---
title: "Get Help SQL Server PowerShell | Microsoft Docs"
ms.custom: ""
ms.date: "03/14/2017"
ms.prod: "sql-server-2016"
ms.reviewer: ""
ms.suite: ""
ms.technology: 
  - "database-engine"
ms.tgt_pltfrm: ""
ms.topic: "article"
helpviewer_keywords: 
  - "Help [PowerShell]"
  - "Help [SQL Server], PowerShell"
  - "PowerShell [SQL Server], help"
ms.assetid: 968c316d-db83-4c24-8ea6-9f18736842f7
caps.latest.revision: 18
author: "JennieHubbard"
ms.author: "jhubbard"
manager: "jhubbard"
---
# Get Help SQL Server PowerShell
  There are several sources of information about using the [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)] provider for Windows PowerShell and cmdlets. This includes the help that is available in the Windows PowerShell environment.  
  
## Before You Begin  
 To learn about Windows PowerShell, see [Windows PowerShell Getting Started Guide](http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=217083).  
  
 For an overview of the [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)] cmdlets and provider, see [SQL Server PowerShell](../../relational-databases/scripting/sql-server-powershell.md).  
  
### Help in the Windows PowerShell Environment  
 Use the **Get-Help** cmdlet to get help in the Windows PowerShell environment. **Get-Help** provides basic help for the Windows PowerShell language and the various cmdlets and providers available in Windows PowerShell.  
  
 For more information on the ways you can use **Get-Help**, see [Get-Help: Getting Help](http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=102136).  
  
### SQL Server PowerShell Provider Help  
 The [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)] PowerShell provider implements several folders on a SQLSERVER virtual drive, such as the SQLSERVER:\SQL and SQLSERVER:\DAC folders. Each folder is associated with one of the SQL Server manageability object models. While you can list the methods and properties associated with each node in a SQL Server path, you cannot get help for them in the PowerShell environment. For a table of the folders with links to the associated programming reference, see [SQL Server PowerShell Provider](../../relational-databases/scripting/sql-server-powershell-provider.md).  
  
### Invoke-Sqlcmd Help  
 The **Invoke-Sqlcmd** cmdlet takes as input any query or script file that can be run by the **sqlcmd** utility. You can use **Get-Help** to get information about **Invoke-Sqlcmd** and its parameters, but there is no **Get-Help** coverage for the **sqlcmd** queries.  
  
 The *-Query* or *-QueryFromFile* input can contain:  
  
-   **sqlcmd** variables and commands. For information about these variables and commands, see the Remarks section of [sqlcmd Utility](../../tools/sqlcmd-utility.md).  
  
-   [!INCLUDE[tsql](../../includes/tsql-md.md)] statements. For more information about the [!INCLUDE[tsql](../../includes/tsql-md.md)] language, see [Transact-SQL Reference (Database Engine)](../../t-sql/transact-sql-reference-database-engine.md).  
  
-   XQuery statements. For more information about the XQuery language supported by [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)], see [XQuery Language Reference (SQL Server)](../../xquery/xquery-language-reference-sql-server.md).  
  
## Get Help for a SQL Server cmdlet  
 **To get help for a cmdlet**  
  
-   Run Get-Help specifying the name of the cmdlet and the level of help to be returned.  
  
### Example: cmdlet Get-Help  
 The following examples return various levels of help for **Invoke-Sqlcmd**:  
  
```  
## Get the basic help.  
Get-Help Invoke-Sqlcmd  
  
## Get the full help.  
Get-Help Invoke-Sqlcmd –Full  
  
## Get the parameter descriptions.  
Get-Help Invoke-Sqlcmd -Parameter *  
  
## Get the code examples.  
Get-Help Invoke-Sqlcmd –Examples  
  
## Get the syntax diagram.  
Get-Help Invoke-Sqlcmd –Syntax  
```  
  
## Get a List of Providers  
 **To get a list of active providers**  
  
1.  Run Get-Help specifying the provider category.  
  
 For more information about getting provider help in Windows PowerShell, see [Drives and Providers](http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=102137).  
  
### Example: Get a List of Providers  
 This code returns a list of the providers currently enabled in your Windows PowerShell session:  
  
```  
Get-Help -Category provider  
```  
  
## Get Help About the SQL Server Provider  
 **To get help about the provider**  
  
1.  Run Get-Help specifying the name SQLServer  
  
### Example: Get SQL Server Provider Help  
 This example returns basic information about the [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)] provider:  
  
```  
Get-Help SQLServer  
```  
  
## List Methods and Properties  
 **To list the methods and properties for a node in a SQL Server provider path**  
  
1.  Either CD to a node in the SQL Server path, or create a variable set to that location.  
  
2.  Run the **Get-Member** cmdlet with the –Type parameter set to either Methods or Properties  
  
### Examples: Listing Methods and Properties  
 This example lists the methods supported for the Databases node:  
  
```  
Set-Location SQL:\MyComputer\DEFAULT\Databases  
Get-Item . | Get-Member -Type Methods  
```  
  
 This example lists the properties for a variable that has been set to an SMO Table object:  
  
```  
$MyVar = New-Object Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.SMO.Table  
$MyVar | Get-Member -Type Properties  
```  
  
## See Also  
 [SQL Server PowerShell Provider](../../relational-databases/scripting/sql-server-powershell-provider.md)   
 [Use the Database Engine cmdlets](../../relational-databases/scripting/use-the-database-engine-cmdlets.md)