Command Line Task Test - Answers

CLI Task Test Transcript

Here's one solution to the CLI Task Test, there are different commands you could have used (eg. ls instead of dir - as ls is the Linux/UNIX command for "list", or you could have used the actual PowerShell command Get-ChildItem or its short alias gci - they are all the same). There is no best answer, whatever lets you move around PowerShell and get things done is correct. Use whatever you feel comfortable with (DOS aliases have the benefit of being usable in a CMD Command Prompt as well - twice the knowledge/half the work!).

CLI Task Test Transcript

This was done with an older version of PowerShell on Windows 7 (to ensure everyone can follow along), but has been tested on Windows 10 using PowerShell 5.1. If you tried using the CMD Command Prompt see the very end for some differences. If you have PowerShell Core then you'll need to load that instead of Windows PowerShell, but otherwise is the same.

Some of the spaces have been removed, but with line numbers of the CLI Task Test questions added occasionally to help you find your spot. The commands I typed are in purple, the results of the commands are in blue, errors in red, and some highlighted callouts you should direct your attention to.

Jump straight to: Task 1, Task 3, Task 6, Task 10, Task 11, Task 15, Task 17, or Task 20.

Task 1

Windows PowerShell
Copyright (C) 2012 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

PS C:\Users\USERNAME> pwd
Path
----
C:\Users\USERNAME

PS C:\Users\USERNAME> $psversiontable
Name                           Value
----                           -----
PSVersion                      3.0
WSManStackVersion              3.0
SerializationVersion           1.1.0.1
CLRVersion                     4.0.30319.42000
BuildVersion                   6.2.9200.16481
PSCompatibleVersions           {1.0, 2.0, 3.0}
PSRemotingProtocolVersion      2.2

PS C:\Users\USERNAME> echo "I am using PowerShell Version 3.0"
I am using PowerShell Version 3.0
PS C:\Users\USERNAME> cd \
PS C:\> mkdir Playground
    Directory: C:\
Mode                LastWriteTime     Length Name
----                -------------     ------ ----
d----         5/15/2020  10:18 AM            Playground

PS C:\> cd Playground

Task 3

PS C:\Playground> notepad example.txt

PS C:\Playground> mkdir Folder1
    Directory: C:\Playground
Mode                LastWriteTime     Length Name
----                -------------     ------ ----
d----         5/15/2020  10:21 AM            Folder1

PS C:\Playground> mkdir Folder2
    Directory: C:\Playground
Mode                LastWriteTime     Length Name
----                -------------     ------ ----
d----         5/15/2020  10:21 AM            Folder2

PS C:\Playground> dir
    Directory: C:\Playground
Mode                LastWriteTime     Length Name
----                -------------     ------ ----
d----         5/15/2020  10:21 AM            Folder1
d----         5/15/2020  10:21 AM            Folder2
-a---         5/15/2020  10:21 AM         80 example.txt

Task 6

PS C:\Playground> copy example.txt folder1
PS C:\Playground> cd folder1
PS C:\Playground\folder1> notepad file.txt

PS C:\Playground\folder1> copy file.txt ..\folder2
PS C:\Playground\folder1> del example.txt
PS C:\Playground\folder1> cd ..
PS C:\Playground> cd folder2

Task 10

PS C:\Playground\folder2> ren file.txt file.ps1
PS C:\Playground\folder2> file.ps1
file.ps1 : The term 'file.ps1' is not recognized as the name of a cmdlet, function, script file, or operable program.
Check the spelling of the name, or if a path was included, verify that the path is correct and try again.
At line:1 char:1
+ file.ps1
+ ~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : ObjectNotFound: (file.ps1:String) [], CommandNotFoundException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : CommandNotFoundException

Suggestion [3,General]: The command file.ps1 was not found, but does exist in the current location. Windows PowerShell does not load commands from the current location by default. If you trust this command, instead type ".\file.ps1". See "get-help about_Command_Precedence" for more details.
PS C:\Playground\folder2> .\file.ps1
.\file.ps1 : File C:\Playground\folder2\file.ps1 cannot be loaded because running scripts is disabled on this system.
For more information, see about_Execution_Policies at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=135170.
At line:1 char:1
+ .\file.ps1
+ ~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : SecurityError: (:) [], PSSecurityException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : UnauthorizedAccess
PS C:\Playground\folder2> set-executionpolicy remotesigned

Execution Policy Change
The execution policy helps protect you from scripts that you do not trust. Changing the execution policy might expose
you to the security risks described in the about_Execution_Policies help topic at
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=135170. Do you want to change the execution policy?
[Y] Yes  [N] No  [S] Suspend  [?] Help (default is "Y"): y
PS C:\Playground\folder2> .\file.ps1
your
PowerShell
code
here!
PS C:\Playground\folder2> # "write" is a PowerShell command, remember? (well an alias for one)

Task 11

PS C:\Playground\folder2> cd ..
PS C:\Playground> notepad "Long Name.txt"
PS C:\Playground> more '.\Long Name.txt'
Here is another example file. I created it with Notepad as well.
The filename has a space in it so I put it in "quotes" - otherwise
PowerShell would think it was 2 different names: "Long" and "Name.txt"

PS C:\Playground> # I didn't type: more '.\Long name.txt' - I typed: more long[pressed TAB]
PS C:\Playground> # and PowerShell autocompleted the name (much easier with long file names!)
PS C:\Playground> ren "long name.txt" tiny.txt
PS C:\Playground> move tiny.txt Folder2
PS C:\Playground> cd Folder2

Task 15

PS C:\Playground\Folder2> copy tiny.txt temp.txt
PS C:\Playground\Folder2> copy tiny.txt test.txt
PS C:\Playground\Folder2> # I didn't type the whole command again, I press UP ARROW and edited the previous command.
PS C:\Playground\Folder2> dir
    Directory: C:\Playground\Folder2
Mode                LastWriteTime     Length Name
----                -------------     ------ ----
-a---         5/15/2020  10:24 AM         34 file.ps1
-a---         5/15/2020  10:45 AM        205 temp.txt
-a---         5/15/2020  10:45 AM        205 test.txt
-a---         5/15/2020  10:45 AM        205 tiny.txt

PS C:\Playground\Folder2> dir t*
    Directory: C:\Playground\Folder2
Mode                LastWriteTime     Length Name
----                -------------     ------ ----
-a---         5/15/2020  10:45 AM        205 temp.txt
-a---         5/15/2020  10:45 AM        205 test.txt
-a---         5/15/2020  10:45 AM        205 tiny.txt

PS C:\Playground\Folder2> # unlike DOS you don't need to specify t*.*, but you can if you're used to that.
PS C:\Playground\Folder2> dir *.ps1
    Directory: C:\Playground\Folder2
Mode                LastWriteTime     Length Name
----                -------------     ------ ----
-a---         5/15/2020  10:24 AM         34 file.ps1

Task 17

PS C:\Playground\Folder2> pwd
Path
----
C:\Playground\Folder2

PS C:\Playground\Folder2> del *
PS C:\Playground\Folder2> dir
PS C:\Playground\Folder2> cd..
PS C:\Playground> # People often skip the space after CD in: cd.. or cd\ and PowerShell is OK with that.
PS C:\Playground> rmdir Folder2
PS C:\Playground> rmdir Folder1

Confirm
The item at C:\Playground\Folder1 has children and the Recurse parameter was not specified. If you continue, all
children will be removed with the item. Are you sure you want to continue?
[Y] Yes  [A] Yes to All  [N] No  [L] No to All  [S] Suspend  [?] Help (default is "Y"): y
PS C:\Playground> # You can specify -recurse if the folder is not empty, but that bypasses the safety checks.

Task 20

PS C:\Playground> dir
    Directory: C:\Playground
Mode                LastWriteTime     Length Name
----                -------------     ------ ----
-a---         5/15/2020  10:21 AM         80 example.txt

PS C:\Playground> del example.txt
PS C:\Playground> cd \
PS C:\> rmdir playground
PS C:\> dir playground
dir : Cannot find path 'C:\playground' because it does not exist.
At line:1 char:1
+ dir playground
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : ObjectNotFound: (C:\playground:String) [Get-ChildItem], ItemNotFoundException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : PathNotFound,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.GetChildItemCommand

PS C:\> exit

All done! If you managed to make it through these Tasks then you're probably ready to start trying some other Common Console Commands

CMD Command Prompt modifications

If you did want to try these Tasks using the CMD Command Prompt you'd need to make some modifications.

• 1. You'd need to look for and open Command Prompt, then you'd use cd by itself to check what folder you were in.
  And you'd use ver to check your version.
• 7. In file.txt you add the contents echo your CMD commands here! using Notepad.
• 10. Rename file.txt to file.bat and running it by just typing file.bat would work.
  Note that echo is the CMD command to write to the screen.
• 12. For any long file names at the CMD Prompt you would need to use "double" not 'single' quotes.
• 16. You would also show all the .BAT files instead
• 19. At the CMD prompt you would need to use rmdir /s Folder1 to remove a folder that still has files in it.