PowerShell is a robust source shell and scripting language that houses tons of cmdlets. But as a beginner, you may first want to look into the PowerShell New-Item cmdlet. This cmdlet is one of the essential cmdlets as it allows you to create new items.
In this tutorial, you will learn how to use the New-Item cmdlet to create items, like files and directories, by running a single command.
Dive in and get started creating items in PowerShell!
Prerequisites
This tutorial comprises hands-on demonstrations. To follow along, you will need an operating system with PowerShell installed. This tutorial uses Windows 10 and PowerShell 7.
Creating Files with the PowerShell New-Item cmdlet
Perhaps you need to create new files while in PowerShell. If so, the New-Item cmdlet will do the trick. This cmdlet is handy since you do not have to switch between different windows to create items.
The basic syntax for a New-Item command is as follows where:
| Parameter | Function |
|---|---|
| -Path | Specifies the location to create the item. |
| -Name | Provides the name of the item. |
| -ItemType | Sets the type of item to create (i.e., a text file, PowerShell script, or even an image file.) |
| -Value | Inputs the item’s value, such as text, string, numbers, or even other cmdlets. |
New-Item -Path <path> -Name <String> -ItemType <String> -Value <Object>To see how the New-Item works in creating files:
1. Run the below command to create a new file named file.txt with the value "powershell new-item demo file current directory." in the working directory (-Path .)
New-Item -Path . -Name "file.txt" -ItemType "file" -Value "powershell new-item demo file current directory."
2. Next, open File Explorer, look for and open the text file (file.txt) you created in your preferred text editor to verify the file.
3. Now, run the below command to create multiple text files (log1.txt and *log2.txt*), where commas separate the paths (c:\\logfiles).
New-Item -ItemType "file" -Path "c:\logfiles\log1.txt", "c:\logfiles\log2.txt"
💡 Separating the file paths in commas is ideal only if you create at least two or three files. If you plan to create a vast number of files, building PowerShell arrays is your best option, but it is out of the scope of this tutorial.
Creating Directories and Sub-directories
Besides creating files, the PowerShell New-Item cmdlet lets you create directories and sub-directories with a single command. This feature helps when creating a directory structure for your files.
The syntax for creating a directory is similar to creating a file, but you must specify the -ItemType as "directory".
To prepare a directory structure for your files:
1. Run the following command to create a new directory called test in the C:\\ drive.
New-Item -Path C:\ -Name "test" -ItemType "directory"
2. Next, navigate to the C:\ drive in File Explorer, look for, and verify the newly-created directory (test) exists.
3. Once verified, run the below command to create a sub-directory under the C:\reports\images
New-Item -Path "C:\reports\images" -ItemType "directory"
4. Lastly, navigate to the C:\reports directory to verify the newly-created sub-directory (images) is present.
Creating Multiple Files with a Wildcard Character
Perhaps you are looking for a way to create log files for each week of the month in one go. In that case, a wildcard character works the magic, specifically the character. The wildcard character can be helpful when you wish to create multiple files or directories with similar names.
Run the below command to create log files with the same name (logs.txt) in all (*) existing sub-directories called week1, week2, week3, and week4. The [Select-Object] cmdlet is piped to the New-Item cmdlet to print the full path of each created log file.
New-Item -Path C:\\logfiles\\* -Name logs.txt -ItemType File | Select-Object FullName
Overwriting Files with the New-Item cmdlet
When you create a new item, such as a file or directory, with the PowerShell New-Item cmdlet, you will get an error message saying the item already exists, as shown below.
But perhaps, you wish to overwrite a log file each time a scheduled task executes. If so, appending the -Force parameter lets you forcefully overwrite files without getting a prompt or error message.
1. Run the following command to create a new file named log3.txt in the c:\\logfiles directory with the content Log File 3 content.
New-Item -ItemType "file" -Path "c:\logfiles\log3.txt" -Value 'Log File 3 content.'Next, run the Get-Content command below to get the content of the log3.txt file. Get-Content "c:\\logfiles\\log3.txt"
Get-Content "c:\logfiles\log3.txt"
3. Now, run the below command to forcefully (-Force) overwrite the existing log file (log3.txt) with new content (Log File 3 content. Hello world).
New-Item -ItemType "file" -Path "c:\logfiles\log3.txt" -Value 'Log File 3 content. Hello world' -Force
-Force parameter to overwrite an existing file💡 Take caution when using the
-Forceparameter, as it can overwrite existing files without warning.
4. Now, run the following command to verify the content of the overwritten log file.
Get-Content "c:\logfiles\log3.txt"
Recreating a Directory
Suppose an existing directory is corrupted. Like overwriting a file, you can recreate that corrupted directory using the -Force parameter to fix it. But note that, unlike files, you cannot overwrite directories.
When you use the -Force parameter to recreate a directory, the New-Item cmdlet simply returns the object of the existing directory. The files or subdirectories inside the recreated director remain intact.
1. Run the below command to create a sub-directory called force-demo in the c:\\logfiles directory. This sub-directory is just to demonstrate the impact of recreating its parent directory.
New-Item -Path "c:\logfiles\force-demo" -ItemType Directory
2. Next, run the Get-ChildItem command below to see the contents of the c:\\logfiles directory.
3. Next, run the below command to forcefully (-Force) recreate the c:\\logfiles directory.
New-Item -Path "c:\logfiles" -ItemType Directory -Force
4. Lastly, rerun the same Get-ChildItem command below to verify the contents of the recreated directory (c:\\logfiles).
Get-ChildItem "c:\logfiles"As you can see, the directory is successfully recreated with its file and sub-directory intact.
Conclusion
This tutorial aims to teach you how the PowerShell New-Item cmdlet helps your workflow create files, directories, and other objects with a single command.
With the New-Item cmdlet, you can quickly create objects using its helpful parameters, and wildcard character without switching between windows.
Now, why not try creating your PowerShell profile to write instructions to execute when you launch a PowerShell session? And, of course, these instructions can include a New-Item cmdlet!
