While script modules are an improvement over dot-sourcing script files, manifest modules take modules to a new level entirely. A module manifest is a configuration file for a module that lets you provide information about the module and gives you control over what happens when the module is loaded. The information you can provide includes things such as the author, company, copyright date, and a GUID identifier for the module. You can specify requirements for the module, such as the minimum PowerShell version or CLR version required. You also can list the functions, aliases, and variables to be exported from your module.

A benefit of using module manifests is that it is much easier for PowerShell to scan a manifest than to parse a script module file. With PowerShell 3.0, and the recent versions of Windows and...