Echo equivalent in PowerShell for script testing
PowershellPowershell Problem Overview
I would like to output variables and values out in a PowerShell script by setting up flags and seeing the data matriculate throughout the script.
How would I do this?
For example, what would be the PowerShell equivalent to the following PHP code?
echo "filesizecounter: " . $filesizecounter
Powershell Solutions
Solution 1 - Powershell
There are several ways:
Write-Host: Write directly to the console, not included in function/cmdlet output. Allows foreground and background colour to be set.
Write-Debug: Write directly to the console, if $DebugPreference set to Continue or Stop.
Write-Verbose: Write directly to the console, if $VerbosePreference set to Continue or Stop.
The latter is intended for extra optional information, Write-Debug for debugging (so would seem to fit in this case).
Additional: In PSH2 (at least) scripts using cmdlet binding will automatically get the -Verbose and -Debug switch parameters, locally enabling Write-Verbose and Write-Debug (i.e. overriding the preference variables) as compiled cmdlets and providers do.
Solution 2 - Powershell
Powershell has an alias mapping echo to Write-Output, so you can use:
echo "filesizecounter : $filesizecounter"
Solution 3 - Powershell
PowerShell interpolates, does it not?
In PHP
echo "filesizecounter: " . $filesizecounter
can also be written as:
echo "filesizecounter: $filesizecounter"
In PowerShell something like this should suit your needs:
Write-Host "filesizecounter: $filesizecounter"
Solution 4 - Powershell
Write-Host "filesizecounter : " $filesizecounter
Solution 5 - Powershell
By far the easiest way to echo in powershell, is just create the string object and let the pipeline output it:
$filesizecounter = 8096
"filesizecounter : $filesizecounter"
Of course, you do give up some flexibility when not using the Write-* methods.
Solution 6 - Powershell
echo is alias to Write-Output although it looks the same as Write-Host.
It isn't What is the difference between echo and Write-Host in PowerShell?.
echo is an alias for Write-Output, which writes to the Success output stream. This allows output to be processed through pipelines or redirected into files. Write-Host writes directly to the console, so the output can't be redirected/processed any further.
Solution 7 - Powershell
The Write-host work fine.
$Filesize = (Get-Item $filepath).length;
Write-Host "FileSize= $filesize";
Solution 8 - Powershell
It should also be mentioned, that Set-PSDebug is similar to the old-school echo on batch command:
Set-PSDebug -Trace 1
This command will result in showing every line of the executing script:
> When the Trace parameter has a value of 1, each line of script is traced as it runs. When the parameter has a value of 2, variable assignments, function calls, and script calls are also traced. If the Step parameter is specified, you're prompted before each line of the script runs.
Solution 9 - Powershell
PowerShell has aliases for several common commands like echo. Type the following in PowerShell:
Get-Alias echo
to get a response:
CommandType Name Version Source
----------- ---- ------- ------
Alias echo -> Write-Output
Even Get-Alias has an alias gal -> Get-Alias. You could write gal echo to get the alias for echo.
gal echo
Other aliases are listed here: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/scripting/learn/using-familiar-command-names?view=powershell-6
cat dir mount rm cd echo move rmdir chdir erase popd sleep clear h ps sort cls history pushd tee copy kill pwd type del lp r write diff ls ren
Solution 10 - Powershell
I don't know if it's wise to do so, but you can just write
"filesizecounter: " + $filesizecounter
And it should output:
> filesizecounter: value
Solution 11 - Powershell
Try Get-Content .\yourScript.PS1 and you will see the content of your script.
also you can insert this line in your scrip code:
get-content .\scriptname.PS1
script code
script code
....