Show output before Read-Host

Question

I'm having some issues getting some info to write to the console before Read-Host. Let me throw out a simplified example.

Function Add-Build {
[CmdletBinding()]
Param ([Parameter(Mandatory=$True,Position=1)][String]$Build
      ,[Parameter(Mandatory=$False,Position=2)][System.Nullable``1[[System.Int32]]]$VersionID
      ,[Parameter(Mandatory=$False,Position=3)][String]$BuildDescription
)

    Write-Host -BackgroundColor DarkYellow "Adding SQL Build $($Build)"


IF ($VersionID -eq $null)
{
    Get-SqlVersions | Out-String


    $VersionID = Read-Host -Prompt "SELECT Version (Enter To Skip)" | % { IF ($_ -eq '') {$null} ELSE {$_}}
    }
}

FUNCTION Test-Function {

   $BuildID = (Get-BuildID -Build "11.0.3156.0").ToString()
}

If I call Add-Build directly then the Get-SqlVersions | Out-String output before the Read-Host. If I call Test-Function though the Get-SqlVersions no longer outputs to the console at all. Get-SqlVersions makes a SQL proc call and the output is a couple Datarows.

Is there a way to ensure the Get-SqlVersions data shows up when calling Test-Function?

Make it output to the host. `$GetSQL = Get-SqlVersions | Out-String; Write-Host $GetSQL` — TheMadTechnician, Mar 10 '17 at 00:47
Worked perfectly, put that up as the answer and I'll gladly accept. Thanks. — MrTCS, Mar 10 '17 at 02:17

score 3 · Accepted Answer · answered Mar 10 '17 at 17:22

3

Make it explicitly output to the host.

$GetSQL = Get-SqlVersions | Out-String
Write-Host $GetSQL

answered Mar 10 '17 at 17:22

TheMadTechnician

34,906
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score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Mar 10 '17 at 05:46

0

Could you please store Get-SqlVersions | Out-String; in a Variable and display that. I think that should work.

$versions = Get-SqlVersions | Out-String; 
$versions

answered Mar 10 '17 at 05:46

Ranadip Dutta

8,857
3
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That actually outputs to `Write-Output`, which when called from his second function would be consumed by the variable. – TheMadTechnician Mar 10 '17 at 17:21
Use Write-host Followed by the variable then..:) – Ranadip Dutta Mar 11 '17 at 07:27

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Sep 03 '19 at 22:17

0

I know this is old, but I stumbled on it and can't help but contribute.

The problem is here:

Get-SqlVersions | Out-String

Change it to this:

Get-SqlVersions | Out-Host

I did some quick looking around, and Out-String seems to collect and prepare things for displaying. Out-Host just does it.

answered Sep 03 '19 at 22:17

user12016864

1

After some measuring I've found out that Out-Host performs way slower then Out-String. No surprise on that, but here are the stats: For a 10k array, Out-String outputs it on average in 114 ms. Out-Host outputs it on average in 833 ms. For completeness, Out-Null outputs it on avg in 14 ms. Avg based on 20 samples – IT M Jan 06 '21 at 15:29

Show output before Read-Host

3 Answers3

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