Equivalent of *Nix 'which' command in PowerShell?

Question

How do I ask PowerShell where something is?

For instance, "which notepad" and it returns the directory where the notepad.exe is run from according to the current paths.

score 451 · Accepted Answer · edited Dec 09 '18 at 07:49

451

The very first alias I made once I started customizing my profile in PowerShell was 'which'.

New-Alias which get-command

To add this to your profile, type this:

"`nNew-Alias which get-command" | add-content $profile

The `n at the start of the last line is to ensure it will start as a new line.

edited Dec 09 '18 at 07:49

Peter Mortensen

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answered Sep 15 '08 at 17:56

halr9000

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You can put it in your profile script. More on profiles - http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb613488(VS.85).aspx – Steven Murawski Sep 15 '08 at 18:45
65

i like running: `Get-Command | Format-Table Path, Name` so i can get the path where the command sits too. – jrsconfitto Nov 27 '12 at 15:17
4

Is there any way to have the path all the time without to type '| Format-Table Path, Name' ? – Guillaume Jan 11 '13 at 08:18
In previous versions, Get-Command didn't provide sorted output. It does now. This is clearly the right answer today ;-) – Jaykul May 23 '14 at 15:09
If you are planning to use this in a script then there are some additional parameters that you should pass to get the same behavior as direct invcation in prompt. Here is an example if(!(get-command node -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue)){'node not found' | Write-Error } – Sayed Ibrahim Hashimi Oct 24 '14 at 20:45
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If you want the Unix-style behavior of giving you the path you'll need to pipe the output of get-command to `select -expandproperty Path`. – Casey Jul 29 '15 at 12:37
1

@Eld's solution is more true in spirit – Jason Newton Oct 14 '15 at 17:49
1

As [Jason](https://stackoverflow.com/users/1318689/jason-newton) suggests, the `which()` function defined by [Eld](https://stackoverflow.com/users/246826/eld)'s [solution](https://stackoverflow.com/a/16949127/2809027) is substantially superior to _anything_ on offer here. If it's not the equivalent of Unix `which`, it's not the right answer. – Cecil Curry Jun 11 '16 at 06:05
6

Use `(gcm ).definition` to get the path(s) only. `gcm` is the default alias for `Get-Command`. You can also use wildcards, eg: `(gcm win*.exe).definition`. – Sachin Joseph Feb 28 '17 at 18:48
1

I'm learning ps at the moment and it seems to me that apart from maybe being a decent scripting language, it's pretty stupid for use on the command-line. – robert Mar 09 '18 at 10:43
Just in case anyone else is wondering, if you peek in the Automation DLL, Source returns Definition and Definition returns Path, so these three properties will always be equivalent (barring some future change on MS's part of course); – Chad Schouggins Apr 11 '18 at 15:52

score 188 · Answer 2 · answered Jun 05 '13 at 20:22

188

Here is an actual *nix equivalent, i.e. it gives *nix-style output.

Get-Command <your command> | Select-Object -ExpandProperty Definition

Just replace with whatever you're looking for.

PS C:\> Get-Command notepad.exe | Select-Object -ExpandProperty Definition
C:\Windows\system32\notepad.exe

When you add it to your profile, you will want to use a function rather than an alias because you can't use aliases with pipes:

function which($name)
{
    Get-Command $name | Select-Object -ExpandProperty Definition
}

Now, when you reload your profile you can do this:

PS C:\> which notepad
C:\Windows\system32\notepad.exe

answered Jun 05 '13 at 20:22

petrsnd

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I use this alternate syntax: "(Get-Command notepad).definition" – Yann Dec 19 '13 at 16:20
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@B00merang Your syntax is great--definitely more concise--but unfortunately, even with the pipe removed, it can't be added as an alias unless you include the name of the program you are looking for. – petrsnd Feb 25 '14 at 23:29
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This is an old post, but in case anyone is sent here by Google (like I was), this answer works with more types of Powershell commands than the accepted answer. For example, I have an alias named `okta` that points to a Powershell script named `okta.ps1` that is not on my `$PATH`. Using the accepted answer returns the script name (`okta -> okta.ps1`). This is OK but it doesn't tell me the location of `okta.ps1`. Using this answer, however, gives me the whole path (`C:\Users\blah\etc\scripts\okta.ps1`). So +1 from me. – chris May 30 '19 at 18:40

score 101 · Answer 3 · answered Sep 15 '08 at 15:22

101

I usually just type:

gcm notepad

or

gcm note*

gcm is the default alias for Get-Command.

On my system, gcm note* outputs:

[27] » gcm note*

CommandType     Name                                                     Definition
-----------     ----                                                     ----------
Application     notepad.exe                                              C:\WINDOWS\notepad.exe
Application     notepad.exe                                              C:\WINDOWS\system32\notepad.exe
Application     Notepad2.exe                                             C:\Utils\Notepad2.exe
Application     Notepad2.ini                                             C:\Utils\Notepad2.ini

You get the directory and the command that matches what you're looking for.

answered Sep 15 '08 at 15:22

David Mohundro

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its a bit messy, but way cleaner than custom functions and arbitrary splits – DevelopingChris Sep 15 '08 at 15:29
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When I type "gcm notepad" in my powershell command prompt, I just get the first two columns, and a third column called 'ModuleName' which is empty. Do you know how to force it to list the 'Definition' column by default? – Piyush Soni Nov 28 '16 at 07:38
4

@PiyushSoni that's probably because of an updated version of PowerShell. You can always display the other columns by doing something like `gcm note* | select CommandType, Name, Definition`. If you run it often, you should probably wrap it in a function, though. – David Mohundro Nov 28 '16 at 18:04

score 42 · Answer 4 · edited Apr 01 '14 at 04:39

42

Try this example:

(Get-Command notepad.exe).Path

edited Apr 01 '14 at 04:39

Shell

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answered Apr 01 '14 at 04:17

thesqldev

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Please add more code or explanation so that the OP can understand you better. Thank you. – sshashank124 Apr 01 '14 at 05:33
3

Thank you for adding less code so I can actually remember this for once :P – albertjan Jun 03 '15 at 07:30
1

This is what I wanted! It works with gcm as well: `(gcm py.exe).path` – Bill Agee Jul 12 '16 at 18:41

score 8 · Answer 5 · edited Dec 09 '18 at 08:10

8

My proposition for the Which function:

function which($cmd) { get-command $cmd | % { $_.Path } }

PS C:\> which devcon

C:\local\code\bin\devcon.exe

edited Dec 09 '18 at 08:10

Peter Mortensen

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answered Nov 17 '15 at 10:14

VortiFred

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This is a better answer than the accepted one. It allows you to add the postprocessing suffixes suggested above to provide better output; an alias doesn't. – BobHy Dec 12 '19 at 18:19

Chris F Carroll · Answer 6 · 2020-06-01T09:58:00.630

6

A quick-and-dirty match to Unix which is

New-Alias which where.exe

But it returns multiple lines if they exist so then it becomes

function which {where.exe command | select -first 1}

edited Jun 01 '20 at 09:58

answered Apr 08 '17 at 19:06

Chris F Carroll

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`where.exe where` should tell you `C:\Windows\System32\where.exe` – Chris F Carroll Apr 08 '17 at 19:07
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`where.exe` is equivalent to `which -a`, as it will give back *all* matching executables, not just the first one to be executed. That is, `where.exe notepad` gives `c:\windows\notepad.exe` and `c:\windows\system32\notepad.exe`. So this is particularly *not* suitable for the form `$(which command)`. (Another problem is that it will print a nice, helpful error message if the command is not found, which will also not expand nicely in `$()` -- that can be remedied with `/Q`, but not as an alias.) – Jeroen Mostert Mar 05 '18 at 16:53
point taken. I edited answer but yes it's no longer so neat a solution – Chris F Carroll Mar 07 '18 at 14:50
1

Please note that `where` seems to search the system PATH variable and not the current shell PATH variable. See [this question](https://superuser.com/questions/1544311/does-the-where-utility-of-windows-search-only-the-system-path-not-the-current-t) – Leonardo Apr 21 '20 at 22:12
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`function which {where.exe $args[0] | select -first 1}` would make it reusable. Also, posh seems way more reliable in dealing with paths, quotes, and whitespaces, so `function which {$(gcm $args[0]).source | select -first 1}` might be a better choice. – Nuno André Feb 23 '21 at 11:56

score 4 · Answer 7 · edited Dec 09 '18 at 08:34

4

I like Get-Command | Format-List, or shorter, using aliases for the two and only for powershell.exe:

gcm powershell | fl

You can find aliases like this:

alias -definition Format-List

Tab completion works with gcm.

edited Dec 09 '18 at 08:34

Peter Mortensen

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answered Apr 11 '17 at 19:29

js2010

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score 3 · Answer 8 · edited Dec 09 '18 at 07:53

This seems to do what you want (I found it on http://huddledmasses.org/powershell-find-path/):

Function Find-Path($Path, [switch]$All = $false, [Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.TestPathType]$type = "Any")
## You could comment out the function stuff and use it as a script instead, with this line:
#param($Path, [switch]$All = $false, [Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.TestPathType]$type = "Any")
   if($(Test-Path $Path -Type $type)) {
      return $path
   } else {
      [string[]]$paths = @($pwd);
      $paths += "$pwd;$env:path".split(";")

      $paths = Join-Path $paths $(Split-Path $Path -leaf) | ? { Test-Path $_ -Type $type }
      if($paths.Length -gt 0) {
         if($All) {
            return $paths;
         } else {
            return $paths[0]
         }
      }
   }
   throw "Couldn't find a matching path of type $type"
}
Set-Alias find Find-Path

But it's not really "which" since it works with any file(type) and doesn't find cmdlets, functions or aliases — Jaykul, May 23 '14 at 15:09

score 3 · Answer 9 · edited Dec 09 '18 at 07:55

3

Check this PowerShell Which.

The code provided there suggests this:

($Env:Path).Split(";") | Get-ChildItem -filter notepad.exe

edited Dec 09 '18 at 07:55

Peter Mortensen

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answered Sep 15 '08 at 15:16

tzot

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I know it's years on, but my path had "%systemroot%\system32\..." and PowerShell doesn't expand that environment variable and throws errors doing this. – TessellatingHeckler Mar 27 '14 at 05:53

score 2 · Answer 10 · edited Dec 09 '18 at 08:08

2

Try the where command on Windows 2003 or later (or Windows 2000/XP if you've installed a Resource Kit).

BTW, this received more answers in other questions:

Is there an equivalent of 'which' on Windows?

PowerShell equivalent to Unix which command?

edited Dec 09 '18 at 08:08

Peter Mortensen

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answered Dec 13 '11 at 05:14

Anonymous

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`where` aliases to the `Where-Object` commandlet in Powershell, so typing `where ` in a Powershell prompt yields nothing. This answer is thus completely incorrect - as noted in the accepted answer in the first linked question, to get the DOS `where`, you need to type `where.exe `. – Ian Kemp Jul 01 '15 at 15:09

score 0 · Answer 11 · edited Dec 09 '18 at 08:09

Use:

function Which([string] $cmd) {
  $path = (($Env:Path).Split(";") | Select -uniq | Where { $_.Length } | Where { Test-Path $_ } | Get-ChildItem -filter $cmd).FullName
  if ($path) { $path.ToString() }
}

# Check if Chocolatey is installed
if (Which('cinst.bat')) {
  Write-Host "yes"
} else {
  Write-Host "no"
}

Or this version, calling the original where command.

This version also works better, because it is not limited to bat files:

function which([string] $cmd) {
  $where = iex $(Join-Path $env:SystemRoot "System32\where.exe $cmd 2>&1")
  $first = $($where -split '[\r\n]')
  if ($first.getType().BaseType.Name -eq 'Array') {
    $first = $first[0]
  }
  if (Test-Path $first) {
    $first
  }
}

# Check if Curl is installed
if (which('curl')) {
  echo 'yes'
} else {
  echo 'no'
}

Jeff Zeitlin · Answer 12 · 2021-01-30T14:25:09.580

I have this which advanced function in my PowerShell profile:

    function which {
    <#
    .SYNOPSIS
    Identifies the source of a PowerShell command.
    .DESCRIPTION
    Identifies the source of a PowerShell command. External commands (Applications) are identified by the path to the executable
    (which must be in the system PATH); cmdlets and functions are identified as such and the name of the module they are defined in
    provided; aliases are expanded and the source of the alias definition is returned.
    .INPUTS
    No inputs; you cannot pipe data to this function.
    .OUTPUTS
    .PARAMETER Name
    The name of the command to be identified.
    .EXAMPLE
    PS C:\Users\Smith\Documents> which Get-Command
    
    Get-Command: Cmdlet in module Microsoft.PowerShell.Core
    
    (Identifies type and source of command)
    .EXAMPLE
    PS C:\Users\Smith\Documents> which notepad
    
    C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\notepad.exe
    
    (Indicates the full path of the executable)
    #>
        param(
        [String]$name
        )
    
        $cmd = Get-Command $name
        $redirect = $null
        switch ($cmd.CommandType) {
            "Alias"          { "{0}: Alias for ({1})" -f $cmd.Name, (. { which $cmd.Definition } ) }
            "Application"    { $cmd.Source }
            "Cmdlet"         { "{0}: {1} {2}" -f $cmd.Name, $cmd.CommandType, (. { if ($cmd.Source.Length) { "in module {0}" -f $cmd.Source} else { "from unspecified source" } } ) }
            "Function"       { "{0}: {1} {2}" -f $cmd.Name, $cmd.CommandType, (. { if ($cmd.Source.Length) { "in module {0}" -f $cmd.Source} else { "from unspecified source" } } ) }
            "Workflow"       { "{0}: {1} {2}" -f $cmd.Name, $cmd.CommandType, (. { if ($cmd.Source.Length) { "in module {0}" -f $cmd.Source} else { "from unspecified source" } } ) }
            "ExternalScript" { $cmd.Source }
            default          { $cmd }
        }
    }

Amin · Answer 13 · 2020-06-01T07:36:04.243

If you want a comamnd that both accepts input from pipeline or as paramater, you should try this:

function which($name) {
    if ($name) { $input = $name }
    Get-Command $input | Select-Object -ExpandProperty Path
}

copy-paste the command to your profile (notepad $profile).

Examples:

❯ echo clang.exe | which
C:\Program Files\LLVM\bin\clang.exe

❯ which clang.exe
C:\Program Files\LLVM\bin\clang.exe

score 0 · Answer 14 · answered Jul 20 '20 at 12:50

0

You can install the which command from https://goprogram.co.uk/software/commands, along with all of the other UNIX commands.

answered Jul 20 '20 at 12:50

George Ogden

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Equivalent of *Nix 'which' command in PowerShell?

14 Answers14

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