Background

Let us take a quick look at PowerShell’s Write-Verbose command.

 

Samples

Outline

In this post we have a couple of sample PowerShell Scripts.

1. Sample -01
   • Add two numbers
   • Display result of adding the numbers
2. Sample -02
   • Added write-verbose to enable verbose code logging
3. Sample -03
   • Added [CmdletBinding()] to enable “cmdlet-style parameter binding“

 

Sample – 01

Code

<#
	Declare Variables
#>
[int]    $number1 =0;
[int]    $number2 =0;
[string] $answer ="";
[string] $log ="";

$number1 = 1

$number2 = 2;

$answer = $number1 + $number2;

$log = "Answer is {0}" -f $answer;

Write-Host $log;

Invoke

powershell -file ./write-verbose-01.ps1 -verbose

Output

Output – Textual

powershell -file ./write-verbose-01.ps1 -verbose

Answer is 3

Output – Image

Explanation

1. Displayed result of adding our two numbers

Sample – 02

Outline

1. Source Code
   • Added write-verbose to enable verbose code logging
2. Invocation
   • Added -verbose to script invocation

Code

<#
	Declare Variables
#>
[int]    $number1 =0;
[int]    $number2 =0;
[string] $answer ="";
[string] $log ="";

$number1 = 1;

$number2 = 2;

$answer = $number1 + $number2;

$log = "Number {0} is {1}" -f 1, $number1;

Write-Verbose $log;


$log = "Number {0} is {1}" -f 2, $number2;

Write-Verbose $log;

$log = "Operation is {0}" -f "addition (+)";

Write-Verbose $log;

$log = "Answer is {0}" -f $answer;

Write-Host $log;

Invoke

powershell -file ./write-verbose-02.ps1 -verbose

Output

Output – Textual

powershell -file ./write-verbose-02.ps1 -verbose

Answer is 3

Output – Image

 

Explanation

1. Displayed result of adding our two numbers
2. Even though on invocation we requested verbose ( -verbose ), our verbose output were not displayed

Sample – 03

Outline

1. Invocation
   • Added -verbose to script invocation
2. Source Code
   • Added [CmdletBinding()] to enable “cmdlet-style parameter binding capabilities“

Code

<#
   Turn on cmdlet-style parameter binding capabilities, either for a script or for a function. 
#>

[CmdletBinding()]
Param()

<#
	Declare Variables
#>
[int]    $number1 =0;
[int]    $number2 =0;
[string] $answer ="";
[string] $log ="";

$number1 = 1;

$number2 = 2;

$answer = $number1 + $number2;

$log = "Number {0} is {1}" -f 1, $number1;

Write-Verbose $log;


$log = "Number {0} is {1}" -f 2, $number2;

Write-Verbose $log;

$log = "Operation is {0}" -f "addition (+)";

Write-Verbose $log;

$log = "Answer is {0}" -f $answer;

Write-Host $log;

Invoke

powershell -file ./write-verbose-03.ps1 -verbose

Output

Output – Textual

>powershell -file ./write-verbose-03.ps1 -verbose
VERBOSE: Number 1 is 1
VERBOSE: Number 2 is 2
VERBOSE: Operation is addition (+)
Answer is 3

>

Output – Image

Explanation

1. Displayed result of adding our two numbers
2. Our verbose request was displayed

 

Source Code Control

GitLab

Snippets

PowerShell – Write-Verbose

Link

Honorable Mention

Don Jones

What does PowerShell’s [CmdletBinding()] Do?

Link

Turn on cmdlet-style parameter binding capabilities, either for a script or for a function.

1. The ability to add [Parameter()] decorators to parameters – see “about_functions_advanced_parameters” in PowerShell for more detail.
   Technically, these can be used without adding [CmdletBinding()], but you almost always see them together.
2. The ability to use Write-Verbose and Write-Debug in your script or function, and have their output controlled by -Verbose and -Debug parameters of that script or function.
   You don’t need to declare those parameters – [CmdletBinding()] adds them.
3. Your script or function picks up the other common parameters, too, like -EV and -EA (see “about_common_parameters”)
4. The ability to have -whatif and -confirm added to your script or function, by specifying something like