Format-Custom
SYNOPSIS
Uses a customized view to format the output.
SYNTAX
Format-Custom [[-Property] <Object[]>] [-Depth <Int32>] [-GroupBy <Object>] [-View <String>] [-ShowError]
[-DisplayError] [-Force] [-Expand <String>] [-InputObject <PSObject>] [<CommonParameters>]
DESCRIPTION
The `Format-Custom` cmdlet formats the output of a command as defined in an alternate view. `Format-Custom` is designed to display views that are not just tables or just lists. You can use the views defined in PowerShell, or you can create your own views in a new `format.ps1xml` file and use the `Update-FormatData` cmdlet to add them to PowerShell.
EXAMPLES
Example 1: Format output with a custom view
Get-Command Start-Transcript | Format-Custom -View MyView
This command formats information about the `Start-Transcript` cmdlet in the format defined by the MyView view, a custom view created by the user. To run this command successfully, you must first create a new PS1XML file, define the MyView view, and then use the `Update-FormatData` command to add the PS1XML file to PowerShell.
Example 2: Format output with the default view
Get-Process Winlogon | Format-Custom
This command formats information about the Winlogon process in an alternate customized view. Because the command does not use the View parameter, `Format-Custom` uses a default custom view to format the data.
Example 3: Troubleshooting format errors
PC /> Get-Date | Format-Custom DayOfWeek,{ $_ / $null } -DisplayError
class DateTime
{
DayOfWeek = Friday
$_ / $null = #ERR
}
PC /> Get-Date | Format-Custom DayOfWeek,{ $_ / $null } -ShowError
class DateTime
{
DayOfWeek = Friday
$_ / $null =
}
Failed to evaluate expression " $_ / $null ".
+ CategoryInfo : InvalidArgument: (12/21/2018 8:01:04 AM:PSObject) [], RuntimeException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : PSPropertyExpressionError
PARAMETERS
-Depth
Specifies the number of columns in the display.
Type: System.Int32
Parameter Sets: (All)
Aliases:
Required: False
Position: Named
Default value: None
Accept pipeline input: False
Accept wildcard characters: False
-DisplayError
Displays errors at the command line. This parameter is rarely used, but can be used as a debugging aid when you are formatting expressions in a `Format-Custom` command, and the expressions do not appear to be working.
Type: System.Management.Automation.SwitchParameter
Parameter Sets: (All)
Aliases:
Required: False
Position: Named
Default value: False
Accept pipeline input: False
Accept wildcard characters: False
-Expand
Formats the collection object, as well as the objects in the collection. This parameter is designed to format objects that support the System.Collections.ICollection interface. The default value is EnumOnly .
Valid values are:
- EnumOnly: Displays the properties of the objects in the collection.
- CoreOnly: Displays the properties of the collection object.
- Both: Displays the properties of the collection object and the objects in the collection.
Type: System.String
Parameter Sets: (All)
Aliases:
Accepted values: CoreOnly, EnumOnly, Both
Required: False
Position: Named
Default value: EnumOnly
Accept pipeline input: False
Accept wildcard characters: False
-Force
Directs the cmdlet to display all of the error information. Use with the DisplayError or ShowError parameters. By default, when an error object is written to the error or display streams, only some of the error information is displayed.
Type: System.Management.Automation.SwitchParameter
Parameter Sets: (All)
Aliases:
Required: False
Position: Named
Default value: False
Accept pipeline input: False
Accept wildcard characters: False
-GroupBy
Formats the output in groups based on a shared property or value. Enter an expression or a property of the output.
The value of the GroupBy parameter can be a new calculated property. The calculated property can be a script block or a hash table. Valid key-value pairs are:
- Name (or Label) - `\<string>`
- Expression - `\<string>` or `\<script block>`
- FormatString - `\<string>`
For more information, see about_Calculated_Properties (../Microsoft.PowerShell.Core/About/about_Calculated_Properties.md).
Type: System.Object
Parameter Sets: (All)
Aliases:
Required: False
Position: Named
Default value: None
Accept pipeline input: False
Accept wildcard characters: False
-InputObject
Specifies the objects to be formatted. Enter a variable that contains the objects or type a command or expression that gets the objects.
Type: System.Management.Automation.PSObject
Parameter Sets: (All)
Aliases:
Required: False
Position: Named
Default value: None
Accept pipeline input: True (ByValue)
Accept wildcard characters: False
-Property
Specifies the object properties that appear in the display and the order in which they appear. Wildcards are permitted.
If you omit this parameter, the properties that appear in the display depend on the object being displayed. The parameter name Property is optional. You cannot use the Property and View parameters in the same command.
The value of the Property parameter can be a new calculated property. The calculated property can be a script block or a hash table. Valid key-value pairs are:
- Expression - `\<string>` or `\<script block>`
- Depth - `\<int32>`
For more information, see about_Calculated_Properties (../Microsoft.PowerShell.Core/About/about_Calculated_Properties.md).
Type: System.Object[]
Parameter Sets: (All)
Aliases:
Required: False
Position: 0
Default value: None
Accept pipeline input: False
Accept wildcard characters: False
-ShowError
Sends errors through the pipeline. This parameter is rarely used, but can be used as a debugging aid when you are formatting expressions in a `Format-Custom` command, and the expressions do not appear to be working.
Type: System.Management.Automation.SwitchParameter
Parameter Sets: (All)
Aliases:
Required: False
Position: Named
Default value: False
Accept pipeline input: False
Accept wildcard characters: False
-View
Specifies the name of an alternate format or view. If you omit this parameter, `Format-Custom` uses a default custom view. You cannot use the Property and View parameters in the same command.
Type: System.String
Parameter Sets: (All)
Aliases:
Required: False
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.PSObject
You can pipe any object to `Format-Custom`.
OUTPUTS
Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.Internal.Format
`Format-Custom` returns the format objects that represent the display.
NOTES
`Format-Custom` is designed to display views that are not just tables or just lists. To display an alternate table view, use `Format-Table`. To display an alternate list view, use `Format-List`.
You can also refer to `Format-Custom` by its built-in alias, `fc`. For more information, see about_Aliases (../Microsoft.PowerShell.Core/About/about_Aliases.md).
The GroupBy parameter assumes that the objects are sorted. Before using `Format-Custom` to group the objects, use `Sort-Object` to sort them.