Convert bash script to powershell

Question

I need to convert what looks like a pretty simple bash script to powershell but I'm pretty new to both.

The original script is:

alias cptimestamp="date +"%Y%m%d%H%M" | clip"

I've gotten this far but I'm not sure:

function cptimestamp {
 cptimestamp="date +"%Y%m%d%H%M" | clip"
}

I'm having a hard time figuring out what the 'clip' part does.

| clip copies the output to the Windows clipboard (with a trailing newline). The bigger question is: What are you trying to do? Get the current date and time (in some particular format) and copy it to the clipboard? — Bill_Stewart
– Bill_Stewart, Commented Dec 9, 2021 at 19:28
Can you describe what your original script does or is intended to do? — stackprotector
– stackprotector, Commented Dec 9, 2021 at 19:32
@Bill_Stewart yes, and then it's being appended to a file name so that the dates are all in the same format — TrevorGoodchild
– TrevorGoodchild, Commented Dec 9, 2021 at 19:34

Mathias R. Jessen · Accepted Answer · 2021-12-09 19:34:39Z

6

The equivalent of date +"%Y%m%d%H%M" in PowerShell would be:

Get-Date -UFormat "%Y%m%d%H%M"

So your function should probably look like this:

function cptimestamp {
  Get-Date -UFormat "%Y%m%d%H%M" |Set-ClipBoard
}

answered Dec 9, 2021 at 19:34

Mathias R. Jessen

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Comments

Bill_Stewart · Accepted Answer · 2021-12-09 19:35:20Z

2

If the purpose of your PowerShell function is to copy the current date and time to the Windows clipboard, I would probably use this:

function cptimestamp {
  [Windows.Forms.Clipboard]::SetText((Get-Date -Uformat "%Y%m%d%H%M"))
}

Or alternatively:

function cptimestamp {
  [Windows.Forms.Clipboard]::SetText((Get-Date -Format "yyyyMMddhhmmss"))
}

answered Dec 9, 2021 at 19:35

Bill_Stewart

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