Format-Custom
Uses a customized view to format the output.
Syntax
Format-Custom
[[-Property] <Object[]>]
[-Depth <Int32>]
[-GroupBy <Object>]
[-View <String>]
[-ShowError]
[-DisplayError]
[-Force]
[-Expand <String>]
[-InputObject <PSObject>]
[<CommonParameters>]
Description
The Format-Custom
cmdlet formats the output of a command as defined in an alternate view.
Format-Custom
is designed to display views that are not just tables or just lists. You can use the
views defined in PowerShell, or you can create your own views in a new format.ps1xml
file and use
the Update-FormatData
cmdlet to add them to PowerShell.
Examples
Example 1: Format output with a custom view
Get-Command Start-Transcript | Format-Custom -View MyView
This command formats information about the Start-Transcript
cmdlet in the format defined by the
MyView view, a custom view created by the user. To run this command successfully, you must first
create a new PS1XML file, define the MyView view, and then use the Update-FormatData
command
to add the PS1XML file to PowerShell.
Example 2: Format output with the default view
Get-Process Winlogon | Format-Custom
This command formats information about the Winlogon process in an alternate customized view.
Because the command does not use the View parameter, Format-Custom
uses a default custom view
to format the data.
Example 3: Troubleshooting format errors
The following examples show of the results of adding the DisplayError or ShowError parameters with an expression.
PC /> Get-Date | Format-Custom DayOfWeek,{ $_ / $null } -DisplayError
class DateTime
{
DayOfWeek = Friday
$_ / $null = #ERR
}
PC /> Get-Date | Format-Custom DayOfWeek,{ $_ / $null } -ShowError
class DateTime
{
DayOfWeek = Friday
$_ / $null =
}
Failed to evaluate expression " $_ / $null ".
+ CategoryInfo : InvalidArgument: (12/21/2018 8:01:04 AM:PSObject) [], RuntimeException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : PSPropertyExpressionError
Parameters
-Depth
Specifies the number of columns in the display.
Type: | Int32 |
Position: | Named |
Default value: | None |
Required: | False |
Accept pipeline input: | False |
Accept wildcard characters: | False |
-DisplayError
Displays errors at the command line. This parameter is rarely used, but can be used as a debugging
aid when you are formatting expressions in a Format-Custom
command, and the expressions do not
appear to be working.
Type: | SwitchParameter |
Position: | Named |
Default value: | None |
Required: | False |
Accept pipeline input: | False |
Accept wildcard characters: | False |
-Expand
Formats the collection object, as well as the objects in the collection. This parameter is designed to format objects that support the System.Collections.ICollection interface. The default value is EnumOnly.
Valid values are:
- EnumOnly: Displays the properties of the objects in the collection.
- CoreOnly: Displays the properties of the collection object.
- Both: Displays the properties of the collection object and the objects in the collection.
Type: | String |
Accepted values: | CoreOnly, EnumOnly, Both |
Position: | Named |
Default value: | EnumOnly |
Required: | False |
Accept pipeline input: | False |
Accept wildcard characters: | False |
-Force
Directs the cmdlet to display all of the error information. Use with the DisplayError or ShowError parameters. By default, when an error object is written to the error or display streams, only some of the error information is displayed.
Type: | SwitchParameter |
Position: | Named |
Default value: | None |
Required: | False |
Accept pipeline input: | False |
Accept wildcard characters: | False |
-GroupBy
Formats the output in groups based on a shared property or value. Enter an expression or a property
of the output. The GroupBy parameter expects that the objects are sorted. Use the Sort-Object
cmdlet before using Format-Custom
to group the objects.
The value of the GroupBy parameter can be a new calculated property. The calculated property can be a script block or a hash table. Valid key-value pairs are:
- Name (or Label)
<string>
- Expression
<string>
or<script block>
- FormatString
<string>
For more information, see about_Calculated_Properties.
Type: | Object |
Position: | Named |
Default value: | None |
Required: | False |
Accept pipeline input: | False |
Accept wildcard characters: | False |
-InputObject
Specifies the objects to be formatted. Enter a variable that contains the objects or type a command or expression that gets the objects.
Type: | PSObject |
Position: | Named |
Default value: | None |
Required: | False |
Accept pipeline input: | True |
Accept wildcard characters: | False |
-Property
Specifies the object properties that appear in the display and the order in which they appear. Wildcards are permitted.
If you omit this parameter, the properties that appear in the display depend on the object being displayed. The parameter name Property is optional. You cannot use the Property and View parameters in the same command.
The value of the Property parameter can be a new calculated property. The calculated property can be a script block or a hash table. Valid key-value pairs are:
- Expression -
<string>
or<script block>
- Depth -
<int32>
For more information, see about_Calculated_Properties.
Type: | Object[] |
Position: | 0 |
Default value: | None |
Required: | False |
Accept pipeline input: | False |
Accept wildcard characters: | True |
-ShowError
Sends errors through the pipeline. This parameter is rarely used, but can be used as a debugging aid
when you are formatting expressions in a Format-Custom
command, and the expressions do not appear
to be working.
Type: | SwitchParameter |
Position: | Named |
Default value: | None |
Required: | False |
Accept pipeline input: | False |
Accept wildcard characters: | False |
-View
Specifies the name of an alternate format or view. If you omit this parameter, Format-Custom
uses a default custom view. You cannot use the Property and View parameters in the same
command.
Type: | String |
Position: | Named |
Default value: | None |
Required: | False |
Accept pipeline input: | False |
Accept wildcard characters: | False |
Inputs
You can pipe any object to this cmdlet.
Outputs
Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.Internal.Format
This cmdlet returns the format objects that represent the display.
Notes
Windows PowerShell includes the following aliases for Format-Custom
:
fc
Format-Custom
is designed to display views that are not just tables or just lists. To display an
alternate table view, use Format-Table
. To display an alternate list view, use Format-List
.
The GroupBy parameter assumes that the objects are sorted. Before using Format-Custom
to
group the objects, use Sort-Object
to sort them.
Related Links
PowerShell