Patent ID: 7640540

Claim:
In a command line operating environment, a computer-executable method comprising: executing each command on a command line in a first execution mode or in an alternate execution mode, wherein executing the command in the alternate execution mode occurs when the command on the command line includes an instruction, the instruction comprising a call to a method provided by the command line operating environment to execute in the alternate execution mode, the alternate execution mode being provided by the command line operating environment such that the command line operating environment provides extended functionality to execute the command and the command being executed on the command line does not incorporate code for extending functionality to execute the command in the alternate execution mode; wherein the instruction to execute in the alternate execution mode also comprises a switch indicating the alternate execution mode, wherein the switch activates a corresponding hook statement within a cmdlet base class from which commands are derived, wherein the hook statement invokes the method provided by the command line operating environment to execute in the alternate execution mode, and wherein the alternate execution mode visually displays simulated results of executing the command.