powershell-syntax

PowerShell Syntax Rules

Command Separators

• NEVER use && in PowerShell - it's not a valid command separator
• Use ; for sequential commands: cd frontend; npm run dev
• Use separate commands or PowerShell-specific operators

Correct PowerShell Syntax Patterns

Sequential Commands

# CORRECT
cd frontend; npm run dev

# CORRECT - Separate commands
cd frontend
npm run dev

# INCORRECT - Will cause parser error
cd frontend && npm run dev

Conditional Execution

# CORRECT - PowerShell conditional operators
if (Test-Path "frontend") { cd frontend; npm run dev }

# CORRECT - Error handling
try { cd frontend; npm run dev } catch { Write-Error "Failed to start frontend" }

Background Processes

# CORRECT - PowerShell background execution
Start-Process powershell -ArgumentList "-Command", "cd frontend; npm run dev" -WindowStyle Hidden

Common Commands That Need PowerShell Syntax

File Operations

# CORRECT
Get-ChildItem -Recurse -Name "*.py"
Test-Path "package.json"

# INCORRECT (bash syntax)
ls -la

Network Testing

# CORRECT - Use Invoke-WebRequest instead of curl
Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "http://localhost:8080" -Method GET

# INCORRECT
curl http://localhost:8080

Process Management

# CORRECT
Get-Process | Where-Object {$_.ProcessName -like "*node*"}
netstat -ano | findstr ":8080"

# CORRECT - Kill process by ID
Stop-Process -Id 1234 -Force

Environment-Specific Considerations

Windows Paths

• Use backslashes or forward slashes (both work in PowerShell)
• Be careful with spaces in paths - use quotes when needed

Environment Variables

# CORRECT
$env:NODE_ENV = "development"

# CORRECT - Access environment variables
echo $env:PATH

Error Prevention Checklist

Before running any command in PowerShell:

1. ✅ Check if command uses && - replace with ; or separate commands
2. ✅ Verify file paths use correct syntax
3. ✅ Use PowerShell cmdlets instead of Unix commands when available
4. ✅ Test commands in small increments
5. ✅ Use proper error handling with try/catch blocks