Definition

Microsoft Windows uses PowerShell as its interactive command line shell. It is an object-oriented programming language. The basic reason that underlay the development of PowerShell was the automation of systems task, such as the batch processing, and creation of systems management tools for the completion of tasks that are implemented commonly. The language shares a number of similarities with Perl.

History of PowerShell

Microsoft started developing a new way of managing command lines by the year 2002. This also included the development of a Shell which was named Monad. In the year 2002, a white paper, which was called Monad Manifesto, was published. It contained the concept of this shell and the ideas that led towards its development.

Monad was to carry a new and fresher design that would enable it to automate a large array of administrative tasks. In 2003, the first display of Monad was made in Los Angeles at the Professional Development Conference. The development of the first private prototype was initiated few months after this display, which was accompanied by a public prototype of the shell.

3 beta versions of Monad were released by Microsoft on 17th of June, 2005, 11th of September, 2005, and on 10th of January 2006. In the month of April during the same year, the name of Monad was formally changed to Windows PowerShell. It was then made an important part of the technological offerings of Microsoft. This was accompanied by the introduction of Release Candidate 1 of Microsoft PowerShell Programming Language version 1.

PowerShell version 1‘s Release Candidate 2 was published on 26th of September, 2006. The final release to web, on the other hand, was made on 14th of November during the same year. This release was made in Barcelona at TechEd. The PowerShell version that was compatible with the earlier windows versions was introduced on 30th of January, 2007.

The development of version 2.0 of PowerShell even before the shipment of version 1.0. In the course of development, a total of 3 community technology preview (CTP) were shipped by Microsoft. All of these releases were open to open to public. In the month of December 2008, the last CTP of PowerShell version 2.0 was made.

The development of PowerShell v2.0 was finalized in the year 2009 and it was release for production in the same year. From then onwards it come an essential part of Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7.

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