Background

While programming, occasionally there will be a need to have string contents that exceed a single line.

In this post, we will discuss some of the tools that Powershell offers.

 

Outline

1. Here String
2. String Concatenation Using Plus Sign

 

Options

Here String

Basic

Code

$strBuffer = 
@"
Bob was here 
not too long ago
"@

Write-Host $strBuffer

 

Output

Image

Text

>powershell success\string.hereString.ps1
Bob was here
not too long ago

 

with whitespace before the beginning of the string

Code

$strBuffer =
@"
Bob was here
not too long ago
"@

Write-Host $strBuffer

 

Output

Image

Text

>powershell success\string.hereString.with.whiteSpace.before.stringBegining.ps1
Bob was here
not too long ago

 

 

with whitespace before string terminator

Code

    $strBuffer = 
    @"
    Bob was here 
    not too long ago
    "@

Write-Host $strBuffer

 

Output

Image

 

Text

At string.hereString.with.whiteSpace.before.stringTerminator.ps1:5 char:5
+     "@
+     ~~
White space is not allowed before the string terminator.
    + CategoryInfo          : ParserError: (:) [], ParseException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : WhitespaceBeforeHereStringFooter

 

Explanation

1. Error Message
   • White space is not allowed before the string terminator

 

String Concatenation Using Plus Sign

Use Plus Sign at the end of each string to be continued

Code

$strBuffer = "Bob was here " +
                "not too long ago"
                
Write-Host $strBuffer   

Output

Image

Text

>powershell success\string.plusSign.after.ps1
Bob was here not too long ago

Use Line Continuation at the end of each line that will be continued

Outline

1. In this example, we will use the line continued indicator (`) to indicate that the current line is not yet complete
2. And, that it will be continued on the next line

Code

$strBuffer = "Bob was here "`
                + "not too long ago"
                
Write-Host $strBuffer

 

Output

Image

 

Text

>powershell success\string.plusSign.before.previousLineContinued.ps1
Bob was here not too long ago

 

Use Plus Sign at the beginning of each string

Code

$strBuffer = "Bob was here "
                + "not too long ago"
                
Write-Host $strBuffer

Output

Image

Text

>powershell failure\string.plusSign.before.ps1
Cannot convert value "not too long ago" to type "System.Int32". Error: "Input string was not in a correct format."
At failure\string.plusSign.before.ps1:2 char:17
+                 + "not too long ago"
+                 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidArgument: (:) [], RuntimeException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : InvalidCastFromStringToInteger

Bob was here

>

Explanation

1. Powershell does not like to be surprised
   • It throws up a bit on seeing the plus sign on the second line

Source Code Control

GitHub

DanielAdeniji/powershell.stringAcrossMultipleLines

https://github.com/DanielAdeniji/powershell.stringAcrossMultipleLines

Link

 

Summary

Please use the here sign ( @” and “@) to preserve white spaces.

Or the more generic concatenation symbol ( plus sign [+] ) and line continuation symbol ( ` ) to merge string values.