PowerShell script to name file using user input

Question

Using PowerShell. Trying to label a filename using a variable that the user enters.

function foo
{ $name = Read-Host -Prompt "Get name"
...
....
}

foo | Out-file -FilePath c:\temp\$name.log

result is a file is made but its just c:\temp\.log. How can I use input to the $name to name the file?

The file should always go to `C:\temp` ? What happens if the file with the same name already exists in the destination ? — Santiago Squarzon, Aug 29 '22 at 21:06
I guess your answer is here https://stackoverflow.com/questions/32448174/creating-new-file-with-touch-command-in-powershell-error-message or pretty close to it — Santiago Squarzon, Aug 29 '22 at 21:12
any directory, i label the file as a different week by input. — Rogelio, Aug 29 '22 at 21:18

mklement0 · Answer 1 · 2022-08-29T22:12:29.970

Creating a variable inside a function creates a local variable and therefore doesn't make it visible to the caller.
- There are ways to create a variable in the parent scope, but such techniques are best avoided in the interest of encapsulation.
Thus, if you want the caller to act on the value of $name, output its value from the function, or output the user response directly, as shown below.

# Define a function that prompts the user for a name
# *and outputs it* - no strict need for a variable.
function foo { Read-Host -Prompt "Get name" }

# Now use an expandable string ("...") with a subexpression ($(...))
# to call the function and embed its output in the string.
# Note that this either creates a new empty file or
# truncates an existing file.
Out-File -FilePath "c:\temp\$(foo).log"

PowerShell script to name file using user input

1 Answers1