constant manual input.
Explanation: The -Wait parameter ensures that the command continues to monitor the file and display any new content appended to it. Replace path\to\file with the actual path of the file.
Example Output:
Hello, World!
This is the initial content of the file.
-- Waiting for updates.
Whenever there is an update made to the file, it will be displayed in real-time. Press Ctrl + C to stop monitoring the file.
