I'm trying to figure out the differences, if any, between these commands used in PowerShell on Windows 11 to open a text file:
1. .file_name.txt
2. start .file_name.txt
3. notepad .file_name.txt
From my experience, all these commands seem to open the txt file in Notepad. If Notepad is already running, it opens in a new tab, and if it's not, it launches a new window. However, I'm curious if there's any underlying difference in how these commands work and how they achieve their results? For reference, Notepad is currently set as the default application for txt files.
5 Answers
Honestly, I'd recommend going with `notepad .file_name.txt`. While all commands should work, relying on defaults might lead to unexpected behavior if settings change. It's often safer to explicitly specify your desired application.
The first two options depend on file type associations, while the third directly calls Notepad. So, it's definitely true that the behavior varies slightly depending on which command you use.
Right! Only the third command explicitly tells the system to run Notepad, while the others rely on what Windows associates with the .txt extension.
You're on the right track! The command `Invoke-Item` is another option to consider. You can also use the call operator `&` to run commands in PowerShell if you want more control.
If you have Visual Studio Code installed, you can do `code .file_name.txt` instead, which explicitly uses VS Code to open your file. This way, you bypass the default file association entirely.
Yes, if Notepad is set as your default app for .txt files, then using PowerShell will open the file in Notepad. You can change the default application through Windows settings, and PowerShell will adjust accordingly. So, it really depends on what you're trying to achieve!
Exactly! It's usually a good idea to specify the app to avoid surprises.