I am trying to implement RSpec/Jasmine like BDD framework in Powershell (or at least research the potential problems with making one).
Currently I am having problems with implementing simple before/after functionality. Given
$ErrorActionPreference = "Stop"
function describe()
{
$aaaa = 0;
before { $aaaa = 2; };
after { $aaaa; }
}
function before( [scriptblock]$sb )
{
& $sb
}
function after( $sb )
{
& $sb
}
describe
the output is 0, but I would like it to be 2. Is there any way to achieve it in Powershell (short of making $aaaa global, traversing parent scopes in script blocks till $aaaa is found, making $aaaa an "object" and other dirty hacks:) )
What I would ideally like is a way to invoke a script block in some other scope but I don't have a clue whether it is possible at all. I found an interesting example at https://connect.microsoft.com/PowerShell/feedback/details/560504/scriptblock-gets-incorrect-parent-scope-in-module (see workaround), but am not sure how it works and if it helps me in any way.
TIA
The call operator (&) always uses a new scope. Instead, use the dot source (.) operator:
$ErrorActionPreference = "Stop"
function describe()
{
$aaaa = 0;
. before { $aaaa = 2; };
. after { $aaaa; }
}
function before( [scriptblock]$sb )
{
. $sb
}
function after( $sb )
{
. $sb
}
describe
Note the use of . function to invoke the function in same scope as where `$aaaa is defined.
Related
I'm a beginner at Powershell and am struggling to understand some syntax from some code I found on Github. I've read the docs on Powershell assignment, and on switch statements, and can't understand what is going on with the = $Yes and = $No in this code snippet:
Switch ($Prompt3) {
Yes {
Stop-EdgePDF
Write-Output "Edge will no longer take over as the default PDF viewer."; = $Yes
}
No {
= $No
}
}
I haven't been able to find any references to this kind of syntax, and it doesn't seem to do anything in the script. So why is it there?
UPDATE: This issue has been resolved.
Looks to me like the variable name that was getting the assignment was deleted in a change back in August.
$PublishSettings = $Yes
Was changed to:
= $Yes
And:
$PublishSettings = $No
Was changed to:
= $No
Looks like poor search and replace.
I've created an issue for the problem at GitHub.
There are many characters that are valid in a function (or variable) name; this includes the = symbol. What you're observing is a function or alias.
Examples:
# standard function
function =
{
return $args
}
# accessing the function: drive
${Function:=} = {
return $args
}
# defining a new alias
New-Alias -Name = -Value Get-Variable
# using the Alias attribute
function Test-Thing
{
[Alias('=')]
param()
return $args
}
As we know, PowerShell has wacky return semantics.
Function return value in PowerShell shows there are two main ideas to wrap my head around:
All output is captured, and returned
The return keyword just indicates a logical exit point
Even things like reserving variables in outer scopes cause output, like [boolean]$isEnabled. Another good one is $someCollection.Add("toto") which spits the new collection count. Even Append() function causes output.
For example :
Function MyFunc {
$res1 = new-object System.Text.StringBuilder
$res1.Append("titi");
$res2 = "toto"
return $res2
}
$s = MyFunc
Write-Host $s
The output is : titi toto.
The expected output should be toto.
How to use a powershell function to return the expected value? (at least when viewed from a more traditional programming perspective)
Change
$res1.Append("titi");
to
$res1.Append("titi") | Out-Null
because the function returns every output which otherwise would be visible in the console.
if by using 'toto' you are trying to understand if your function succeeded, you could do
Function MyFunc {
$res1 = new-object System.Text.StringBuilder
$res1.Append("titi") | Out-Null
return $?
}
"$?" returns a boolean if the previous command succeeded (true) or failed (false). so externally it would look like
$s = MyFunc
if ($s) {
Write-Host "successful" -Foregroundcolor Green
}
else {
Write-Error "unsuccessful"
}
When PowerShell was being developed, the team wanted to make it simple to use. But, it was confusing to people who know return from other languages. The implementation in classes is an attempt to rectify that mistake.
The return keyword works very differently in methods in PowerShell classes. It works like the return statements in other languages.
In a class method, the return keyword:
Exits the current scope.
Returns the associated object (return ).
Returns only the associated object.
The object that Return returns must match the return type of the method.
It is consistent with the return keyword and analogous keywords in other languages.
class ClassMyFunc
{
[string] MyFunc
{
$res1 = new-object System.Text.StringBuilder
$res1.Append("titi")
$res2 = "toto"
return $res2
}
}
$cmf = New-Object -TypeName ClassMyFunc
$cmf.MyFunc()
The output is : toto, as expected.
Using classes solved my problem, without having to search all functions returning a value in the console and piping it to Out-Null (as suggested by #TobyU).
I can write the following code in javascript:
function sum(num1, num2) {
return num1 + num2;
}
and then get a value
var someNum = sum(2,5);
I would like to do the same thing in Powershell, but I read the following guide:
PowerShell also knows the return keyword; however, it follows a
different logic. In general, the purpose of return is to end the
execution of a code section and to give the control back to the parent
block.
If you add a parameter to the return statement, the value will indeed
be returned to the calling subroutine. However, this also applies for
all other statements with an output. This means that any output
produced in the function will be stored in the variable together with
the return parameter.
I want to do this for the sake of having pure functions. However, it seems doing
var someNum = sum(2,5);
is entirely redundant, when I can just call the function above, define someNum inside of it, and it will be available in the global scope.
Am I missing something or is it possible to write pure functions in Powershell that don't return everything inside the function?
A bit tangential, but here is my actual code:
function GetPreviousKeyMD5Hashes() {
$query = "SELECT Name, MD5, executed FROM [AMagicDb].[dbo].cr_Scripts";
$command = New-Object System.Data.SQLClient.SQLCommand;
$command.Connection = $connection;
$command.CommandText = $query;
try {
$reader = $command.ExecuteReader();
while ($reader.Read()) {
$key = $reader.GetString(1)
$previousScripts.Add($key) | Out-Null
}
$reader.Close();
Write-Output "$(Get-Date) Finished querying previous scripts"
}
catch {
$exceptionMessage = $_.Exception.Message;
Write-Output "$(Get-Date) Error running SQL at with exception $exceptionMessage"
}
}
and then:
$previousScripts = New-Object Collections.Generic.HashSet[string];
GetPreviousKeyMD5Hashes;
This code isn't clear to me at all - running GetPreviousKeyMD5Hashes does set $previousScripts, but this is entirely unclear to whoever modifies this after me. My only other alternative (afaik) is to have all this in line, which also isn't readable.
is entirely redundant, when I can just call the function above, define someNum inside of it, and it will be available in the global scope.
No: functions execute in a child scope (unless you dot-source them with .), so variables created or assigned to inside a function are local to it.
Am I missing something or is it possible to write pure functions in Powershell that don't return everything inside the function?
Yes: The implicit output behavior only applies to statements whose output is neither captured - $var = ... - nor redirected - ... > foo.txt
If there are statements that happen to produce output that you'd like to discard, use $null = ... or ... > $null
Note: ... | Out-Null works in principle too, but will generally perform worse, especially in earlier PowerShell versions - thanks, TheIncorrigible1.
If there are status messages that you'd like to write without their becoming part of the output, use Write-Host or, preferably Write-Verbose or, in PSv5+, Write-Information, though note that the latter two require opt-in for their output to be visible in the console.
Do NOT use Write-Output to write status messages, as it writes to the success output stream, whose purpose is to output data ("return values").
See this answer of mine for more information about PowerShell's output streams.
The equivalent of your JavaScript code is therefore:
function sum($num1, $num2) {
Write-Host "Adding $num1 and $num2..." # print status message to host (console)
$num1 + $num2 # perform the addition and implicitly output result
}
PS> $someNum = sum 1 2 # NOTE: arguments are whitespace-separated, without (...)
Adding 1 and 2... # Write-Host output was passed through to console
PS> $someNum # $someNum captured the success output stream of sum()
3
Am I missing something or is it possible to write pure functions in Powershell that don't return everything inside the function?
You can't have your cake and eat it too...
If you have no out put in your function, then it is "pure" like you desire. If you have output, that also becomes part of the return.
You can use [ref] params. See below for example.
function DoStuff([ref]$refObj)
{
Write-Output "DoStuff: Enter"
$refObj.Value += $(1 + 2)
$refObj.Value += "more strings"
Write-Output "DoStuff: Exit"
}
$refRet = #()
$allRet = DoStuff([ref]$refRet)
"allRet"
$allRet
"refRet"
$refRet
"`n`nagain"
$allRet = DoStuff([ref]$refRet)
"allRet"
$allRet
"refRet"
$refRet
Note: Powershell doesn't need semicolons at the end of each statement; only for separating multiple statements on the same line.
Whenever possible, it's a good idea to avoid changing global state within a function. Pass input as parameters, and return the output, so you aren't tied to using the function in only one way. Your sample could look like this:
function sum
{
param($num1,$num2)
return $num1+$num2
}
$somenum=sum 2 5
Now, with Powershell, the return statement isn't needed. The result of every statement that isn't otherwise assigned, captured, redirected, or otherwise used, is just thrown in with the return value. So we could replace the return statement above with simply
$num1+$num2
You're already making use of this in your code with:
$previousScripts.Add($key) | Out-Null
where you are discarding the result of .Add(). Otherwise it would be included in the return value.
Personally, I find using return to explicitly mark the return value makes it easier to read. Powershell's way of putting all if the output in the return caused a lot of trouble for me as I was learning.
So, the only fixes to your code I would make are:
Move $previousScripts = New-Object Collections.Generic.HashSet[string] to inside the function, making it local.
Add return $previousScripts to the end of the function.
code:
function start() {
# do something
}
&"start"
How would keep & from finding the Start-Process alias first? Is there a way of removing the start alias for the lifetime of my script? Changing the name of the function is not an option.
You can specifically tell it you want to call the function, and not an alias.
function start() {
# do something
Write-Output "It Worked"
}
&(gi function:\start)
Any parameters can just be tacked on to the end of the call, as usual.
function start() {
Param(
[int] $toout
)
# do something
Write-Output "It Worked: $($toout + 5): See!"
}
&(gi function:\start) 5
Put:
Remove-Item alias:\start -Force
at the top of the script to remove it for the run, or add it to the system profile.ps1 to remove it permanently (every time powershell starts)
This also works, similar to the first answer:
function start(){
Write-Host "FOO"
}
&(get-command -CommandType Function -Name start)
I realize the title is a little confusing but I couldn't figure out a better way to phrase it.
I have a Powershell script with a couple dozen functions. Currently, I have the exact same code in every function to format the output. Here's a snippet:
function function1 () {
do something...
output code here
}
function function2 () {
do something...
output code here
}
The output code is exactly the same. Being a fan of code deduplication, this is driving me crazy because every time I add a new function I have this template code that I have to apply. I've tried putting the entire script in a try/catch block and throwing the object that is output but I couldn't get it to work and this still requires coding in the same throw statement in every function.
Does anyone know of something I can do to have all of these functions in this script to automatically send their output to another function or am I just going to have to live with this?
If the functions have no parameters, you can use this simple solution:
function addOutputCode {
param($name)
$oldBody = (get-item function:$name).ScriptBlock
$newBody = {
param($computer)
$funcOutput = . $oldBody $computer
# some formatting
$funcOutput | % { 'FORMATTED: ' + $_ }
}.GetNewClosure()
Set-Item function:$name -value $newBody
}
As you can see the functions gets the body of the function and assignes new body with formatting code. You can try it, just copy & paste the code below.
# this is your file with defined functions
function f1 { param($c) 'this is test of ' + $c }
function f2 { $c.Length; 'this was length of $c' }
# now f1 and f2 would return unformatted data
# f1
# f2
# add formatting code
addOutputCode f1
addOutputCode f2
# now if you call f1 or f2, they return formatted data
# f1 comp1
# f2 comp2