Export-FormatData
SYNOPSIS
Saves formatting data from the current session in a formatting file.
SYNTAX
ByPath (Default)
Export-FormatData -InputObject <ExtendedTypeDefinition[]> -Path <String> [-Force] [-NoClobber]
[-IncludeScriptBlock] [<CommonParameters>]
ByLiteralPath
Export-FormatData -InputObject <ExtendedTypeDefinition[]> -LiteralPath <String> [-Force] [-NoClobber]
[-IncludeScriptBlock] [<CommonParameters>]
DESCRIPTION
The `Export-FormatData` cmdlet creates PowerShell formatting files (format.ps1xml) from the formatting objects in the current session. It takes the ExtendedTypeDefinition objects that `Get-FormatData` returns and saves them in a file in XML format.
PowerShell uses the data in formatting files (format.ps1xml) to generate the default display of Microsoft .NET Framework objects in the session. You can view and edit the formatting files and use the Update-FormatData cmdlet to add the formatting data to a session.
For more information about formatting files in PowerShell, see about_Format.ps1xml (../Microsoft.PowerShell.Core/About/about_Format.ps1xml.md).
EXAMPLES
Example 1: Export session format data
Get-FormatData -TypeName "*" | Export-FormatData -Path "allformat.ps1xml" -IncludeScriptBlock
This command exports all of the format data in the session to the AllFormat.ps1xml file.
The command uses the `Get-FormatData` cmdlet to get the format data in the session. A value of `*` (all) for the TypeName parameter directs the cmdlet to get all of the data in the session.
The command uses a pipeline operator (`|`) to send the format data from the `Get-FormatData` command to the `Export-FormatData` cmdlet, which exports the format data to the AllFormat.ps1 file.
The `Export-FormatData` command uses the IncludeScriptBlock parameter to include script blocks in the format data in the file.
Example 2: Export format data for a type
$F = Get-FormatData -TypeName "helpinfoshort"
Export-FormatData -InputObject $F -Path "c:\test\help.format.ps1xml" -IncludeScriptBlock
These commands export the format data for the HelpInfoShort type to the Help.format.ps1xml file.
The first command uses the `Get-FormatData` cmdlet to get the format data for the HelpInfoShort type, and it saves it in the `$F` variable.
The second command uses the InputObject parameter of the `Export-FormatData` cmdlet to enter the format data saved in the `$F` variable. It also uses the IncludeScriptBlock parameter to include script blocks in the output.
Example 3: Export format data without a script block
Get-FormatData -TypeName "System.Diagnostics.Process" | Export-FormatData -Path process.format.ps1xml
Update-FormatData -PrependPath ".\process.format.ps1xml"
Get-Process p*
Handles NPM(K) PM(K) WS(K) VM(M) CPU(s) Id ProcessName
------- ------ ----- ----- ----- ------ -- -----------
323 5600 powershell
336 3900 powershell_ise
138 4076 PresentationFontCache
This example shows the effect of omitting the IncludeScriptBlock parameter from an `Export-FormatData` command.
The first command uses the `Get-FormatData` cmdlet to get the format data for the System.Diagnostics.Process object that the Get-Process cmdlet returns. The command uses a pipeline operator (`|`) to send the formatting data to the `Export-FormatData` cmdlet, which exports it to the Process.format.ps1xml file in the current directory.
In this case, the `Export-FormatData` command does not use the IncludeScriptBlock parameter.
The second command uses the `Update-FormatData` cmdlet to add the Process.format.ps1xml file to the current session. The command uses the PrependPath parameter to ensure that the formatting data for process objects in the Process.format.ps1xml file is found before the standard formatting data for process objects.
The third command shows the effects of this change. The command uses the `Get-Process` cmdlet to get processes that have names that begin with P. The output shows that property values that are calculated by using script blocks are missing from the display.
PARAMETERS
-Force
Forces the command to run without asking for user confirmation.
Type: System.Management.Automation.SwitchParameter
Parameter Sets: (All)
Aliases:
Required: False
Position: Named
Default value: False
Accept pipeline input: False
Accept wildcard characters: False
-IncludeScriptBlock
Indicates whether script blocks in the format data are exported.
Because script blocks contain code and can be used maliciously, they are not exported by default.
Type: System.Management.Automation.SwitchParameter
Parameter Sets: (All)
Aliases:
Required: False
Position: Named
Default value: False
Accept pipeline input: False
Accept wildcard characters: False
-InputObject
Specifies the format data objects to be exported. Enter a variable that contains the objects or a command that gets the objects, such as a `Get-FormatData` command. You can also pipe the objects from `Get-FormatData` to `Export-FormatData`.
Type: System.Management.Automation.ExtendedTypeDefinition[]
Parameter Sets: (All)
Aliases:
Required: True
Position: Named
Default value: None
Accept pipeline input: True (ByValue)
Accept wildcard characters: False
-LiteralPath
Specifies a location for the output file. Unlike the Path parameter, the value of LiteralPath is used exactly as it is typed. No characters are interpreted as wildcards. If the path includes escape characters, enclose it in single quotation marks. Single quotation marks tell PowerShell not to interpret any characters as escape sequences.
Type: System.String
Parameter Sets: ByLiteralPath
Aliases: PSPath, LP
Required: True
Position: Named
Default value: None
Accept pipeline input: False
Accept wildcard characters: False
-NoClobber
Indicates that the cmdlet does not overwrite existing files. By default, `Export-FormatData` overwrites files without warning unless the file has the read-only attribute.
To direct `Export-FormatData` to overwrite read-only files, use the Force parameter.
Type: System.Management.Automation.SwitchParameter
Parameter Sets: (All)
Aliases: NoOverwrite
Required: False
Position: Named
Default value: False
Accept pipeline input: False
Accept wildcard characters: False
-Path
Specifies a location for the output file. Enter a path (optional) and file name with a format.ps1xml file name extension. If you omit the path, `Export-FormatData` creates the file in the current directory.
If you use a file name extension other than .ps1xml, the `Update-FormatData` cmdlet will not recognize the file.
If you specify an existing file, `Export-FormatData` overwrites the file without warning, unless the file has the read-only attribute. To overwrite a read-only file, use the Force parameter. To prevent files from being overwritten, use the NoClobber parameter.
Type: System.String
Parameter Sets: ByPath
Aliases: FilePath
Required: True
Position: Named
Default value: None
Accept pipeline input: False
Accept wildcard characters: False
CommonParameters
This cmdlet supports the common parameters: -Debug, -ErrorAction, -ErrorVariable, -InformationAction, -InformationVariable, -OutVariable, -OutBuffer, -PipelineVariable, -Verbose, -WarningAction, and -WarningVariable. For more information, see about_CommonParameters.
INPUTS
System.Management.Automation.ExtendedTypeDefinition
You can pipe ExtendedTypeDefinition objects from `Get-FormatData` to `Export-FormatData`.
OUTPUTS
None
`Export-FormatData` does not return any objects. It generates a file and saves it in the specified path.
NOTES
- To use any formatting file, including an exported formatting file, the execution policy for the session must allow scripts and configuration files to run. For more information, see about_Execution_Policies (../Microsoft.PowerShell.Core/About/about_Execution_Policies.md).