Add script to file in powershell

Question

I am having long script that need to be added to created file, problem is its a script and it contains lots of special chars.

And I am getting a lot of error, I've put script in '' but it did not work as i expected.

Is there an easy way to do it, like taking a text and just adding it to file, somehow with special chars?

powershell.exe Add-Content C:\Testing\Powershell\PageFeature.ps1 - 'Function Press-Button
{
    Add-Type -AssemblyName System.Windows.Forms
    [System.Windows.Forms.SendKeys]::SendWait('~');
}

Function Resize-Window
{
    $pshost = get-host
    $pswindow = $pshost.ui.rawui

    $newsize = $pswindow.buffersize
    $newsize.height = 300
    $newsize.width = 128
    $pswindow.buffersize = $newsize

    $newsize = $pswindow.windowsize
    $newsize.height = 5
    $newsize.width = 128
    $pswindow.windowsize = $newsize
}

Function Run-Tool
{
    $ps = new-object System.Diagnostics.Process
    $ps.StartInfo.Filename = "C:\Testing\bin.exe"
    $ps.StartInfo.RedirectStandardInput = $true
    $ps.StartInfo.UseShellExecute = $false

    $ps.start()

    while ( ! $ps.HasExited ) {
        Start-Sleep -s 5
        write-host "I will press button now..."
        Press-Button
    }

    Write-Output "Default key was pressed"
    Write-Output "exit code: $($ps.ExitCode)"
}

Resize-Window
Run-Tool'

Since you use single quotes in the code you cannot just simply use them to enclose the entire thing. If this is being executed in PowerShell use a herestring @"`nThext and stuff`n"@. You seem to have a floating hyphen as well. Why are you trying to do this exactly. Where are you doing this from? — Matt
– Matt, Commented Jul 5, 2017 at 13:23

henrycarteruk · Accepted Answer · 2017-07-05 13:27:26Z

1

You would want to use a Here String to define the block of text. You begin a here-string by using @" and end it by using "@.

The @" must be the last thing on the first line and the closing "@ must be the first two characters on the next line:

$a = @"
This is a here-string. I can type "anything" I want,
even carriage returns, and it will all be preserved.
No need to escape!
"@

Using it with your script would look like this:

powershell.exe Add-Content C:\Testing\Powershell\PageFeature.ps1 @"
Function Press-Button
{
    Add-Type -AssemblyName System.Windows.Forms
    [System.Windows.Forms.SendKeys]::SendWait('~');
}

Function Resize-Window
{
    $pshost = get-host
    $pswindow = $pshost.ui.rawui

    $newsize = $pswindow.buffersize
    $newsize.height = 300
    $newsize.width = 128
    $pswindow.buffersize = $newsize

    $newsize = $pswindow.windowsize
    $newsize.height = 5
    $newsize.width = 128
    $pswindow.windowsize = $newsize
}

Function Run-Tool
{
    $ps = new-object System.Diagnostics.Process
    $ps.StartInfo.Filename = "C:\Testing\bin.exe"
    $ps.StartInfo.RedirectStandardInput = $true
    $ps.StartInfo.UseShellExecute = $false

    $ps.start()

    while ( ! $ps.HasExited ) {
        Start-Sleep -s 5
        write-host "I will press button now..."
        Press-Button
    }

    Write-Output "Default key was pressed"
    Write-Output "exit code: $($ps.ExitCode)"
}

Resize-Window
Run-Tool
"@

answered Jul 5, 2017 at 13:27

henrycarteruk

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1 Comment

Jeroen Mostert Over a year ago

This will only work 1) if you're already in PowerShell and 2) if you use @' '@ (single quotes), because substitution is still active inside @" "@ and that's almost certainly not what you want when the text is a script.

Maximilian Burszley · Accepted Answer · 2017-07-05 13:26:42Z

0

You should dot-source your external script. This effectively dumps the contents of that script into your working script. At the top (or wherever you want the code to be initialized):

. "\\Path\to\Script.ps1"

answered Jul 5, 2017 at 13:26

Maximilian Burszley

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