Comparison operators (-eq, -ne, -gt, -lt) in PowerShell - Step-by-Step Execution

Concept Flow - Comparison operators (-eq, -ne, -gt, -lt)

Start

↓

Evaluate Left Value

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Evaluate Right Value

↓

Apply Comparison Operator

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Result: True or False

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Use Result in Script

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End

The script compares two values using a comparison operator and produces True or False as the result.

Execution Sample

PowerShell

$a = 5
$b = 3
$a -gt $b
$a -eq $b
$a -ne $b

This code compares two numbers using greater than, equal, and not equal operators.

Execution Table

Step	Expression	Left Value	Right Value	Operator	Result	Explanation
1	$a -gt $b	5	3	-gt	True	5 is greater than 3
2	$a -eq $b	5	3	-eq	False	5 is not equal to 3
3	$a -ne $b	5	3	-ne	True	5 is not equal to 3
4	End					All comparisons done

💡 All comparisons evaluated, script ends.

Variable Tracker

Variable	Start	After Step 1	After Step 2	After Step 3	Final
$a	5	5	5	5	5
$b	3	3	3	3	3

Key Moments - 2 Insights

Why does $a -gt $b return True but $a -eq $b return False?

Because 5 is greater than 3, so -gt returns True. But 5 is not equal to 3, so -eq returns False. See execution_table rows 1 and 2.

What does -ne operator do?

It checks if two values are not equal. If they differ, it returns True. See execution_table row 3 where 5 -ne 3 is True.

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution table, what is the result of $a -eq $b at step 2?

A True

B 5

C False

D 3

💡 Hint

Check the 'Result' column in row 2 of the execution_table.

At which step does the comparison check if $a is greater than $b?

A Step 1

B Step 2

C Step 3

D Step 4

💡 Hint

Look at the 'Operator' column to find '-gt' in the execution_table.

If $b was changed to 5, what would be the result of $a -eq $b at step 2?

A False

B True

C Error

D Null

💡 Hint

If both values are equal, -eq returns True. Refer to the meaning of -eq in key_moments.

Concept Snapshot

Comparison operators in PowerShell:
-eq : equals (True if values are same)
-ne : not equals (True if values differ)
-gt : greater than (True if left > right)
-lt : less than (True if left < right)
Used to compare values and return True or False.

Full Transcript

This lesson shows how PowerShell compares two values using operators like -eq, -ne, -gt, and -lt. We start by assigning 5 to $a and 3 to $b. Then we check if $a is greater than $b using -gt, which returns True because 5 is greater than 3. Next, we check if $a equals $b with -eq, which returns False because 5 is not equal to 3. Finally, we check if $a is not equal to $b with -ne, which returns True because they differ. These operators help scripts make decisions by comparing values and returning True or False.