Windows PowerShell is a powerful command-line shell and scripting language designed for system administrators and automation. It is an effective tool for managing and automating tasks in Windows. One of the most useful commands in Windows PowerShell is the Write-Information command. This command is used to write information to the Windows PowerShell console, including strings, objects, and errors.
In this article, we will discuss the syntax, parameters, inputs, outputs, examples, and tips for using the Write-Information command in Windows PowerShell. We will also provide a list of steps for using the command.
Syntax of the Write-Information Command
The syntax of the Write-Information command is as follows:
Write-Information [-InformationAction] <InformationAction> [-InformationVariable] <String> [-MessageData] <Object[]> [-Category <String[]>] [-CategoryActivity <String[]>] [-CategoryHost <String[]>] [-CategoryTargetName <String[]>] [-CategoryTargetType <String[]>] [-CategoryTask <String[]>] [-Id <String[]>] [-Path <String[]>] [-Source <String[]>] [-Tag <String[]>] [-Verbose] [-WarningAction <ActionPreference>] [-WarningVariable <String>] [-WhatIf] [-Confirm] [<CommonParameters>]
Parameters of the Write-Information Command
The Write-Information command has the following parameters:
- InformationAction: Specifies the action to take when the command is run.
- InformationVariable: Specifies the variable to store the output of the command.
- MessageData: Specifies the message data to be written to the console.
- Category: Specifies the category of the message.
- CategoryActivity: Specifies the activity of the message.
- CategoryHost: Specifies the host of the message.
- CategoryTargetName: Specifies the target name of the message.
- CategoryTargetType: Specifies the target type of the message.
- CategoryTask: Specifies the task of the message.
- Id: Specifies the ID of the message.
- Path: Specifies the path of the message.
- Source: Specifies the source of the message.
- Tag: Specifies the tag of the message.
- Verbose: Specifies whether to display verbose output.
- WarningAction: Specifies the action to take when a warning is encountered.
- WarningVariable: Specifies the variable to store the warning message.
- WhatIf: Specifies whether to display what-if output.
- Confirm: Specifies whether to prompt for confirmation before running the command.
- CommonParameters: Specifies the common parameters used by all cmdlets.
Inputs of the Write-Information Command
The Write-Information command accepts the following inputs:
- InformationAction
- InformationVariable
- MessageData
- Category
- CategoryActivity
- CategoryHost
- CategoryTargetName
- CategoryTargetType
- CategoryTask
- Id
- Path
- Source
- Tag
- Verbose
- WarningAction
- WarningVariable
- WhatIf
- Confirm
- CommonParameters
Outputs of the Write-Information Command
The Write-Information command produces the following outputs:
- InformationAction
- InformationVariable
- MessageData
- Category
- CategoryActivity
- CategoryHost
- CategoryTargetName
- CategoryTargetType
- CategoryTask
- Id
- Path
- Source
- Tag
- Verbose
- WarningAction
- WarningVariable
- WhatIf
- Confirm
- CommonParameters
Examples of the Write-Information Command
The following examples demonstrate how to use the Write-Information command in Windows PowerShell:
- To write a string to the console, use the following command:
Write-Information -MessageData "This is a string"
- To write an object to the console, use the following command:
Write-Information -MessageData (Get-Process -Name "notepad")
- To write an error to the console, use the following command:
Write-Information -MessageData (Get-Process -Name "notepad" -ErrorAction Stop)
Tips for Using the Write-Information Command
The following tips can help you use the Write-Information command more effectively:
- Be sure to specify the InformationAction parameter to specify the action to take when the command is run.
- Be sure to specify the InformationVariable parameter to specify the variable to store the output of the command.
- Be sure to specify the MessageData parameter to specify the message data to be written to the console.
- Be sure to specify the Category, CategoryActivity, CategoryHost, CategoryTargetName, CategoryTargetType, and CategoryTask parameters to specify the category of the message.
- Be sure to specify the Id, Path, Source, and Tag parameters to specify the ID, path, source, and tag of the message.
- Be sure to specify the Verbose, WarningAction, WarningVariable, WhatIf, and Confirm parameters to specify whether to display verbose output, take action when a warning is encountered, store the warning message, display what-if output, and prompt for confirmation before running the command.
- Be sure to specify the CommonParameters parameter to specify the common parameters used by all cmdlets.