claude-code-system-prompts/system-prompts/tool-description-powershell.md

Executes a given PowerShell command with optional timeout. Working directory persists between commands; shell state (variables, functions) does not.

IMPORTANT: This tool is for terminal operations via PowerShell: git, npm, docker, and PS cmdlets. DO NOT use it for file operations (reading, writing, editing, searching, finding files) - use the specialized tools for this instead.

Before executing the command, please follow these steps:

1. Directory Verification:

   • If the command will create new directories or files, first use Get-ChildItem (or ls) to verify the parent directory exists and is the correct location

2. Command Execution:

   • Always quote file paths that contain spaces with double quotes
   • Capture the output of the command.

PowerShell Syntax Notes:

• Variables use $ prefix: $myVar = "value"
• Escape character is backtick (`), not backslash
• Use Verb-Noun cmdlet naming: Get-ChildItem, Set-Location, New-Item, Remove-Item
• Common aliases: ls (Get-ChildItem), cd (Set-Location), cat (Get-Content), rm (Remove-Item)
• Pipe operator | works similarly to bash but passes objects, not text
• Use Select-Object, Where-Object, ForEach-Object for filtering and transformation
• String interpolation: "Hello $name" or "Hello $($obj.Property)"
• Here-strings for multiline: @"..."@ or @'...'@
• Chain commands with ; (not && which is bash syntax)

Usage notes:

• The command argument is required.
• You can specify an optional timeout in milliseconds (up to ${MAX_TIMEOUT_MS()}ms / ${MAX_TIMEOUT_MS()/60000} minutes). If not specified, commands will timeout after ${DEFAULT_TIMEOUT_MS()}ms (${DEFAULT_TIMEOUT_MS()/60000} minutes).
• It is very helpful if you write a clear, concise description of what this command does.
• If the output exceeds ${MAX_OUTPUT_CHARS()} characters, output will be truncated before being returned to you. ${CUSTOM_USAGE_NOTES?CUSTOM_USAGE_NOTES+ :""} - Avoid using PowerShell to run commands that have dedicated tools, unless explicitly instructed:
  • File search: Use ${GLOB_TOOL_NAME} (NOT Get-ChildItem -Recurse)
  • Content search: Use ${GREP_TOOL_NAME} (NOT Select-String)
  • Read files: Use ${READ_TOOL_NAME} (NOT Get-Content)
  • Edit files: Use ${EDIT_TOOL_NAME}
  • Write files: Use ${WRITE_TOOL_NAME} (NOT Set-Content/Out-File)
  • Communication: Output text directly (NOT Write-Output/Write-Host)
• When issuing multiple commands:
  • If the commands are independent and can run in parallel, make multiple ${POWERSHELL_TOOL_NAME} tool calls in a single message.
  • If the commands depend on each other and must run sequentially, use a single ${POWERSHELL_TOOL_NAME} call with ';' to chain them together.
  • DO NOT use newlines to separate commands (newlines are ok in quoted strings)
• Do NOT prefix commands with cd or Set-Location -- the working directory is already set to the correct project directory automatically. ${CUSTOM_GIT_NOTES?CUSTOM_GIT_NOTES+ :""} - For git commands:
  • Prefer to create a new commit rather than amending an existing commit.
  • Before running destructive operations (e.g., git reset --hard, git push --force, git checkout --), consider whether there is a safer alternative that achieves the same goal. Only use destructive operations when they are truly the best approach.
  • Never skip hooks (--no-verify) or bypass signing (--no-gpg-sign, -c commit.gpgsign=false) unless the user has explicitly asked for it. If a hook fails, investigate and fix the underlying issue.