The Expand-Archive command in Windows PowerShell is a powerful tool for extracting and decompressing files from an archive. It is a useful command for quickly extracting files from a compressed folder, such as a ZIP file, without having to manually open the archive and extract the files. This article will provide an overview of the Expand-Archive command, including its syntax, parameters, inputs, outputs, examples, and tips.
Overview of Expand-Archive
The Expand-Archive command is a Windows PowerShell cmdlet that can be used to extract and decompress files from an archive. It is a useful command for quickly extracting files from a compressed folder, such as a ZIP file, without having to manually open the archive and extract the files. The Expand-Archive command is available in Windows PowerShell versions 5.1 and later.
Syntax of Expand-Archive
The syntax of the Expand-Archive command is as follows:
Expand-Archive [-Path] Path [-DestinationPath] DestinationPath [-Force] [-Confirm] [-WhatIf] [-UseFullPaths] [-CompressionLevel CompressionLevel] [-Encoding Encoding] [-Include Include] [-Exclude Exclude] [-Recurse] [-PassThru] [-Credential Credential] [-InformationAction InformationAction] [-InformationVariable InformationVariable] [-OutVariable OutVariable] [-ErrorAction ErrorAction] [-ErrorVariable ErrorVariable] [-WarningAction WarningAction] [-WarningVariable WarningVariable] [-OutBuffer OutBuffer]
Parameters of Expand-Archive
The Expand-Archive command has the following parameters:
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| -Path | Specifies the path to the archive file to be extracted. |
| -DestinationPath | Specifies the path to the destination folder where the files will be extracted. |
| -Force | Specifies that the command should overwrite existing files in the destination folder. |
| -CompressionLevel | Specifies the compression level for the archive. |
| -Encoding | Specifies the encoding for the archive. |
| -Include | Specifies the files to include in the archive. |
| -Exclude | Specifies the files to exclude from the archive. |
| -Recurse | Specifies that the command should recursively extract files from the archive. |
| -PassThru | Specifies that the command should return the extracted files as output. |
| -Credential | Specifies the credentials to use when extracting the files from the archive. |
| -InformationAction | Specifies the action to take when an informational message is generated. |
| -InformationVariable | Specifies the variable to store the informational message. |
| -OutVariable | Specifies the variable to store the output of the command. |
| -ErrorAction | Specifies the action to take when an error message is generated. |
| -ErrorVariable | Specifies the variable to store the error message. |
| -WarningAction | Specifies the action to take when a warning message is generated. |
| -WarningVariable | Specifies the variable to store the warning message. |
| -OutBuffer | Specifies the size of the output buffer. |
Inputs of Expand-Archive
The Expand-Archive command requires two inputs: the path to the archive file to be extracted and the path to the destination folder where the files will be extracted.
Outputs of Expand-Archive
The Expand-Archive command does not produce any output. However, if the -PassThru parameter is specified, the command will return the extracted files as output.
Examples of Expand-Archive
The following example extracts the contents of an archive file to the specified destination folder:
Expand-Archive -Path C:\archive.zip -DestinationPath C:\destination
The following example extracts the contents of an archive file to the specified destination folder, overwriting any existing files:
Expand-Archive -Path C:\archive.zip -DestinationPath C:\destination -Force
Tips for Using Expand-Archive
When using the Expand-Archive command, there are a few tips to keep in mind:
- Specify the -Force parameter if you want to overwrite existing files in the destination folder.
- Specify the -CompressionLevel parameter to specify the compression level for the archive.
- Specify the -Encoding parameter to specify the encoding for the archive.
- Specify the -Include and -Exclude parameters to specify which files to include or exclude from the archive.
- Specify the -Recurse parameter if you want to recursively extract files from the archive.
- Specify the -PassThru parameter if you want to return the extracted files as output.
- Specify the -Credential parameter if you want to use a specific set of credentials when extracting the files from the archive.
Conclusion
The Expand-Archive command in Windows PowerShell is a powerful tool for extracting and decompressing files from an archive. It is a useful command for quickly extracting files from a compressed folder, such as a ZIP file, without having to manually open the archive and extract the files. This article has provided an overview of the Expand-Archive command, including its syntax, parameters, inputs, outputs, examples, and tips.