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Formatting with PowerShell

Thomas Lee

PowerShell MVP

doctordns@gmail.com

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Agenda

Formatting by default Formatting using Format-table, Format-List Using .NET format Strings Formatting using.ToString() Formatting with Hash Tables Formatting XML Other output mechanisms

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Formatting by Default

PowerShell formats output by default Useful for simple queries Used by application cmdlet sets

Formatting is controlled by Format.PS1XML files Seven are installed by default

You can Edit built in files – but don’t… Add new ones in your profile

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The Formatting Process

The default formatting process

Cmdlet orPipeline Out-Default Format-Table or

Format-List

Formatted OutputOn Console

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The Formatting Process

User Defined Formatting

Cmdlet orPipeline

Format-Table orFormat-List Out-Default

Formatted OutputOn Console

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The Formatting Process

Other Options

Cmdlet orPipeline

Out-Gridview

Text, CSV, XML

Out-* Cmdlets

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Format-Table and Format-List

Cmdlets take objects from pipeline – create table/list

Default contents and ‘shape’ determined by .ps1xml

You can override default properties GWMI win32_ComputerSystem | fl name,model

Can also take a hash table for precise format control

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Format-Wide

Used to print a single property as a table

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Format-* vs Out-*

The Format-* cmdlets format objects in the pipeline You can adjust the details of how you want

your data to appear using the cmdlets, hash tables, format strings, etc

They produce format objects The Out-* cmdlets take format objects and

output it to the console (and elsewhere) Both are composed at the end of a pipeline

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Format-* Useful Parameters

Format-Table -Autosize

Creates columns of just required width for easier reading

Waits till ALL objects are ready before formatting -HidetableHeaders

Hides table headers -Wrap

Wraps long text into single column

Format-List and Format-Table -GroupBy

But you need to sort first

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How Default Formatting Works

Objects in the pipeline - send to Out-Default

Out-Default looks at the objects in the pipeline

If formatting instructions – send to Out-Host

If objects - send to Format-List or Format-Table

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Format.PS1XML

Format.PS1XML sets default output 1st view is used if defined – if not format all

properties Four or less properties – call Format-Table Otherwise call Format-List

This creates format objects Sent to Out-Default and then to the console

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Default Formatting in Use

At the command line, you Use the default Pipe to FT/FL

Or you pipe to FT/FL but adjust properties In scripts default formatting replaces specific

output statements

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.NET Composite Format Strings

Composite String – string with placeholders "I count {0} ps1 files there" –f (ls

C:\foo\*.ps1).count

Placeholder Syntax {index[,alignment]{:formatstring}]

Simple placeholder examples {0} {0,20} {0,-20:n}

Use these along with the –f operator and .NET formats values into the composite string

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Composite Formatting Examples

Fixed decimal point $a=123.4567898 "{0:#.000}" 123.456 # culture sensitive

Currency $a=123456.789123 "{0:c2)" £123,456.79 # culture sensitive

Phone Number $a=4255551212 "{0:(###) ###-####}" -f $a (425) 555-1212

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.ToString()

All base types have a .ToString() method Inherited from [Object] Relied on to convert the object to a printable form Can take parameters!

Base types have power over how to format Pass a format string to .ToString() to control

formatting Example

$i = 23.123456 $i.tostring("N2") 23.12

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.NET Format Strings

Numeric format strings http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/427bttx3(VS.7

1).aspx

Date and time format strings http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/97x6twsz(VS.

71).aspx

Enumeration format strings http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/c3s1ez6e(VS.

71).aspx

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Formatting with Hash Tables

Uses a Hash Table with pre-defined key names: Name (or Label) - <string> Expression - <string> or <script block> FormatString - <string> Width - <int32> Alignment (value can be "Left", "Center", or "Right")

Send FT/FL hash table vs a property name

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Hash Table Example$Pn=@{label="Process Name";

Expression={$_.name}; alignment="right"}

$Cpu=@{label="CPU Used"; Expression={$_.CPU};

FormatString="N3"}

Get-Process notepad| Format-Table $Pn,$Cpu -auto

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More Hash Table Examples

$Pn= @{ label = "Process Name"; Expression = {$_.name}; alignment = "right"}$Cpu=@{ label = "CPU Used"; Expression = {$_.CPU}; FormatString = "N1"}Get-Process | Format-Table $Pn,$Cpu –autosize

$Pn2 = @{label ="Process Name"}$Pn2 += @{Expression={$_.name}}Get-Process | Format-List $Pn2,$Cpu

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Other Output Mechanisms

XML Import-CliXML Export-CliXML ConvertTo-XML

To a grid Out-Gridview

CSV Export-CSV (and Import-CSV)

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Out-GridView

Uses WPF You need latest .NET Framework

Creates sortable list in a separate window with criteria to help limit output

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Out-GridView Gotchas

Out-GridView (and PowerShell ISE) need .NET 3.5 SP1 The rest of PowerShell requires .NET 2.0 Out-Gridview and ISE use WPF

Out-Gridview displays the same columns as FT Clone the object first to see all object

properties

Get-Process | Select-Object * | Out-Gridview

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Formatting and .PS1XML

Two types of ps1xml Define/update types - *.types.ps1xml Define/update formatting - *.format.ps1xml

Default Format XML shipped with PowerShell Apps or OS additions add to this default set Stored in $Pshome

DO NOT EDIT THESE FILES! They are signed – editing breaks that! Copy and create your own

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Formatting XML

Don’t like the way PowerShell formats a type? Develop your own display XML

PowerShell ships with 7 format.ps1xml files You can write your own

Define four views: table, list, wide, and complex Do NOT edit existing files – make a copy and edit it

Run Update-FormatData to add new view Add this to $profile to persist the changea

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Formatting XML

Don’t like the way PowerShell formats a type? Develop your own display XML

PowerShell ships with 7 format.ps1xml files You can write your own

Define four views: table, list, wide, and complex Do NOT edit existing files – make a copy and edit

it Run Update-FormatData to add new view

Add this to $profile to persist the change

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Create a Class Using Add-TypeAdd-Type @'public class aeroplane{ public string Model = "Boeing 737"; public int InFleet = 12; public int Range = 2400; public int Pax = 135;}'@

But what about the display?

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Create XML – Step 1 <Name>

Identifies the name of the view. <ViewSelectedBy>

Specifies the object type or types to which the view applies.

<GroupBy>

Specifies how items in the view should be combined in groups.

<TableControl> <ListControl> <WideControl> <ComplexControl>

Contain the tags that specify how each item is displayed.

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TableControl

<TableControl> <TableHeaders> <TableColumnHeader> <label>Passengers</label><width>12</width> </TableColumnHeader> … </TableHeaders> <TableRowEntries> <TableRowEntry> <tableColumnItem><PropertyName>Pax</PropertyName></tablecolumnitem> </TableRowEntry> … </TableRowEntries></TableControl>

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List Control<ListControl> <ListEntries> <ListEntry> <ListItems> <ListItem> <PropertyName>Model</PropertyName> </ListItem> … <ListItems> <ListEntry> </ListEntries></Listcontrol>

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Combine It Together

Save XML to c:\foo\aeroplane.format.ps1xml Update-FormatData –Prepend c:\foo\

aeroplane.format.ps1xml

Then: $AP = new-object aeroplane $AP $AP | fl

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Using Type/Format Updates

Create the XML On your workstation XCOPY during logon script?

Store it somewhere useful C:\foo Somewhere else??

Add the type/format information to $Profile Update-FormatData –prepend –Path <path>

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Summary

Formatting can be simple or complex Lots of alternatives – have it your way Keep it simple and extend to meet your

needs

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Adding To Your Profile

Possibly add some default format hash tables for commonly used outputs

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Resources

Formatting - see my articles on formatting http://tfl09.blogspot.com/2010/02/formatting-w

ith-powershell.html

.NET Formatting http

://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/txafckwd(VS.71).aspx

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Questions

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