🧠 Why Get-Member Matters

PowerShell sits on top of .NET, which means every object you work with has properties, methods, events, and fields. Get-Member is your diagnostic tool to inspect these objects and discover their capabilities without needing to read documentation.

Understanding the difference between static and instance members is crucial for effective PowerShell scripting – it’s the difference between knowing what you can do with an object versus what you can do with the type itself.

🧰 Get-Member Overview

Get-Member is used to inspect objects and see their:

  • Properties - Data stored in the object
  • Methods - Actions you can perform on the object
  • Events - Notifications the object can send
  • Fields - Direct access to object data

đź“Ś Key Distinction: Static vs Instance Members

The most important concept to understand is the difference between static and instance members:

Usage Shows Example Use
[type] | Get-Member Instance members only 'A'.GetType()
[type] | Get-Member -Static Static members on the type [char]::IsDigit('5')

Instance Members Example

# See what you can do with a string object
"Hello World" | Get-Member

# Output shows instance methods like:
# - ToUpper()
# - ToLower() 
# - Substring()
# - Replace()

Static Members Example

# See what you can do with the String type itself
[string] | Get-Member -Static

# Output shows static methods like:
# - IsNullOrEmpty()
# - Join()
# - Format()
# - Compare()

🔍 Practical Examples

Working with Character Types

# Instance members - what you can do with a char object
[char]'A' | Get-Member

# Static members - utility methods on the char type
[char] | Get-Member -Static

# Use static methods for validation
[char]::IsDigit('5')     # True
[char]::IsLetter('A')    # True
[char]::IsWhiteSpace(' ') # True

Math Operations

# Static members are essential for Math operations
[Math] | Get-Member -Static

# Use static methods for calculations
[Math]::Max(10, 20)      # 20
[Math]::Sqrt(16)         # 4
[Math]::Round(3.14159, 2) # 3.14

Type Conversions

# Convert class has many static conversion methods
[Convert] | Get-Member -Static

# Convert between types
[Convert]::ToInt32("42")           # 42
[Convert]::ToBase64String([byte[]]@(1,2,3)) # AQID
[Convert]::FromBase64String("AQID")         # 1,2,3

🎯 Why This Distinction Matters

1. Understanding the .NET Object Model

PowerShell leverages .NET’s rich type system. Knowing how to access both type-level and object-level functionality gives you access to the full .NET framework.

2. Avoiding Confusion

Without -Static, you might wrongly assume methods like IsDigit() or Parse() don’t exist on a type, when they’re actually available as static methods.

3. Effective Scripting

Static methods are essential for:

  • Type conversions: [int]::Parse("42")
  • Utility functions: [Math]::Abs(-5)
  • Class-level operations: [DateTime]::Now
  • Validation: [char]::IsDigit('5')

4. Exploring Types Efficiently

Get-Member helps you discover capabilities without needing external documentation.

đź’ˇ Pro Tips

Explore Both at Once

# Create a helper function to see both static and instance members
function Get-AllMembers {
    param([type]$Type)
    
    Write-Host "=== Instance Members ===" -ForegroundColor Green
    $Type | Get-Member
    
    Write-Host "`n=== Static Members ===" -ForegroundColor Yellow
    $Type | Get-Member -Static
}

# Usage
Get-AllMembers [string]

Filter by Member Type

# Only show methods
[string] | Get-Member -MemberType Method

# Only show properties  
[string] | Get-Member -MemberType Property

# Only show static methods
[Math] | Get-Member -Static -MemberType Method

Search for Specific Members

# Find members with specific names
[string] | Get-Member *Format*
[DateTime] | Get-Member -Static *Parse*

🎪 Common Use Cases

File Operations

# File class static methods
[System.IO.File] | Get-Member -Static

# Read file content
[System.IO.File]::ReadAllText("C:\temp\file.txt")

# Check if file exists
[System.IO.File]::Exists("C:\temp\file.txt")

DateTime Manipulation

# DateTime static methods
[DateTime] | Get-Member -Static

# Parse dates
[DateTime]::Parse("2025-11-02")
[DateTime]::ParseExact("02/11/2025", "dd/MM/yyyy", $null)

# Current time
[DateTime]::Now
[DateTime]::UtcNow

Path Operations

# Path class for file system operations
[System.IO.Path] | Get-Member -Static

# Combine paths
[System.IO.Path]::Combine("C:\", "temp", "file.txt")

# Get file extension
[System.IO.Path]::GetExtension("file.txt")

🚀 Conclusion

Mastering Get-Member with the -Static parameter opens up the full power of .NET in PowerShell. Remember:

  • Use Get-Member to explore instance capabilities
  • Use Get-Member -Static to explore type-level capabilities
  • Static methods often provide utility functions and class-level operations
  • Both are essential for effective PowerShell scripting

*Generate by GitHub Copilot; Model: Claude Sonnet 4