Tag Archives: Format-Wide

Get the Verbs

So, earlier tonight, my wife, daughter, and I were on the couch. My wife was cleaning out her purse as my daughter helped her organize her change. Me, I was briefly on my phone and looking for a quick list of approved PowerShell verbs. As you likely know, if we create our own cmdlets and functions, we should use an approved verb for the verb, dash, singular noun naming convention: Get-Process, Set-ADUser, Checkpoint-Computer… okay, it’s not always a verb, but you know what I mean.

I couldn’t believe it; I couldn’t just find a simple list of all the verbs, close to one another, and without any explanations. You know the list, the one you basically get when you run Get-Verb. I suppose I should mention that all I had was my phone. There wasn’t a computer close by, and that’s, why I’m putting up a list of the approved verbs (as of PowerShell 5.1 on Windows 8.1), on my website.

Here’s the standard, Get-Verb output that includes the Name and Group. After that, I’ll include the same list, a few more ways. Maybe, just maybe it’ll be here when you, or I, need it next.

PS > Get-Verb

Verb        Group
----        -----
Add         Common
Clear       Common
Close       Common
Copy        Common
Enter       Common
Exit        Common
Find        Common
Format      Common
Get         Common
Hide        Common
Join        Common
Lock        Common
Move        Common
New         Common
Open        Common
Optimize    Common
Pop         Common
Push        Common
Redo        Common
Remove      Common
Rename      Common
Reset       Common
Resize      Common
Search      Common
Select      Common
Set         Common
Show        Common
Skip        Common
Split       Common
Step        Common
Switch      Common
Undo        Common
Unlock      Common
Watch       Common
Backup      Data
Checkpoint  Data
Compare     Data
Compress    Data
Convert     Data
ConvertFrom Data
ConvertTo   Data
Dismount    Data
Edit        Data
Expand      Data
Export      Data
Group       Data
Import      Data
Initialize  Data
Limit       Data
Merge       Data
Mount       Data
Out         Data
Publish     Data
Restore     Data
Save        Data
Sync        Data
Unpublish   Data
Update      Data
Approve     Lifecycle
Assert      Lifecycle
Complete    Lifecycle
Confirm     Lifecycle
Deny        Lifecycle
Disable     Lifecycle
Enable      Lifecycle
Install     Lifecycle
Invoke      Lifecycle
Register    Lifecycle
Request     Lifecycle
Restart     Lifecycle
Resume      Lifecycle
Start       Lifecycle
Stop        Lifecycle
Submit      Lifecycle
Suspend     Lifecycle
Uninstall   Lifecycle
Unregister  Lifecycle
Wait        Lifecycle
Debug       Diagnostic
Measure     Diagnostic
Ping        Diagnostic
Repair      Diagnostic
Resolve     Diagnostic
Test        Diagnostic
Trace       Diagnostic
Connect     Communications
Disconnect  Communications
Read        Communications
Receive     Communications
Send        Communications
Write       Communications
Block       Security
Grant       Security
Protect     Security
Revoke      Security
Unblock     Security
Unprotect   Security
Use         Other

As you may have noticed in the previous results, the default output is sorted by the Group. Here comes a second list; however, this list will be sorted by the Verb. I can already see how this may be helpful. In fact, this is the list I was probably after.

PS > Get-Verb | Sort-Object -Property Verb

Verb        Group
----        -----
Add         Common
Approve     Lifecycle
Assert      Lifecycle
Backup      Data
Block       Security
Checkpoint  Data
Clear       Common
Close       Common
Compare     Data
Complete    Lifecycle
Compress    Data
Confirm     Lifecycle
Connect     Communications
Convert     Data
ConvertFrom Data
ConvertTo   Data
Copy        Common
Debug       Diagnostic
Deny        Lifecycle
Disable     Lifecycle
Disconnect  Communications
Dismount    Data
Edit        Data
Enable      Lifecycle
Enter       Common
Exit        Common
Expand      Data
Export      Data
Find        Common
Format      Common
Get         Common
Grant       Security
Group       Data
Hide        Common
Import      Data
Initialize  Data
Install     Lifecycle
Invoke      Lifecycle
Join        Common
Limit       Data
Lock        Common
Measure     Diagnostic
Merge       Data
Mount       Data
Move        Common
New         Common
Open        Common
Optimize    Common
Out         Data
Ping        Diagnostic
Pop         Common
Protect     Security
Publish     Data
Push        Common
Read        Communications
Receive     Communications
Redo        Common
Register    Lifecycle
Remove      Common
Rename      Common
Repair      Diagnostic
Request     Lifecycle
Reset       Common
Resize      Common
Resolve     Diagnostic
Restart     Lifecycle
Restore     Data
Resume      Lifecycle
Revoke      Security
Save        Data
Search      Common
Select      Common
Send        Communications
Set         Common
Show        Common
Skip        Common
Split       Common
Start       Lifecycle
Step        Common
Stop        Lifecycle
Submit      Lifecycle
Suspend     Lifecycle
Switch      Common
Sync        Data
Test        Diagnostic
Trace       Diagnostic
Unblock     Security
Undo        Common
Uninstall   Lifecycle
Unlock      Common
Unprotect   Security
Unpublish   Data
Unregister  Lifecycle
Update      Data
Use         Other
Wait        Lifecycle
Watch       Common
Write       Communications

In this example, all I want to return is the verbs. Nine times out of 10, the group doesn’t make a difference to me.

PS > (Get-Verb | Sort-Object -Property Verb).Verb

Add
Approve
Assert
Backup
Block
Checkpoint
Clear
Close
Compare
Complete
Compress
Confirm
Connect
Convert
ConvertFrom
ConvertTo
Copy
Debug
Deny
Disable
Disconnect
Dismount
Edit
Enable
Enter
Exit
Expand
Export
Find
Format
Get
Grant
Group
Hide
Import
Initialize
Install
Invoke
Join
Limit
Lock
Measure
Merge
Mount
Move
New
Open
Optimize
Out
Ping
Pop
Protect
Publish
Push
Read
Receive
Redo
Register
Remove
Rename
Repair
Request
Reset
Resize
Resolve
Restart
Restore
Resume
Revoke
Save
Search
Select
Send
Set
Show
Skip
Split
Start
Step
Stop
Submit
Suspend
Switch
Sync
Test
Trace
Unblock
Undo
Uninstall
Unlock
Unprotect
Unpublish
Unregister
Update
Use
Wait
Watch
Write

This next example uses Format-Wide so that my results are in columns. Notice how the sorting goes across the rows, as opposed to down the columns. There’s should probably be a built-in way to handle that behavior. Yuck.

PS > Get-Verb | Sort-Object -Property Verb | Format-Wide -Column 4

Add                           Approve                       Assert                        Backup
Block                         Checkpoint                    Clear                         Close
Compare                       Complete                      Compress                      Confirm
Connect                       Convert                       ConvertFrom                   ConvertTo
Copy                          Debug                         Deny                          Disable
Disconnect                    Dismount                      Edit                          Enable
Enter                         Exit                          Expand                        Export
Find                          Format                        Get                           Grant
Group                         Hide                          Import                        Initialize
Install                       Invoke                        Join                          Limit
Lock                          Measure                       Merge                         Mount
Move                          New                           Open                          Optimize
Out                           Ping                          Pop                           Protect
Publish                       Push                          Read                          Receive
Redo                          Register                      Remove                        Rename
Repair                        Request                       Reset                         Resize
Resolve                       Restart                       Restore                       Resume
Revoke                        Save                          Search                        Select
Send                          Set                           Show                          Skip
Split                         Start                         Step                          Stop
Submit                        Suspend                       Switch                        Sync
Test                          Trace                         Unblock                       Undo
Uninstall                     Unlock                        Unprotect                     Unpublish
Unregister                    Update                        Use                           Wait
Watch                         Write

In the next example, I’ll try the -join operator.

PS > (Get-Verb | Sort-Object -Property Verb).Verb -join ', '
Add, Approve, Assert, Backup, Block, Checkpoint, Clear, Close, Compare, Complete, Compress, Confirm, Connect, Convert, C
onvertFrom, ConvertTo, Copy, Debug, Deny, Disable, Disconnect, Dismount, Edit, Enable, Enter, Exit, Expand, Export, Find
, Format, Get, Grant, Group, Hide, Import, Initialize, Install, Invoke, Join, Limit, Lock, Measure, Merge, Mount, Move,
New, Open, Optimize, Out, Ping, Pop, Protect, Publish, Push, Read, Receive, Redo, Register, Remove, Rename, Repair, Requ
est, Reset, Resize, Resolve, Restart, Restore, Resume, Revoke, Save, Search, Select, Send, Set, Show, Skip, Split, Start
, Step, Stop, Submit, Suspend, Switch, Sync, Test, Trace, Unblock, Undo, Uninstall, Unlock, Unprotect, Unpublish, Unregi
ster, Update, Use, Wait, Watch, Write

Also yuck. So yeah, I thought that might turn out better. Well, I’ve got it now — a place to find all the current verbs as of this writing, if I’m ever sitting on the couch, watching two of my favorite people, and unable to decide what verb to use for a new PowerShell tool.