Alias
An alias is an alternative name by which an entity, command, parameter, or resource can be referred to.
Elasticsearch in Action, Second Edition
An Elasticsearch index alias is an alternate name that refers to one index or a set of indexes for search and other index operations.
- How it is used
- Provides stable names for multi-index search, reindexing migrations, and rollover operations.
- How deep it goes
- Explains creation, single- and multi-index targets, write-index requirements, wildcard targets, and atomic alias swaps.
- Examples
- Demonstrates car indexes, multi-index and wildcard aliases, an old-to-new vintage-car swap, and a rollover alias.
- What you can do after
- Apply it via Elasticsearch alias APIs to query grouped indexes and switch index targets without downtime.
Read how Elasticsearch in Action, Second Edition explains alias →
Modern C
- How it is used
- Explains when writes through pointer parameters affect other reads and why that uncertainty matters to optimization.
- How deep it goes
- Works through shared-address and distinct-type pointer examples, then examines address-taking and restrict contracts without detailing optimizer internals.
- Examples
- Contrasts calls to a two-pointer function with distinct or identical addresses, and compares memcpy’s contract with memmove’s.
- What you can do after
- Diagnose/debug with it when a pointer write may change another read, and evaluate whether a proposed nonaliasing promise is valid.
The Well-Grounded Rubyist, Fourth Edition
alias is a Ruby language construct that gives a method or other name an additional name without changing its behavior or method lookup.
- How it is used
- Preserves access to an existing method when redefining it, particularly in pass-through overrides.
- How deep it goes
- Defines alias as a method-name synonym, contrasts its syntax with alias_method, and explains override behavior without changing method lookup.
- Examples
- Uses String#reverse for logging and Regexp#match for a failed-match override that changes conditional behavior.
- What you can do after
- Practice/perform it by aliasing a method before overriding it, then calling the original while checking whether the return contract remains intact.
Read how The Well-Grounded Rubyist, Fourth Edition explains alias →
Get Programming: Learn to code with Python
- How it is used
- Clarifies why assigning a new name to a list or dictionary can make later changes visible through both names.
- How deep it goes
- Works through object IDs, reassignment, and shared list mutation, then contrasts aliasing with copying without detailing memory implementation.
- Examples
- Uses nicknames, shared list names, object IDs, and a copied artists list to make object identity visible.
- What you can do after
- Diagnose/debug with it when a list or dictionary changes unexpectedly through another variable, and choose a copy when independence is needed.
Read how Get Programming: Learn to code with Python explains alias →
Learn PowerShell in a Month of Lunches: Fourth Edition, Covers Windows, Linux, and macOS
A parameter alias is an alternate name accepted by a command for one of its parameters.
- How it is used
- Improves command-line usability by accepting familiar or shorter names for existing command parameters.
- How deep it goes
- Explains discovery, invocation, tab completion, and script declaration, but stops short of broader parameter-binding internals.
- Examples
- Uses Get-Process -ea Stop and a Get-DiskInventory script accepting -host for -ComputerName.
- What you can do after
- Build it from scratch by declaring an Alias attribute and diagnose existing aliases through command parameter metadata.
Learn PowerShell Scripting in a Month of Lunches, Second Edition: Write and organize scripts and tools
An alias is an alternate name that invokes a PowerShell command.
- How it is used
- Shortens console commands and supplies alternate parameter names in advanced functions, while scripts generally favor explicit names.
- How deep it goes
- Defines alternate names, demonstrates three parameter aliases, and stops short of parameter sets and dynamic parameters.
- Examples
- Uses -CN, -MachineName, and -Name for -ComputerName, and contrasts echo, icm, gwmi, and Where with full command names.
- What you can do after
- Apply aliases in PowerShell consoles and define parameter aliases while choosing explicit names for maintainable scripts.
Related concepts
- cmdletalternative to · A cmdlet is a specialized PowerShell command, typically implemented as a .NET class, that performs a focused operation.
- kubectlequivalent to · kubectl is the Kubernetes command-line client for communicating with the Kubernetes API and managing cluster resources.
- alias_methodalternative to · alias_method is a private Module instance method that assigns an additional method name to an existing method using a symbol or string identifier.
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