Overview

Filetypes

• .ps1: general powershell script
• .psm1: powershell module file
• .psd1: powershell module manifest

Module Structure

• <modname>.psm1: the module entry file at module root, should have the same name as parent folder.
• <modname>.psd1(optional): the module manifest at module root containing module description such as Author, Version and so on.
• *.ps1: arbitrary scripts that can be sourced in <modname>.psm1
  • you can place such scripts in any manner since they wouldn't be executed unless you source it the module entry .psm1 manually.

Search Path

$env:PSModulePath stores one or more paths to search module on any *-Module operation. Each folder added should be a parent containing module folders.

./YourModules/
├── InvokeBuild
├── platyPS
├── ...
└── PSFzf

To add your own module path, use:

$env:PSModulePath += "$([IO.Path]::PathSeparator)$customModulePath"

Member Exporting

• Explicit Export-ModuleMember within *.psm1 file only.
• Implicit exporting when Export-ModuleMember is not used
  • all functions and aliases are exported
  • other member are hidden inside module

NOTE

See: Export-ModuleMember

TIP

Using explicit Export-ModuleMember is always the best practice.