Powershell: Functions with switches that include arguments

Question

So I'm trying to write a script that uses switch parameters and I also need arguments to go along with them. So for instance,

Function Foo ($X, $Z, [switch]$Y, $Yarg, [switch]$K, $Karg){
  if($Y){
    $Yup = $Yarg
  }

  if($K){
    $Y = $Karg
  }Else{$Y = 42}

  $X + $Z / $Yup

}

Essentialy I want to ask if the switch is there, then if it's there I want it to use the $Yarg variable, currently when I do that I get an error saying the switch can only be a boolean value. Then the rest of the code fails. Any ideas?

x0n · Accepted Answer · 2012-12-04 14:14:35Z

2

My assumption is that Y and K are mutually exclusive parameter sets, and X and Z are common to both, and mandatory. If neither -Y nor -K are specified, the default will be -Y. I'm using the alternate parameter declaration syntax here for clarity:

function Foo(
    [cmdletbinding(defaultparametersetname="setY")]
    param(
        [parameter(mandatory=$true)]
        $X,

        [parameter(mandatory=$true)]
        $Y

        [parameter(parametersetname="setY")]
        [switch]$Y,

        [parameter(parametersetname="setY", mandatory=$true)]
        $YArg,

        [parameter(parametersetname="setK")]
        [switch]$K,

        [parameter(parametersetname="setK", mandatory=$true)]
        $KArg,
    )
    # do work
)

I'm hoping the syntax should be obvious.

answered Dec 4, 2012 at 14:14

x0n

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3 Comments

user100541 Over a year ago

This pushed me much further along, but now I'm stuck again.

user100541 Over a year ago

Ok, so this worked pretty well, it just ended up being a matter of the parameter types I was using. I didn't really need to use Switches for the most part. It was more so using unmandatory variables. so instead of the above code I used this:

function Foo(     [cmdletbinding(defaultparametersetname="setY")]     param(         [parameter(mandatory=$true, position=0)]         $X,          [parameter(mandatory=$true, position=1)]         $Y          [parameter(mandatory=$false)]         $Y,          [parameter(mandatory=$false)]         $K,     )     # do work )

Thanks for the help!

x0n Over a year ago

ah, so you were confusing -parameterName:parameterValue with switches. These ain't switches; they're "named parameters." Switches don't have arguments (unless you explicitly provide a Boolean like -myswitch:$true or -myswitch:$false).

user100541 · Accepted Answer · 2012-12-04 17:28:12Z

0

So what I am intending on doing is making a function where you enter variables like so

foo x z -y yarg -k karg

Primarily wanting the -y yarg type variable entry.

For me to be able to do this I thought I needed to use a switch, but really I just needed unmandatory parameters.

   function Foo(
    [cmdletbinding(defaultparametersetname="setY")]
    param(
        [parameter(mandatory=$true, position=0)]
        $X,

        [parameter(mandatory=$true, position=1)]
        $Z

        [parameter(mandatory=$false)]
        $Y,

        [parameter(mandatory=$false)]
        $K
    )
    # do work
)

That seemed easier, and it works!

answered Dec 4, 2012 at 17:28

user100541

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