So, what’s a PowerShell $Profile got to do with it?
So, students ask me about my PowerShell $profile that I use in class. They want to know how I got the line numbering, and how I retrieve history commands and re-execute them so quickly
Well, among other things, I added a couple of functions to my $profile that help me out when I’m presenting. First, for my prompt. I didn’t invent the wheel on this, I actually took a look at the help file about_prompt and modified one the examples.
I wanted the prompt to stand out on the console display more, so I threw in the
$Host.UI.Write("Yellow",$Host.UI.RawUI.BackGroundColor,"[PS:$nextCommand]")
1 | <span style="color: #0000ff;">function</span><span style="color: #0000cd;">prompt</span><span style="color: #000000;">{ </span><span style="color: #800080;">$history</span><span style="color: #ff0000;">=</span><span style="color: #000000;">@</span><span style="color: #000000;">(</span><span style="color: #5f9ea0;">get-history</span><span style="color: #000000;">) </span><span style="color: #0000ff;">if</span><span style="color: #000000;">(</span><span style="color: #800080;">$history</span><span style="color: #000000;">.</span><span style="color: #8b4513;">Count</span><span style="color: #ff0000;">-gt</span><span style="color: #000000;">0</span><span style="color: #000000;">) { </span><span style="color: #800080;">$lastItem</span><span style="color: #ff0000;">=</span><span style="color: #800080;">$history</span><span style="color: #000000;">[</span><span style="color: #800080;">$history</span><span style="color: #000000;">.</span><span style="color: #8b4513;">Count</span><span style="color: #5f9ea0;">-</span><span style="color: #000000;">1</span><span style="color: #000000;">] </span><span style="color: #800080;">$lastId</span><span style="color: #ff0000;">=</span><span style="color: #800080;">$lastItem</span><span style="color: #000000;">.</span><span style="color: #8b4513;">Id</span><span style="color: #000000;"> } </span><span style="color: #800080;">$nextCommand</span><span style="color: #ff0000;">=</span><span style="color: #800080;">$lastId</span><span style="color: #ff0000;">+</span><span style="color: #000000;">1</span><span style="color: #008000;">#$currentDirectory = get-location </span><span style="color: #008000;">#"$nextCommand[PS] $currentDirectory>" </span><span style="color: #000080;">$Host</span><span style="color: #000000;">.</span><span style="color: #8b4513;">UI</span><span style="color: #000000;">.</span><span style="color: #8b4513;">Write</span><span style="color: #000000;">(</span><span style="color: #800000;">"Yellow"</span><span style="color: #000000;">,</span><span style="color: #000080;">$Host</span><span style="color: #000000;">.</span><span style="color: #8b4513;">UI</span><span style="color: #000000;">.</span><span style="color: #8b4513;">RawUI</span><span style="color: #000000;">.</span><span style="color: #8b4513;">BackGroundColor</span><span style="color: #000000;">,</span><span style="color: #800000;">"[PS:$nextCommand]"</span><span style="color: #000000;">) </span><span style="color: #800000;">" "</span><span style="color: #000000;"> }</span> |
The cool part is using Get-History to help me out. I wanted to use a fast-to-type alias that would retrieve and display a previous line number from the function above. I wanted to be able to display it, invoke it, or just copy it to my clipboard so I can paste it into an email or something. (I have the console edit and paste because multiple lines are a bitch to copy.)
So, I think the interesting part is using clip.exe to copy it to the clipboard. Try it out and see what you think!
1 | <span style="color: #0000ff;">function</span><span style="color: #0000cd;">Get-CommandLine</span><span style="color: #000000;"> { [</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">CmdletBinding</span><span style="color: #000000;">(</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">DefaultParametersetName</span><span style="color: #ff0000;">=</span><span style="color: #800000;">'</span><span style="color: #800000;">Id</span><span style="color: #800000;">'</span><span style="color: #000000;">)] </span><span style="color: #0000ff;">param</span><span style="color: #000000;">( [</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">Parameter</span><span style="color: #000000;">(</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">Position</span><span style="color: #ff0000;">=</span><span style="color: #000000;">0</span><span style="color: #000000;">,</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">ParameterSetName</span><span style="color: #ff0000;">=</span><span style="color: #800000;">'</span><span style="color: #800000;">Id</span><span style="color: #800000;">'</span><span style="color: #000000;">,</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">ValueFromPipelineByPropertyName</span><span style="color: #ff0000;">=</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">$true</span><span style="color: #000000;">,</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">Mandatory</span><span style="color: #ff0000;">=</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">$true</span><span style="color: #000000;">)] [</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">Parameter</span><span style="color: #000000;">(</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">Position</span><span style="color: #ff0000;">=</span><span style="color: #000000;">0</span><span style="color: #000000;">,</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">ParameterSetName</span><span style="color: #ff0000;">=</span><span style="color: #800000;">'</span><span style="color: #800000;">Clip</span><span style="color: #800000;">'</span><span style="color: #000000;">,</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">ValueFromPipelineByPropertyName</span><span style="color: #ff0000;">=</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">$true</span><span style="color: #000000;">,</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">Mandatory</span><span style="color: #ff0000;">=</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">$true</span><span style="color: #000000;">)] [</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">Parameter</span><span style="color: #000000;">(</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">Position</span><span style="color: #ff0000;">=</span><span style="color: #000000;">0</span><span style="color: #000000;">,</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">ParameterSetName</span><span style="color: #ff0000;">=</span><span style="color: #800000;">'</span><span style="color: #800000;">Invoke</span><span style="color: #800000;">'</span><span style="color: #000000;">,</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">ValueFromPipelineByPropertyName</span><span style="color: #ff0000;">=</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">$true</span><span style="color: #000000;">,</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">Mandatory</span><span style="color: #ff0000;">=</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">$true</span><span style="color: #000000;">)] [</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">string</span><span style="color: #000000;">]</span><span style="color: #800080;">$Id</span><span style="color: #000000;">,</span><span style="color: #000000;"> [</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">Parameter</span><span style="color: #000000;">(</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">Position</span><span style="color: #ff0000;">=</span><span style="color: #000000;">1</span><span style="color: #000000;">,</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">ParameterSetName</span><span style="color: #ff0000;">=</span><span style="color: #800000;">'</span><span style="color: #800000;">Clip</span><span style="color: #800000;">'</span><span style="color: #000000;">,</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">Mandatory</span><span style="color: #ff0000;">=</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">$false</span><span style="color: #000000;">)] [</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">switch</span><span style="color: #000000;">]</span><span style="color: #800080;">$Clip</span><span style="color: #000000;">,</span><span style="color: #000000;"> [</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">Parameter</span><span style="color: #000000;">(</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">Position</span><span style="color: #ff0000;">=</span><span style="color: #000000;">1</span><span style="color: #000000;">,</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">ParameterSetName</span><span style="color: #ff0000;">=</span><span style="color: #800000;">'</span><span style="color: #800000;">Invoke</span><span style="color: #800000;">'</span><span style="color: #000000;">,</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">Mandatory</span><span style="color: #ff0000;">=</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">$false</span><span style="color: #000000;">)] [</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">switch</span><span style="color: #000000;">]</span><span style="color: #800080;">$Invoke</span><span style="color: #000000;"> ) </span><span style="color: #0000ff;">process</span><span style="color: #000000;"> { </span><span style="color: #0000ff;">switch</span><span style="color: #000000;">(</span><span style="color: #800080;">$PsCmdlet</span><span style="color: #000000;">.</span><span style="color: #8b4513;">ParameterSetName</span><span style="color: #000000;">) { </span><span style="color: #800000;">'</span><span style="color: #800000;">Id</span><span style="color: #800000;">'</span><span style="color: #000000;"> { </span><span style="color: #5f9ea0;">Get-History</span><span style="color: #5f9ea0;">-Id</span><span style="color: #800080;">$Id</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">|</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">select</span><span style="color: #5f9ea0;">-ExpandProperty</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">CommandLine</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">;</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">break</span><span style="color: #000000;"> } </span><span style="color: #800000;">'</span><span style="color: #800000;">Clip</span><span style="color: #800000;">'</span><span style="color: #000000;"> { </span><span style="color: #5f9ea0;">Get-History</span><span style="color: #5f9ea0;">-Id</span><span style="color: #800080;">$Id</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">|</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">select</span><span style="color: #5f9ea0;">-ExpandProperty</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">CommandLine</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">|</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">clip</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">;</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">break</span><span style="color: #000000;"> } </span><span style="color: #800000;">'</span><span style="color: #800000;">Invoke</span><span style="color: #800000;">'</span><span style="color: #000000;"> { </span><span style="color: #5f9ea0;">Invoke-Expression</span><span style="color: #000000;"> (</span><span style="color: #5f9ea0;">Get-History</span><span style="color: #5f9ea0;">-Id</span><span style="color: #800080;">$Id</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">|</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">select</span><span style="color: #5f9ea0;">-ExpandProperty</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">CommandLine</span><span style="color: #000000;">) } } } }</span> |
1 | <span style="color: #5f9ea0;">New-Alias</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">gcl</span><span style="color: #5f9ea0;">Get-CommandLine</span> |
Knowledge is PowerShell,
Jason
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