PowerShell Clear Command

The Clear command in PowerShell is used to clear the contents or the output displayed in the terminal. It is mainly used to declutter the terminal and provide a fresh and clean environment for executing further commands.

Syntax

The syntax of the Clear command is as follows:

Clear

Usage

The Clear command has the following uses:

1. Clear the screen: Running the Clear command without any arguments will clear the screen and remove all the previously executed commands and their output from the terminal.

2. Clear specific screen buffers: The Clear command also allows clearing specific screen buffers. Some of the parameters that can be used are:

   • -ConsoleScreenBuffer: Clears the console screen buffer.
   • -History: Clears the command history buffer.
   • -Host: Clears the PowerShell host buffer.

   For example, to clear the console screen buffer, the command would be:

   Clear-Host -ConsoleScreenBuffer
   

3. Clear specific variables: The Clear command can be used to clear specific variables from the session. For example, to clear the value of a variable named myVariable, the command would be:

   Clear-Variable -Name myVariable
   

   Additionally, multiple variables can be cleared using a comma-separated list like -Name var1, var2, var3.

4. Clear specific aliases: The Clear command can be used to clear specific aliases set in PowerShell. For example, to clear the alias ld (which may be set for the ls -Directory command), the command would be:

   Clear-Alias -Name ld
   

   To clear multiple aliases, provide a comma-separated list like -Name alias1, alias2, alias3.

Examples

Example 1: Clear the screen

Clear

This command will clear the screen, removing all the previously executed commands and their output.

Example 2: Clear the specific screen buffer

Clear-Host -ConsoleScreenBuffer

This command will clear the console screen buffer, removing the previous command outputs but retaining the command history.

Example 3: Clear a variable

Clear-Variable -Name myVariable

This command will clear the value of a variable named myVariable.

Example 4: Clear an alias

Clear-Alias -Name ld

This command will clear the alias ld set in PowerShell.

Summary

The Clear command in PowerShell is a useful tool for decluttering the terminal and providing a clean environment for executing further commands. It can clear the screen, specific screen buffers, variables, and aliases.