Get-Location

Syntax

Get-Location
   [-PSProvider <String[]>]
   [-PSDrive <String[]>]
   [-UseTransaction]
   [<CommonParameters>]

Get-Location
   [-Stack]
   [-StackName <String[]>]
   [-UseTransaction]
   [<CommonParameters>]

Description

The Get-Location cmdlet gets an object that represents the current directory, much like the print working directory (pwd) command.

When you move between Windows PowerShell drives, Windows PowerShell retains your location in each drive. You can use this cmdlet to find your location in each drive.

You can use this cmdlet to get the current directory at run time and use it in functions and scripts, such as in a function that displays the current directory in the Windows PowerShell prompt.

You can also use this cmdlet to display the locations in a location stack. For more information, see the Notes and the descriptions of the Stack and StackName parameters.

Examples

Example 1: Display your current drive location

PS C:\> Get-Location
Path
----
C:\WINDOWS

This command displays your location in the current Windows PowerShell drive.

For instance, if you are in the Windows directory of the C: drive, it displays the path to that directory.

Example 2: Display your current location for different drives

The first command uses the **Set-Location** cmdlet to set the current location to the Windows subdirectory of the C: drive.
PS C:\> Set-Location C:\Windows

The second command uses the **Set-Location** cmdlet to change the location to the HKLM:\Software\Microsoft registry key. When you change to a location in the HKLM: drive, Windows PowerShell retains your location in the C: drive.
PS C:\>
PS C:\WINDOWS> Set-Location HKLM:\Software\Microsoft
PS HKLM:\Software\Microsoft>

The third command uses the **Set-Location** cmdlet to change the location to the HKCU:\Control Panel\Input Method registry key.
PS C:\>
PS HKLM:\Software\Microsoft> Set-Location "HKCU:\Control Panel\Input Method"
PS HKCU:\Control Panel\Input Method>

The fourth command uses the **Get-Location** cmdlet to find the current location on the C: drive. It uses the *PSDrive* parameter to specify the drive.
PS C:\>
PS HKCU:\Control Panel\Input Method> Get-Location -PSDrive C



Path
----
C:\WINDOWS

The fifth command uses the **Set-Location** cmdlet to return to the C: drive. Even though the command does not specify a subdirectory, Windows PowerShell returns you to the saved location.
PS C:\>
PS HKCU:\Control Panel\Input Method> Set-Location C:
PS C:\WINDOWS>

The sixth command uses the **Get-Location** cmdlet to find the current location in the drives supported by the Windows PowerShell registry provider. **Get-Location** returns the location of the most recently accessed registry drive, HKCU.
PS C:\>
PS C:\WINDOWS> Get-Location -PSProvider registry




Path
----
HKCU:\Control Panel\Input Method

To see the current location in the HKLM: drive, you need to use the *PSDrive* parameter to specify the drive. The seventh command does just this:
PS C:\>
PS C:\WINDOWS> Get-Location -PSDrive HKLM



Path
----
HKLM:\Software\Microsoft

This example demonstrates the use of Get-Location to display your current location in different Windows PowerShell drives.

Example 3: List the locations in the current location stack and alternate location stacks

The first command sets the current location to the Windows directory on the C: drive.
PS C:\> Set-Location C:\Windows

The second command uses the **Push-Location** cmdlet to push the current location (C:\Windows) onto the current location stack and change to the System32 subdirectory. Because no stack is specified, the current location is pushed onto the current location stack. By default, the current location stack is the unnamed default location stack.
C:\WINDOWS> Push-Location System32

The third command uses the *StackName* parameter of the **Push-Location** cmdlet to push the current location (C:\Windows\System32) onto the Stack2 stack and to change the current location to the WindowsPowerShell subirectory. If the Stack2 stack does not exist, **Push-Location** creates it.
C:\Windows\System32> Push-Location WindowsPowerShell -StackName Stack2

The fourth command uses the *Stack* parameter of the **Get-Location** cmdlet to get the locations in the current location stack. By default, the current stack is the unnamed default location stack.
C:\WINDOWS\system32\WindowsPowerShell> Get-Location -Stack
Path
----
C:\WINDOWS

The fifth command uses the *StackName* parameter of the **Get-Location** cmdlet to get the locations in the Stack2 stack.
PS C:\>
C:\WINDOWS\system32\WindowsPowerShell>get-location -stackname Stack2



Path
----
C:\WINDOWS\system32

This command shows how to use the Stack and StackName parameters of Get-Location to list the locations in the current location stack and alternate location stacks. For more information about location stacks, see the Notes.

Example 4: Customize the Windows PowerShell prompt

PS C:\>
function prompt { 'PowerShell: ' + (get-location) + '> '}
PowerShell: C:\WINDOWS>

This example shows how to customize the Windows PowerShell prompt. The function that defines the prompt includes a Get-Location command, which is run whenever the prompt appears in the console.

The format of the default Windows PowerShell prompt is defined by a special function named prompt. You can change the prompt in your console by creating a new function named prompt.

To see the current prompt function, type the following command: Get-Content Function:prompt

The command begins with the function keyword followed by the function name, prompt. The function body appears within braces ( {} ).

This command defines a new prompt that begins with the string PowerShell: . To append the current location, it uses a Get-Location command, which runs when the prompt function is called. The prompt ends with the string "> ".

Parameters

-PSDrive

-PSProvider

-Stack

-StackName

-UseTransaction

Inputs

None

You cannot pipe input to this cmdlet.

Outputs

System.Management.Automation.PathInfo or System.Management.Automation.PathInfoStack

If you use the Stack or StackName parameters, this cmdlet returns a StackInfo object. Otherwise, it returns a PathInfo object.

Notes

• This cmdlet is designed to work with the data exposed by any provider. To list the providers in your session, type Get-PSProvider. For more information, see about_Providers.

  The ways that the PSProvider, PSDrive, Stack, and StackName parameters interact depends on the provider. Some combinations will result in errors, such as specifying both a drive and a provider that does not expose that drive. If no parameters are specified, this cmdlet returns the PathInfo object for the provider that contains the current working location.

  A stack is a last-in, first-out list in which only the most recently added item is accessible. You add items to a stack in the order that you use them, and then retrieve them for use in the reverse order. Windows PowerShell lets you store provider locations in location stacks. Windows PowerShell creates an unnamed default location stack and you can create multiple named location stacks. If you do not specify a stack name, Windows PowerShell uses the current location stack. By default, the unnamed default location is the current location stack, but you can use the Set-Location cmdlet to change the current location stack.

  To manage location stacks, use the Windows PowerShellLocation cmdlets, as follows.

  • To add a location to a location stack, use the Push-Location cmdlet.

  • To get a location from a location stack, use the Pop-Location cmdlet.

  • To display the locations in the current location stack, use the Stack parameter of the Get-Location cmdlet. To display the locations in a named location stack, use the StackName parameter of the Get-Location cmdlet.

  • To create a new location stack, use the StackName parameter of the Push-Location cmdlet. If you specify a stack that does not exist, Push-Location creates the stack.

  • To make a location stack the current location stack, use the StackName parameter of the Set-Location cmdlet.

  The unnamed default location stack is fully accessible only when it is the current location stack. If you make a named location stack the current location stack, you cannot no longer use the Push-Location or Pop-Location add or get items from the default stack or use this cmdlet command to display the locations in the unnamed stack. To make the unnamed stack the current stack, use the StackName parameter of the Set-Location cmdlet with a value of $null or an empty string ("").

Related Links

• Pop-Location
• Push-Location
• Set-Location