Format-Wide
SYNOPSIS
Formats objects as a wide table that displays only one property of each object.
SYNTAX
Format-Wide [[-Property] <Object>] [-AutoSize] [-Column <Int32>] [-GroupBy <Object>] [-View <String>]
[-ShowError] [-DisplayError] [-Force] [-Expand <String>] [-InputObject <PSObject>] [<CommonParameters>]
DESCRIPTION
The `Format-Wide` cmdlet formats objects as a wide table that displays only one property of each object. You can use the Property parameter to determine which property is displayed.
EXAMPLES
Example 1: Format names of files in the current directory
Get-ChildItem | Format-Wide -Column 3
The Get-ChildItem cmdlet gets objects representing each file in the directory. The pipeline operator (|) passes the file objects through the pipeline to `Format-Wide`, which formats them for output. The Column parameter specifies the number of columns.
Example 2: Format names of registry keys
Get-ChildItem HKCU:\software\microsoft | Format-Wide -Property pschildname -AutoSize
The Get-ChildItem cmdlet gets objects representing the keys. The path is specified as HKCU:, one of the drives exposed by the PowerShell Registry provider, followed by the key path. The pipeline operator (|) passes the registry key objects through the pipeline to `Format-Wide`, which formats them for output. The Property parameter specifies the name of the property, and the AutoSize parameter adjusts the columns for readability.
Example 3: Troubleshooting format errors
PS /> Get-Date | Format-Wide { $_ / $null } -DisplayError
#ERR
PS /> Get-Date | Format-Wide { $_ / $null } -ShowError
Failed to evaluate expression " $_ / $null ".
+ CategoryInfo : InvalidArgument: (12/21/2018 8:18:01 AM:PSObject) [], RuntimeException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : PSPropertyExpressionError
PARAMETERS
-AutoSize
Adjusts the column size and number of columns based on the width of the data. By default, the column size and number are determined by the view. You cannot use the AutoSize and Column parameters in the same command.
Type: System.Management.Automation.SwitchParameter
Parameter Sets: (All)
Aliases:
Required: False
Position: Named
Default value: False
Accept pipeline input: False
Accept wildcard characters: False
-Column
Specifies the number of columns in the display. You cannot use the AutoSize and Column parameters in the same command.
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-Wide` 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 ICollection (System.Collections) 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 properties of 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
Indicates that this cmdlet overrides restrictions that prevent the command from succeeding, just so the changes do not compromise security. For example, Force will override the read-only attribute or create directories to complete a file path, but it will not attempt to change file permissions.
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 format. 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>`
- 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
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-Wide` 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 table 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-Wide`.
OUTPUTS
Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.Internal.Format
`Format-Wide` returns format objects that represent the table.
NOTES
You can also refer to `Format-Wide` by its built-in alias, `fw`. For more information, see about_Aliases (../Microsoft.PowerShell.Core/About/about_Aliases.md).
The GroupBy parameter assumes that the objects are sorted. Use `Sort-Object` before using `Format-Custom` 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 table format; if it does not, the command fails. If the alternate view is a list, use `Format-List`. If the alternate view is neither a list nor a table, use Format-Custom.