Are there any usage patterns for cmdlet pipelines in Windows PowerShell?

Yes, there are some usage patterns for cmdlet pipelines in Windows PowerShell.

1. Use cmdlets of the same noun in a single pipeline - This is to ensure that we are working on the same object type in the entire pipeline.

For example, there are 5 cmdlets with the noun of "Process": Get-Process, Start-Process, Stop-Process, Wait-Process and Debug-Process. They are perfectly designed to be used in a single pipeline.

2. Start a pipeline with a Get-* cmdlet - A Get-* cmdlet is usually designed to be used as the first cmdlet with no input object. It generates an output object for the next cmdlet.

For example, Get-Date cmdlet by default takes no input object and generates a DateTime object represents the current date and time.

3. Use a Format-* cmdlet to end a pipeline - A Format-* cmdlet is designed to accept any type of object. It will extract information out of the input object and display it according to the specified format.

For example, "... | Format-Table" will try to extract information from whatever it receives and display it in a text table format.

4. Use object utility cmdlet anywhere in a pipeline - Windows PowerShell offers several object utility cmdlets: Get-Member, Where-Object, Sort-Object, Group-Object, and Measure-Object. They are designed to take any types of objects, manipulate or convert them, and returns new objects.

For example, "... | Where-Object <condition> | ..." will take a list of objects, apply the specified search condition, and return a list of matched objects.

⇒ Cmdlet Output Object List in Windows PowerShell

⇐ Object Type Match in Pipeline in Windows PowerShell

⇑ Introduction of Windows PowerShell Cmdlet

⇑⇑ Windows PowerShell Tutorials