SAPIEN Technologies has released a new version of their free PowerShell tool. This tool gets all the help information from your PowerShell installation and presents it in a nice GUI. Not only will you get alias and cmdlet help for the core PowerShell stuff, but also any installed snapins such as Power Gadgets, PrimalToys and PowerShell Community Extensions. As long as there is a registered PowerShell help file associated with a snapin, it should be detected and loaded into PowerShell Help.
When I’m trying to remember the syntax for Get_Available and Out-Gauge I can bring up the help tool and for assistance. from my console. Now I can work within the console without having to constantly run help. Of course, if I’m using PrimalScript, PowerShell is also fully integrated and all I have to do is select a cmdlet or alias and press F1.
The latest version of PowerShell help will run under Vista and Windows Server 2003 and sports a new spiffy Office 2007 interface. If you are running the older version on Windows XP, I encourage you to download the new build.
You can download the tool for free (but you do have to register) at http://www.PrimalScript.com/freetools/
Once you have it installed you also might want to add an alias shortcut to your profile like I did (assuming you installed in the default location):
Set-Alias pshelp $env:Programfiles”\SAPIEN Technologies, Inc\PowerShellHelp\PowerShellHelp.exe”
Now I can type pshelp in PowerShell which will launch the tool and keep working. Oh, and did I mention, it’s free.
The Office 2007 ribbon style is definitely ultra cool!
Help – I install PowerShell help and it won’t run. I get the following Error message:
"PowerShell host cannot be instantiated, check system requirements and run installer"
But I’ve got Powershell installed and it works. I’ve even got the PowershellIDE installed and it works as well.
So what am I’m missing? What do I need to do?
Please post this in the support forums at http://www.sapien.com/forum/forum_topics.asp?FID=10