Quickly jump between frequently‑used folders, create new shortcuts, and keep them in a single JSON configuration file.

This module ships with a collection of helper functions and an alias (g) that let you:

• Navigate to pre‑defined shortcuts (Set-LocationShortcut).
• List all available shortcuts (Set-LocationShortcut -List).
• Add / Edit / Remove shortcuts (Add-LocationShortcut, Edit-LocationShortcut, Remove-LocationShortcut).
• Generate a fresh defaults file (New-LocationShortcuts).
• Read the shortcuts hash table directly (Get-LocationShortcuts).

All data lives in a single LocationShortcuts.json file under your Documents\PowerShell directory.

Requires PowerShell 5.1+ (works on Windows PowerShell 5.1, PowerShell Core 7+)

1. Clone or download the repository.
2. Copy both LocationShortcuts.psm1 and LocationShortcuts.psd1 to your PowerShell modules directory:

# Copy to user's PowerShell module folder
$modulePath = Join-Path ($env:PSModulePath -split ';' | Where-Object { $_ -like "*$env:USERPROFILE*" } | Select-Object -First 1) "LocationShortcuts"
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $modulePath -Force
Copy-Item -Path ".\LocationShortcuts.psm1" -Destination $modulePath
Copy-Item -Path ".\LocationShortcuts.psd1" -Destination $modulePath

# Import the module
Import-Module LocationShortcuts

# Load directly from the script file (for testing)
Import-Module .\LocationShortcuts.psm1

Add this line to your PowerShell profile ($PROFILE):

Import-Module LocationShortcuts

# After importing the module

# Jump to a pre‑defined shortcut
g Home          # (same as Set-LocationShortcut Home)

# List all available shortcuts
g -List

# Add a new shortcut
Add-LocationShortcut -Name WorkDocs -Path "C:\Users\john\Documents\Work"

# Edit an existing shortcut
Edit-LocationShortcut -Name WorkDocs -NewPath "D:\Docs\Work"

# Remove a shortcut
Remove-LocationShortcut -Name WorkDocs

# Re‑create the defaults file (overwrites existing config with confirmation)
New-LocationShortcuts

Below is a detailed reference for every public function in the module.

Change the current directory to a named shortcut.

# Jump to the user's Downloads folder
Set-LocationShortcut Downloads

# Or use the alias
g Downloads

# List all shortcuts with their paths
g -List

# Show help
g -Help

Add a new shortcut to the configuration.

Note: Supports -WhatIf and -Confirm parameters.

Add-LocationShortcut -Name Scripts -Path "C:\Users\john\Scripts"

# Using relative paths (will be resolved to absolute)
Add-LocationShortcut -Name WebDev -Path ".\WebProjects"

# Preview the action without executing
Add-LocationShortcut -Name Test -Path "C:\Test" -WhatIf

Remove an existing shortcut.

Note: Supports -WhatIf and -Confirm parameters for safe deletion.

Remove-LocationShortcut -Name Scripts

# Preview before removing
Remove-LocationShortcut -Name Scripts -WhatIf

# Skip confirmation prompt
Remove-LocationShortcut -Name Scripts -Confirm:$false

Update the path of an existing shortcut.

Note: Supports -WhatIf and -Confirm parameters.

Edit-LocationShortcut -Name Scripts -NewPath "D:\Tools\Scripts"

# Using relative paths
Edit-LocationShortcut -Name Projects -NewPath ".\MyProjects"

# Preview the change
Edit-LocationShortcut -Name Scripts -NewPath "D:\Tools" -WhatIf

Retrieve the entire shortcut dictionary.

Returns a hashtable of all configured shortcuts. If the configuration file doesn't exist, it creates one with defaults.

# Get all shortcuts
$shortcuts = Get-LocationShortcuts

# Access specific shortcut
$shortcuts['Home']   # => C:\Users\john

# Display all shortcuts
$shortcuts | Format-Table

• [hashtable] mapping string → string.

Create or reset the configuration file with a set of default shortcuts.

Note: Supports -WhatIf and -Confirm parameters. Will prompt before overwriting existing configuration.

• User Folders: Home, Downloads, Documents, Pictures, Music, Videos, Scripts, Projects
• System: System (System32), Programs (Program Files), Programs32, ProgramData, Root (C:)
• Development: Steam, Temp, CTemp (C:\Temp)

# Create/reset defaults (will prompt for confirmation if file exists)
New-LocationShortcuts

# Regenerate defaults and capture the hashtable
$defaultShortcuts = New-LocationShortcuts -PassThru

# Preview what would be created
New-LocationShortcuts -WhatIf

# Force recreation without confirmation
New-LocationShortcuts -Confirm:$false

The configuration file is automatically created at:

$HOME\Documents\PowerShell\LocationShortcuts.json

If your Documents folder is redirected (e.g., to OneDrive), the module automatically detects the correct location by querying the Windows registry.

The file is a simple key/value map:

{
  "Home": "C:\\Users\\john",
  "Downloads": "C:\\Users\\john\\Downloads",
  "Documents": "C:\\Users\\john\\Documents",
  "Projects": "C:\\Users\\john\\Projects",
  "Scripts": "C:\\Users\\john\\Scripts",
  "System": "C:\\Windows\\System32",
  "Programs": "C:\\Program Files",
  "Programs32": "C:\\Program Files (x86)",
  "ProgramData": "C:\\ProgramData",
  "Steam": "C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Steam\\steamapps\\common",
  "Temp": "C:\\Users\\john\\AppData\\Local\\Temp",
  "CTemp": "C:\\Temp",
  "Root": "C:\\"
}

• Keys are case‑insensitive (though stored with their original casing).
• Values must be valid paths. The module validates paths before adding shortcuts.
• Only paths that exist on your system are included in the default configuration.

# Recommended: Use the provided functions
Add-LocationShortcut -Name MyProject -Path "D:\Projects\MyApp"

You can also edit the JSON file directly:

1. Open $HOME\Documents\PowerShell\LocationShortcuts.json in a text editor
2. Add your shortcuts in the JSON format
3. Save the file
4. The changes take effect immediately (no need to reload)

# Overwrites the existing file (prompts for confirmation)
New-LocationShortcuts

# Force overwrite without confirmation
New-LocationShortcuts -Confirm:$false

The module automatically exports a convenient alias:

Set-Alias -Name g -Value Set-LocationShortcut

Use it for quick, one‑letter navigation:

g Downloads    # Jump to Downloads
g -List        # List all shortcuts
g -Help        # Show help

For troubleshooting, use the -Verbose parameter:

Set-LocationShortcut Downloads -Verbose
Add-LocationShortcut -Name Test -Path "C:\Test" -Verbose

• Quick Navigation: Jump to any configured directory with minimal typing
• Tab-Completion: All shortcut names support tab-completion
• Case-Insensitive: Shortcut names work regardless of case
• OneDrive Support: Automatically detects OneDrive-redirected folders
• Path Validation: Validates paths before creating/editing shortcuts
• Safe Operations: -WhatIf and -Confirm support for destructive operations
• Relative Paths: Automatically resolves relative paths to absolute
• Error Handling: Comprehensive error messages with actionable suggestions
• Cross-Platform: Works on Windows PowerShell 5.1 and PowerShell Core 7+
• Default Shortcuts: Sensible defaults for common Windows locations

Contributions are welcome! To contribute:

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
3. Make your changes following PowerShell best practices:
   • Add comment-based help to all functions
   • Include parameter validation
   • Add examples to help documentation
   • Update the README if adding new features
4. Test your changes thoroughly
5. Register new functions in the Export-ModuleMember list
6. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add amazing feature')
7. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
8. Open a Pull Request

• Follow PowerShell approved verbs (Get-, Set-, Add-, Remove-, Edit-, New-)
• Use proper parameter validation attributes
• Include comprehensive comment-based help
• Add verbose output for troubleshooting
• Handle errors gracefully
• Support ShouldProcess for functions that modify data

© 2025 PowerShell Module Author
MIT License – see the included LICENSE file for details.

Initial Release

• Core navigation functionality with Set-LocationShortcut
• CRUD operations for shortcuts (Add, Edit, Remove)
• Default configuration generation
• OneDrive folder detection
• Tab-completion support
• ShouldProcess implementation for safe operations
• Comprehensive error handling and validation
• Cross-platform compatibility (Windows PowerShell 5.1+ and PowerShell Core 7+)

If you encounter issues:

1. Check the Troubleshooting section
2. Run commands with -Verbose to see detailed output
3. Verify your PowerShell version: $PSVersionTable.PSVersion
4. Check if the module is loaded: Get-Module LocationShortcuts
5. Open an issue on the repository with details

Happy navigating! 🚀