Get-Member

Article
01/25/2011

Applies To: Windows PowerShell 2.0

Gets the properties and methods of objects.

Syntax

Get-Member [[-Name] <string[]>] [-Force] [-InputObject <psobject>] [-MemberType {<AliasProperty> | <CodeProperty> | <Property> | <NoteProperty> | <ScriptProperty> | <Properties> | <PropertySet> | <Method> | <CodeMethod> | <ScriptMethod> | <Methods> | <ParameterizedProperty> | <MemberSet> | <Event> | <All>}] [-Static] [-View {<Extended> | <Adapted> | <Base> | <All>}] [<CommonParameters>]

Description

The Get-Member cmdlet gets the "members" (properties and methods) of objects.

To specify the object, use the InputObject parameter or pipe an object to Get-Member. To retrieve information about static members (members of the class, not of the instance), use the Static parameter. To get only certain types of members, such as NoteProperties, use the MemberType parameter.

Parameters

-Force

Adds the intrinsic members (PSBase, PSAdapted, PSObject, PSTypeNames) and the compiler-generated get_ and set_ methods to the display. By default, Get-Member gets these properties in all views other than "Base" and "Adapted," but it does not display them.

The following list describes the properties that are added when you use the Force parameter:

-- PSBase: The original properties of the .NET Framework object without extension or adaptation. These are the properties defined for the object class and listed in MSDN.

-- PSAdapted: The properties and methods defined in the Windows PowerShell extended type system.

-- PSExtended: The properties and methods that were added in the Types.ps1xml files or by using the Add-Member cmdlet.

-- PSObject: The adapter that converts the base object to a Windows PowerShell PSObject object.

-- PSTypeNames: A list of object types that describe the object, in order of specificity. When formatting the object, Windows PowerShell searches for the types in the Format.ps1xml files in the Windows PowerShell installation directory ($pshome). It uses the formatting definition for the first type that it finds.

Required?	false
Position?	named
Default Value
Accept Pipeline Input?	false
Accept Wildcard Characters?	false

-InputObject <psobject>

Specifies the object whose members are retrieved.

Using the InputObject parameter is not the same as piping an object to Get-Member. The differences are as follows:

-- When you pipe a collection of objects to Get-Member, Get-Member gets the members of the individual objects in the collection, such as the properties of each string in an array of strings.

-- When you use InputObject to submit a collection of objects, Get-Member gets the members of the collection, such as the properties of the array in an array of strings.

Required?	false
Position?	named
Default Value
Accept Pipeline Input?	true (ByValue)
Accept Wildcard Characters?	false

-MemberType <PSMemberTypes>

Gets only members with the specified member type. The default is All.

The valid values for this parameter are:

-- AliasProperty: A property that defines a new name for an existing property.

-- CodeMethod: A method that references a static method of a .NET Framework class.

-- CodeProperty: A property that references a static property of a .NET Framework class.

-- Event: Indicates that the object sends a message to indicate an action or a change in state.

-- MemberSet: A predefined collection of properties and methods, such as PSBase, PSObject, and PSTypeNames.

-- Method: A method of the underlying .NET Framework object.

-- NoteProperty: A property with a static value.

-- ParameterizedProperty: A property that takes parameters and parameter values.

-- Property: A property of the underlying .NET Framework object.

-- PropertySet: A predefined collection of object properties.

-- ScriptMethod: A method whose value is the output of a script.

-- ScriptProperty: A property whose value is the output of a script.

-- All: Gets all member types.

-- Methods: Gets all types of methods of the object (for example, Method, CodeMethod, ScriptMethod).

-- Properties: Gets all types of properties of the object (for example, Property, CodeProperty, AliasProperty, ScriptProperty).

Not all objects have every type of member. If you specify a member type that the object does not have, Windows PowerShell returns a null value.

To get related types of members, such as all extended members, use the View parameter. If you use the MemberType parameter with the Static or View parameters, Get-Member gets the members that belong to both sets.

Required?	false
Position?	named
Default Value
Accept Pipeline Input?	false
Accept Wildcard Characters?	false

-Name <string[]>

Specifies the names of one or more properties or methods of the object. Get-Member gets only the specified properties and methods.

If you use the Name parameter with the MemberType, View, or Static parameters, Get-Member gets only the members that satisfy the criteria of all parameters.

To get a static member by name, use the Static parameter with the Name parameter.

Required?	false
Position?	1
Default Value
Accept Pipeline Input?	false
Accept Wildcard Characters?	false

-Static

Gets only the static properties and methods of the object.

Static properties and methods are defined on the class of objects, not on any particular instance of the class.

If you use the Static parameter with the View parameter, the View parameter is ignored. If you use the Static parameter with the MemberType parameter, Get-Member gets only the members that belong to both sets.

Required?	false
Position?	named
Default Value
Accept Pipeline Input?	false
Accept Wildcard Characters?	false

-View <PSMemberViewTypes>

Gets only particular types of members (properties and methods). Specify one or more of the values. The default is "Adapted, Extended".

Valid values are:

-- Base: Gets only the original properties and methods of the .NET Framework object (without extension or adaptation).

-- Adapted: Gets only the properties and methods defined in the Windows PowerShell extended type system.

-- Extended: Gets only the properties and methods that were added in the Types.ps1xml files or by using the Add-Member cmdlet.

-- All: Gets the members in the Base, Adapted, and Extended views.

The View parameter determines the members retrieved, not just the display of those members.

To get particular member types, such as script properties, use the MemberType parameter. If you use the MemberType and View parameters in the same command, Get-Member gets the members that belong to both sets. If you use the Static and View parameters in the same command, the View parameter is ignored.

Required?	false
Position?	named
Default Value
Accept Pipeline Input?	false
Accept Wildcard Characters?	false

<CommonParameters>

This cmdlet supports the common parameters: -Debug, -ErrorAction, -ErrorVariable, -OutBuffer, -OutVariable, -Verbose, -WarningAction, and -WarningVariable. For more information, see about_CommonParameters.

Inputs and Outputs

The input type is the type of the objects that you can pipe to the cmdlet. The return type is the type of the objects that the cmdlet returns.

Inputs

System.Management.Automation.PSObject

You can pipe any object to Get-Member

Outputs

Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.MemberDefinition

Get-Member returns an object for each property or method that its gets.

Notes

You can get information about a collection object either by using the InputObject parameter or by piping the object, preceded by a comma, to Get-Member.

You can use the $this automatic variable in script blocks that define the values of new properties and methods. The $this variable refers to the instance of the object to which the properties and methods are being added. For more information about the $this variable, see about_Automatic_Variables.

Example 1

C:\PS>get-service | get-member


   TypeName: System.ServiceProcess.ServiceController

Name                      MemberType    Definition
----                      ----------    ----------
Name                      AliasProperty Name = ServiceName
Close                     Method        System.Void Close()
Continue                  Method        System.Void Continue()
CreateObjRef              Method        System.Runtime.Remoting.ObjRef CreateObjRef(Type requestedType)
Dispose                   Method        System.Void Dispose()
Equals                    Method        System.Boolean Equals(Object obj)
ExecuteCommand            Method        System.Void ExecuteCommand(Int32 command)
GetHashCode               Method        System.Int32 GetHashCode()
GetLifetimeService        Method        System.Object GetLifetimeService()
GetType                   Method        System.Type GetType()
InitializeLifetimeService Method        System.Object InitializeLifetimeService()
Pause                     Method        System.Void Pause()
Refresh                   Method        System.Void Refresh()
Start                     Method        System.Void Start(), System.Void Start(String[] args)
Stop                      Method        System.Void Stop()
ToString                  Method        System.String ToString()
WaitForStatus             Method        System.Void WaitForStatus(ServiceControllerStatus desiredStatus), System.Voi...
CanPauseAndContinue       Property      System.Boolean CanPauseAndContinue {get;}
CanShutdown               Property      System.Boolean CanShutdown {get;}
CanStop                   Property      System.Boolean CanStop {get;}
Container                 Property      System.ComponentModel.IContainer Container {get;}
DependentServices         Property      System.ServiceProcess.ServiceController[] DependentServices {get;}
DisplayName               Property      System.String DisplayName {get;set;}
MachineName               Property      System.String MachineName {get;set;}
ServiceHandle             Property      System.Runtime.InteropServices.SafeHandle ServiceHandle {get;}
ServiceName               Property      System.String ServiceName {get;set;}
ServicesDependedOn        Property      System.ServiceProcess.ServiceController[] ServicesDependedOn {get;}
ServiceType               Property      System.ServiceProcess.ServiceType ServiceType {get;}
Site                      Property      System.ComponentModel.ISite Site {get;set;}
Status                    Property      System.ServiceProcess.ServiceControllerStatus Status {get;}

Description
-----------
This command displays the properties and methods of the process objects (System.ServiceProcess.ServiceController) that are generated by the Get-Service cmdlet.

The command uses the pipeline operator (|) to send the output of a Get-Service command to Get-Member.

Because the Get-Member part of the command does not have any parameters, it uses all of the default values. As such, it gets all member types, but it does not get static members and does not display intrinsic members.

Example 2

C:\PS>get-service | get-member -force

C:\PS> (get-service -schedule).psbase

Description
-----------
This example gets all of the members (properties and methods) of the service objects (System.ServiceProcess.ServiceController) retrieved by the Get-Service cmdlet, including the intrinsic members, such as PSBase and PSObject, and the get_ and set_ methods.

The first command uses the Get-Service cmdlet to get objects that represent the services on the system. It uses a pipeline operator (|) to pass the service objects to the Get-Member cmdlet.

The Get-Member command uses the Force parameter to add the intrinsic members and compiler-generated members of the objects to the display. Get-Member gets these members, but it hides them by default.

You can use these properties and methods in the same way that you would use an adapted method of the object. The second command shows how to display the value of the PSBase property of the Schedule service.

Example 3

C:\PS>get-service | get-member -view extended

   TypeName: System.ServiceProcess.ServiceController

Name MemberType    Definition
---- ----------    ----------
Name AliasProperty Name = ServiceName

Description
-----------
This command gets the methods and properties of service objects that were extended by using the Types.ps1xml file or the Add-Member cmdlet. 


The Get-Member command uses the View parameter to get only the extended members of the service objects. In this case, the extended member is the Name property, which is an alias property of the ServiceName property.

Example 4

C:\PS>get-eventlog -log system | gm -membertype scriptproperty

   TypeName: System.Diagnostics.EventLogEntry

Name    MemberType     Definition
----    ----------     ----------
EventID ScriptProperty System.Object EventID {get=$this.get_EventID() -band 0xFFFF;}

Description
-----------
This command gets the script properties of event log objects in the System log in Event Viewer. In this case, the only script property is the EventID.

Example 5

C:\PS>get-eventlog -log system | get-member -membertype scriptproperty


   TypeName: System.Diagnostics.EventLogEntry

Name    MemberType     Definition
----    ----------     ----------
EventID ScriptProperty System.Object EventID {get=$this.get_EventID() -band 0xFFFF;}

Description
-----------
This command gets the script properties of event log objects in the System log in Event Viewer. 

The command uses the MemberType parameter to get only objects with a value of AliasProperty for their MemberType property.

The command returns the EventID property of the EventLog object.

Example 6

C:\PS>$a = "get-process", "get-service", "get-culture", "get-psdrive", "get-executionpolicy"

C:\PS> foreach ($cmdlet in $a) {invoke-command $cmdlet | get-member -name machinename}

TypeName: System.Diagnostics.Process

Name        MemberType Definition
----        ---------- ----------
MachineName Property   System.String MachineName {get;}


   TypeName: System.ServiceProcess.ServiceController

Name        MemberType Definition
----        ---------- ----------
MachineName Property   System.String MachineName {get;set;}

Description
-----------
This command gets objects that have a MachineName property from a list of cmdlets.

The first command stores the names of several cmdlets in the $a variable.

The second command uses a ForEach statement to invoke each command, send the results to Get-Member, and limit the results from Get-Member to members that have the name "MachineName."

The results show that only process objects (System.Diagnostics.Process) and service objects (System.ServiceProcess.ServiceController) have a MachineName property.

Example 7

C:\PS>$a = get-member -inputobject @(1)

C:\PS>$a.count

1

C:\PS> $a = get-member -inputobject 1,2,3

   TypeName: System.Object[]
Name               MemberType    Definition
----               ----------    ----------
Count              AliasProperty Count = Length
Address            Method        System.Object&amp;amp; Address(Int32 )
Clone              Method        System.Object Clone()
...

C:\PS>$a.count
1

Description
-----------
This example demonstrates how to find the properties and methods of an array of objects when you have only one object of the given type.

Because the goal of the command is to find the properties of an array, the first command uses the InputObject parameter. It uses the "at" symbol (@) to indicate an array. In this case, the array contains only one object, the integer 1. 

The third command uses the Get-Member cmdlet to get the properties and methods of an array of integers, and the command saves them in the $a variable.

The fourth command uses the Count property of the array to find the number of objects in the $a variable.

Example 8

C:\PS>$file = get-item c:\test\textFile.txt

C:\PS> $file.psobject.properties | where-object {$_.issettable} | format-table -property name
 
Name
----
PSPath
PSParentPath
PSChildName
PSDrive
PSProvider
PSIsContainer
IsReadOnly
CreationTime
CreationTimeUtc
LastAccessTime
LastAccessTimeUtc  
LastWriteTime
LastWriteTimeUtc
Attributes

C:\PS> [appdomain]::CurrentDomain.GetAssemblies() | foreach-object { $_.getexportedtypes() } | foreach-object {$_.getproperties() | where-object {$_.canwrite }} | select-object reflectedtype, name

Description
-----------
This example shows how to determine which properties of an object can be changed. The example uses a file, but you can use this command format to find the changeable properties of any object in Windows PowerShell.
 
The first command uses the Get-Item cmdlet to get a text file, and then it saves the file object in the $file variable.
 
The second command gets all of the changeable properties of the file object in the $file variable and displays the names of the properties in a table.

The third command gets the changeable properties of all objects in your Windows PowerShell session.

Example 9

C:\PS>$s = get-service

C:\PS> $s | get-member

   TypeName: System.ServiceProcess.ServiceController

Name                      MemberType    Definition
----                      ----------    ----------
Name                      AliasProperty Name = ServiceName
RequiredServices          AliasProperty RequiredServices = ServicesDependedOn
Disposed                  Event         System.EventHandler Disposed(System.Object, System.EventArgs
Close                     Method        System.Void Close()
Continue                  Method        System.Void Continue()
CreateObjRef              Method        System.Runtime.Remoting.ObjRef CreateObjRef(type requestedTy
Dispose                   Method        System.Void Dispose()
...

C:\PS> get-member -inputObject $s

   TypeName: System.Object[]

Name           MemberType    Definition
----           ----------    ----------
Count          AliasProperty Count = Length
Address        Method        System.Object&amp;amp;, mscorlib, Version=2.0.0.0, Cultu
Clone          Method        System.Object Clone()
CopyTo         Method        System.Void CopyTo(array array, int index), Syst
Equals         Method        bool Equals(System.Object obj)
Get            Method        System.Object Get(int )
GetEnumerator  Method        System.Collections.IEnumerator GetEnumerator()
GetHashCode    Method        int GetHashCode()
...

Description
-----------
This example shows how the InputObject parameter works in the Get-Member cmdlet. When you use the InputObject parameter to get the members of a collection, Get-Member gets the members of the collection. When you pipe a collection of objects to Get-Member, Get-Member gets the members of each item in the collection. 

The first command gets the services on the local computer and saves the services in the $s variable.

The second command pipes the $s variable to the Get-Member cmdlet. Get-Member gets the types of each member of $s and the members of that type. In this case, it gets ServiceController objects and lists the members, such as RequiredServices and Close.

The third command uses the InputObject parameter of Get-Member to submit the $s variable. Get-Member gets the type (System.Object[]) and the members of the collection (or "array") of ServiceController objects, such as Count and Clone.

Share via