Powershell - Store function output in variable not working

Question

stuck at this one trying to store function output in a variable:

function AD-prompt($Text)
{
do
{
$in = read-host -prompt "$Text"
}
while($in -eq "")
}

calling the function with

$type = AD-prompt "Sample Text"

does not store anything in $type - only when i remove the entire do-while loop it works. it seems the function output is empty as the read-host output is stored in the $in variable, but i have no idea how to solve this - i didnt find another way to loop the read-host aswell sadly.

Mark Wragg · Accepted Answer · 2018-03-29 13:30:40Z

4

You need to return $in from your function by outputting it. You can do this by putting it on a line on its own after your loop:

function AD-prompt($Text)
{
    do
    {
       $in = read-host -prompt "$Text"
    }
    while($in -eq "")

    $in
}

answered Mar 29, 2018 at 13:30

Mark Wragg

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5 Comments

FoxDeploy Over a year ago

You have to do this, OP, because your Function AD-Prompt didn't actually return anything. You were storing output in the $in variable, but not outputting that back. Due to variable scoping, the value of the variable goes away when the function exits.

Maximilian Burszley Over a year ago

Doesn't $in also stop existing outside of the loop? @FoxDeploy

Maximilian Burszley Over a year ago

Just a point of improvement, I'd use the Do { ... } Until ($in) construct

Flying Thunder Over a year ago

i thought it was such a simple mistake - thanks, i guess when i dont store the read-host output in a variable it turns the output into the function output?

Mark Wragg Over a year ago

Yes anything not output explicitly to anything else (such as a variable or as input to another function/cmdlet) will get returned.

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