What Can I Do With Windows PowerShell?
Using the Format-Wide Cmdlet
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Displaying Data in Multiple Columns
The Format-Wide cmdlet allows you to retrieve single-item data (such as a process name) and display that data in multiple columns. By default, Format-Wide displays data in two columns; this command uses Get-Process to retrieve process information and then displays the process names in two-columns:
Get-Process | Format-Wide
In other words, you get back something similar to this:
alg apdproxy asghost ati2evxx ati2evxx atiptaxx BTStackServer BTTray btwdins csrss ctfmon DLACTRLW eabservr explorer HP Wireless Assistant HPQTOA~1 hpqwmi hpqwmiex
Alternatively, you can use the –columns parameter to specify the number of columns; this command displays process information in four columns:
Get-Process | Format-Wide –columns 4
If any process names are longer than the allotted column space those names will be truncated like so (notice that FastUserSwitching doesn’t quite fit):
FastUserSwitchin... helpsvc hpqwmiex HTTPFilter InoRPC InoRT
If you aren’t sure how many columns to use when displaying information, then why not let Windows PowerShell figure that out for you? Just use the –autosize parameter and Windows PowerShell will calculate the maximum number of columns that can be used without truncating the data:
Get-Process | Format-Wide –autosize
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