Format-List
SYNOPSIS
Formats the output as a list of properties in which each property appears on a new line.
SYNTAX
Format-List [[-Property] <Object[]>] [-GroupBy <Object>] [-View <String>] [-ShowError] [-DisplayError] [-Force]
[-Expand <String>] [-InputObject <PSObject>] [<CommonParameters>]
DESCRIPTION
The `Format-List` cmdlet formats the output of a command as a list of properties in which each property is displayed on a separate line. You can use `Format-List` to format and display all or selected properties of an object as a list (format-list *).
Because more space is available for each item in a list than in a table, PowerShell displays more properties of the object in the list, and the property values are less likely to be truncated.
EXAMPLES
Example 1: Format computer services
Get-Service | Format-List
This command formats information about services on the computer as a list. By default, the services are formatted as a table. The `Get-Service` cmdlet gets objects representing the services on the computer. The pipeline operator (|) passes the results through the pipeline to `Format-List`. Then, the `Format-List` command formats the service information in a list and sends it to the default output cmdlet for display.
Example 2: Format PS1XML files
$A = Get-ChildItem $pshome\*.ps1xml
Format-List -InputObject $A
The first command gets the objects representing the files and stores them in the `$A` variable.
The second command uses `Format-List` to format information about objects stored in `$A`. This command uses the InputObject parameter to pass the variable to `Format-List`, which then sends the formatted output to the default output cmdlet for display.
Example 3: Format process properties by name
Get-Process | Format-List -Property name, basepriority, priorityclass
It uses the `Get-Process` cmdlet to get an object representing each process. The pipeline operator (|) passes the process objects through the pipeline to `Format-List`. `Format-List` formats the processes as a list of the specified properties. The Property parameter name is optional, so you can omit it.
Example 4: Format all properties for a process
Get-Process winlogon | Format-List -Property *
It uses the Get-Process cmdlet to get an object representing the Winlogon process. The pipeline operator (|) passes the Winlogon process object through the pipeline to `Format-List`. The command uses the Property parameter to specify the properties and the * to indicate all properties. Because the name of the Property parameter is optional, you can omit it and type the command as `Format-List *`. `Format-List` automatically sends the results to the default output cmdlet for display.
Example 5: Troubleshooting format errors
PC /> Get-Date | Format-List DayOfWeek,{ $_ / $null } -DisplayError
DayOfWeek : Friday
$_ / $null : #ERR
PC /> Get-Date | Format-List DayOfWeek,{ $_ / $null } -ShowError
DayOfWeek : Friday
$_ / $null :
Failed to evaluate expression " $_ / $null ".
+ CategoryInfo : InvalidArgument: (12/21/2018 7:59:23 AM:PSObject) [], RuntimeException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : PSPropertyExpressionError
PARAMETERS
-DisplayError
Indicates that this cmdlet 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-List` 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
Specifies the formatted collection object, as well as the objects in the collection. This parameter is designed to format objects that support the ICollection (System.Collections) interface. The default value is EnumOnly. The acceptable values for this parameter 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 properties of objects in the
collection.
Type: System.String
Parameter Sets: (All)
Aliases:
Accepted values: CoreOnly, EnumOnly, Both
Required: False
Position: Named
Default value: None
Accept pipeline input: False
Accept wildcard characters: False
-Force
Indicates that this cmdlet displays all of the error information. Use with the DisplayError or ShowError parameter. 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
Specifies 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:
- 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: 0
Default value: None
Accept pipeline input: False
Accept wildcard characters: False
-ShowError
Indicates that the cmdlet 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-List` 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 list format or 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-List`.
OUTPUTS
Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.Internal.Format
`Format-List` returns the format objects that represent the list.
NOTES
You can also refer to Format-List by its built-in alias, FL. For more information, see about_Aliases (../Microsoft.PowerShell.Core/About/about_Aliases.md).
The format cmdlets, such as `Format-List`, arrange the data to be displayed but do not display it. The data is displayed by the output features of PowerShell and by the cmdlets that contain the Out verb (the Out cmdlets), such as `Out-Host` or `Out-File`.
If you do not use a format cmdlet, PowerShell applies that default format for each object that it displays.
The GroupBy parameter assumes that the objects are sorted. Use Sort-Object before using `Format-List` to group the objects.
The View parameter lets you specify an alternate format for the table. You can use the views defined in the `*.format.PS1XML` files in the PowerShell directory, or you can create your own views in new PS1XML files and use the Update-FormatData cmdlet to include them in PowerShell.
The alternate view for the View parameter must use the list format, otherwise, the command fails. If the alternate view is a table, use `Format-Table`. If the alternate view is not a list or a table, use `Format-Custom`.