Skip to main content

How to enable Get-Help with your functions in PowerShell

PowerShell has a very robust online help capabilities.  These abilities are extended to you, the user, when you are creating functions and scripts.  You may have functions that you load as part of your profile or that you have created as part of a customized module.  To do this is very simple.  Take a look at the function below.
Function WriteText {
Param (
    [parameter(Mandatory=$True,ValueFromPipeline=$True)]$InputValue `
    = (Read-Host 'Please provide an input value: '))
BEGIN {}
PROCESS{
    Write-Host $InputValue
    }
END {}
}

This function simply outputs what you put into it.  Let’s add some help functionality to it. 

To do this, we need to add a block comment section immediately after the Function declaration line.  Block comments are normal comment statements.  The difference is that instead of every line starting with ‘#’, we start with ‘<#’.  You can type as many lines as you want and all of them will be considered comments until you end the comment block with ‘#>’.

We add the help by adding these lines.
.SYNOPSIS
Provides a brief statement of what this function or script does.
.DESCRIPTION
This is a more detailed explaination of the script or function.
.PARAMETER parameter
This will descript the purpose of each parameter.  Add addition .PARAMTER lines for multiple parameters
.EXAMPLE
Provide one or more examples by adding more .EXAMPLE lines.
.INPUTS
This is the list of Microsoft .NET Framework objects that can be piped to this function.
.OUTPUTS
The .NET Framework type of object that is returned from this function or cmdlet.
.NOTES
Any additional information about this function or cmdlet.

You can read about these, and more attributes of the help file by executing this line in PowerShell: help About_ comment_based_help

Let’s add a help file and see the results.

Function WriteText {
<#
.SYNOPSIS
Writes what you give it.
.DESCRIPTION
This function displays the input that it was provided.
.PARAMETER $InputValue
Accepts String or integer values.
.EXAMPLE
WriteText "Hello World"
.EXAMPLE
WriteText -InputValue "Hello World"
#>
Param (
    [parameter(Mandatory=$True,ValueFromPipeline=$True)]$InputValue `
    = (Read-Host 'Please provide an input value: '))
BEGIN {}
PROCESS{

    Write-Host $InputValue
    }
END {}
}

Here is the help file if we execute Get-Help WriteText –Full
NAME
    WriteText
   
SYNOPSIS
    Writes what you give it.
   
SYNTAX
    WriteText [-InputValue] <Object> [<CommonParameters>]
   
   
DESCRIPTION
    This function displays the input that it was provided.
   

PARAMETERS
    -InputValue <Object>
       
        Required?                    true
        Position?                    1
        Default value               
        Accept pipeline input?       true (ByValue)
        Accept wildcard characters? 
       
    <CommonParameters>
        This cmdlet supports the common parameters: Verbose, Debug,
        ErrorAction, ErrorVariable, WarningAction, WarningVariable,
        OutBuffer and OutVariable. For more information, type,
        "get-help about_commonparameters".
   
INPUTS
   
OUTPUTS
   
    -------------------------- EXAMPLE 1 --------------------------
   
    C:\PS>WriteText "Hello World"

   -------------------------- EXAMPLE 2 --------------------------
   
    C:\PS>WriteText -InputValue "Hello World"

  
RELATED LINKS

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

With the AD Recycle Bin Turned on, What Happens when you Create a User Account with a Password that does not meet the Password Policy?

This was an interesting observation from one of my Windows Server 2012 classes.  While working with the AD Recycle bin in a lab, one of my students discovered some interesting accounts that were created. When he created user accounts that did not meet password complexity requirements, an account is temporarily made and then deleted.  When a new password is provided that meets the password requirements, then a new account is made. We discovered this in two places.  First off in the Active Directory Administrative Center.  This is what caused the initial confusion.  Take a look.  This is in the Deleted Objects OU. You can see multiple deleted accounts for Test2 and one for Test3.  Test3 is a valid, functioning user account.  Using the PowerShell command Get-ADObject –IncludeDeletedObjects –Filter * –Properties ObjectSID we can see that indeed, two accounts were created, with one of them deleted. Notice the RID portion of the SID is different. ...

Sticky Key problem between Windows Server 2012 and LogMeIn

This week I instructed my first class using Windows Server 2012 accessed via LogMeIn and discovered a Sticky Key problem every time you press the Shift key. Here is my solution to resolve this.  First off, in the Preferences of LogMeIn for the connection to the Windows Server, click General . Change the Keyboard and mouse priority to Host side user and click Apply at the bottom. On the Windows 2012 server, open the Control Panel – Ease of Access – Change how your keyboard works . Uncheck Turn on Sticky Keys . Click Set up Sticky Keys . Uncheck Turn on Sticky Keys when SHIFT is pressed five times . Click OK twice. If you are using Windows Server 2012 as a Hyper-V host, you will need to redo the Easy of Use settings on each guest operating system in order to avoid the Sticky Key Problem. Updated Information: March 20, 2013 If you continue to have problems, Uncheck Turn on Filter Keys .

Backup and Restore AD LDS with DSDBUTIL.exe

Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services allow you to create a directory service that allows applications to have access to user accounts, groups, and authentication similar to Active Directory Domain Services.  The big advantage here is that the schema of the directory service will not be bound by the rules of an Active Directory database.  Exchange 2007/2010, for example, use an instance of AD LDS on the Edge Transport Server to provide for user authentication from the internet.  Because your Active Directory database is not exposed to the internet, this is more secure. Applications will handle most of the dirty work should they require AD LDS.  You may want to make sure the database is being backed up and also have a restore plan in place.  Should the database become corrupt, the application that uses that database will fail.  This document will walk you through backing up and restoring an instance of AD LDS using the dsdbutil.exe command. Fi...