In addition to the default, or built-in, aliases, you can define and use custom aliases instead of the names of cmdlets that you frequently use. You can use the Set-Alias cmdlet to associate cmdlets to familiar command names that have the equivalent functionality in Cmd.exe. You can assign multiple aliases to a single command. However, each alias can only be assigned to a single command. For example, you can have three aliases Alias1, Alias2, and Alias3 that are assigned to the New-Mailbox cmdlet. You could then use any of the three aliases to run the New-Mailbox cmdlet. However, each alias that you create can only be assigned to the New-Mailbox cmdlet. You can't, for example, assign Alias1 to both the New-Mailbox cmdlet and the Get-Mailbox cmdlet.

To create a new alias-cmdlet pairing, run the Set-Alias cmdlet and supply the name of the alias, together with the name of the cmdlet that you want to call when the alias is entered.

The following table shows several examples of how to create a new alias.

Examples of custom aliases

Alias description	Alias command
Retrieve the contents of a file.	Copy Code Set-Alias Type Get-Content
Retrieve the listing of a directory.	Copy Code Set-Alias Dir Get-ChildItem
Remove a file.	Copy Code Set-Alias Erase Remove-Item
Set pad as an alias for Microsoft WordPad.	Copy Code Set-Alias Pad "${env:programfiles}\Windows NT\Accessories\wordpad.exe"
Display the list of all defined aliases.	Copy Code Set-Alias Aliases Get-Alias

Return to top

To remove an alias, delete the alias from the alias drive. For example, an administrator creates the Ls alias by using the following command:

	Copy Code
Set-Alias Ls Get-ChildItem

Later the administrator decides that the Ls alias is no longer needed and uses the following command to remove the Ls alias:

	Copy Code
Remove-Item Alias Ls

The Export-Alias cmdlet writes the current alias list to a file in comma-separated values (CSV) format. You can include the name of the file and its path in the command line. If the path doesn't exist, the cmdlet will create the path for you.

The Import-Alias cmdlet reads a text file that has CSV values and brings the list into the Shell as an object. By using the Export-Alias cmdlet and Import-Alias cmdlet, you can export a list of aliases from the Shell on one computer and import them to the Shell on another computer. Because existing predefined aliases exist on both computers, all alias name conflicts will be ignored and not imported.

Aliases that are created from the command line by using the Set-Alias cmdlet during a Shell session can be used when the session is active. After the session is closed, the alias definition is lost. To make a user-defined alias persistent and available every time that a new Shell session is opened, you must add the alias definition to your Shell profile. You can modify your Shell profile by running the command Notepad $Profile. If the profile directory doesn't exist, you might have to create it first. To find out the path of your profile, run the command $Profile.

Although aliases can be defined for cmdlets and used instead of cmdlet names, you can't include parameters in the definition of the aliases that you define. You must provide parameters as needed when the alias is called, exactly as you would if you called the cmdlet.

Return to top

Exchange Management Shell Basics