Programming language has made it easier to operate computers than before. Many information and technology companies launched their specific languages till now. Some of them are open-source, and some of them are incredibly private. PowerShell and Command Prompt are two such services offered by Microsoft to its users. PowerShell is a language and Command Prompt line interpreter.
PowerShell vs Command Prompt
The main difference between PowerShell and Command Prompt is that PowerShell is a language developed by Microsoft for scripting and programming. On the other hand, a command prompt is simply a command-line interpreter. It is also produced by Microsoft but quite different from PowerShell. Both terms are associated with coding and scripting developed to help people access certain things.
PowerShell is one of the programming languages that is developed by Microsoft. The typing discipline of this language is dynamic and robust. macOS, Windows, and Linux support PowerShell. It comprises a framework for configuration management, command-line shell, and scripting language. The scripts written in PowerShell come with extension .ps1. It works a lot like a cmdlet.
A command prompt is a command-line interpreter that creates a pool between the operating system and users. Command prompt comes in the Windows, ArcaOS, eComStation, ReactOS to execute the commands entered by users. It can see at the Apps screen or Start menu. Command prompt is the successor of COMMAND.COM.
Comparison Table Between PowerShell and Command Prompt
| Parameters Of Comparison | PowerShell | Command Prompt |
| Launched | Microsoft launched the PowerShell scripting and programming language in 2006. | Command prompt, commonly known as cmd, was introduced in 1981. |
| Access | To access PowerShell, a person is required to type PowerShell and can be obtained from the run. | To access the command prompt, a person is required to type cmd and can be accessed from the run. |
| Functionality | PowerShell is an enhanced language and can be functioned with both PowerShell cmdlet and batch commands. | Command prompts are a little obsolete and can only work with batch commands. |
| Type of output | The output provided by PowerShell is in the form of an object. | The output provided by the command prompt is in the form of plain text. |
| Multitasking | PowerShell is a multitasking language and can execute a whole cmdlet sequence in a script. | Command prompt requires completing the task assigned before running the following command. |
What is PowerShell?
PowerShell is a language designed and developed by James Truher, Bruce Payette, and Jeffrey Snover. PowerShell runs a profile when it starts, and it comprises a command-line shell. It includes the best option and features of other co-existing shells. Other shells return and accept text, while .NET objects are returned and received by PowerShell.
PowerShell has an impactful history behind command-lime, and it makes command predictions. PowerShell supports parameters and commands aliases. It provides a pipeline to change commands. The in-console system of PowerShell is quite similar to specific pages of Unix. The PowerShell scripting language is developed to manage and automate the computer systems.
Another use of PowerShell is finding, building, testing, and deploying the necessary solutions required by the system and CI/CD environments. PowerShell can be extended with the adequate help of different modules, classes, functions, and scripts. This extensible feature of PowerShell becomes helpful to create a dynamic type.
PowerShell supports the standard data formats such as XML, JSON, and CSV. Since PowerShell can be extensible, it has made it possible to work with any technology.
These technologies can be Google Cloud, Azure, VMWare, Windows, SQL, AWS, and many more. PowerShell has a management framework known as PowerShell DSC (Desired State Configuration) to manage enterprise infrastructure through configuration codes.
What is Command Prompt?
Command prompt can be seen in many operating systems because it executes the commands by reading them. These commands should be valid; otherwise, they will not be performed by command prompt. Command prompt is also known as cmd.exe. it is generally found in the Windows operating system, but it is not limited to it. Command prompt functions via batch files and scripts.
Batch files are those that contain multiple valuable commands to perform repetitive tasks. A batch file is nothing but a plain text of management, and its extension is .BAT. Command prompt also resolves issues found in the system. The official term used to denote command prompt is Windows Command Processor, also known as command shell.
The extension utilized by the command prompt is one of its names, cmd.exe. A command prompt needs to enable it to be accessed and the steps to allow it. It can be different because each operating system has additional functionality. A person should enter a valid command to use a command prompt, and it automatically performs the required task in an operating system.
The most common example of using a command prompt is if a person types ‘del *.mp3’ in the download folder, it deletes all the MP3 files. If a command is misspelled and in the wrong syntax, it can cause serious problems within the operating system.
Main Differences Between PowerShell and Command Prompt
- PowerShell has access to several libraries that are used to build it. On the other hand, the command prompt has no such facility to offer.
- PowerShell has a ‘help command’ feature to provide information related to the cmdlet. On the other hand, the command prompt has no such features to offer.
- WMI can be merged to the PowerShell directly in the system. On the other hand, the command prompt requires an extra plug-in to integrate WMI.
- PowerShell, as it is the product of Microsoft, can connect to other Microsoft cloud products. On the other hand, the command prompt cannot access Microsoft online products.
- PowerShell, scripting, and programming language support Linux operating system. On the other hand, Linux OS is not supported by command prompt.
Conclusion
When computers were introduced, UI was not part of them. Several pieces of information stored in the computer were accessed by entering commands. It was tough to learn all commands, and an ordinary person wasn’t able to operate computers.
Through time, many programming languages were developed and introduced. With the help of these programming languages, user interfaces were created. That’s how computing became convenient to all. In modern times, a person with no knowledge of programming language can operate a computer system.
Microsoft is an IT company that has been working in this industry for decades. Not only PowerShell and Command Prompt, but Microsoft has also launched countless services that are being utilized by tons of people.
References
- https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/3196494.3196511
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.3758/BF03210918