New-ExternalHelp
SYNOPSIS
Creates external help file based on markdown supported by PlatyPS.
SYNTAX
New-ExternalHelp -Path <String[]> -OutputPath <String> [-ApplicableTag <String[]>] [-Encoding <Encoding>]
[-MaxAboutWidth <Int32>] [-ErrorLogFile <String>] [-Force] [-ShowProgress] [<CommonParameters>]
DESCRIPTION
The New-ExternalHelp cmdlet creates an external help file based on markdown help files supported by PlatyPS. You can ship this with a module to provide help by using the Get-Help cmdlet.
If the markdown files that you specify do not follow the PlatyPS Schema (https://github.com/PowerShell/platyPS/blob/master/platyPS.schema.md), this cmdlet returns error messages.
EXAMPLES
Example 1: Create external help based on the contents of a folder
PS C:\> New-ExternalHelp -Path ".\docs" -OutputPath "out\platyPS\en-US"
Directory: D:\Working\PlatyPS\out\platyPS\en-US
Mode LastWriteTime Length Name
---- ------------- ------ ----
-a---- 5/19/2016 12:32 PM 46776 platyPS-help.xml
This command creates an external help file in the specified location. This command uses the best practice that the folder name includes the locale.
Example 2: Create help that uses custom encoding
PS C:\> New-ExternalHelp -Path ".\docs" -OutputPath "out\PlatyPS\en-US" -Force -Encoding ([System.Text.Encoding]::Unicode)
Directory: D:\Working\PlatyPS\out\PlatyPS\en-US
Mode LastWriteTime Length Name
---- ------------- ------ ----
-a---- 5/22/2016 6:34 PM 132942 platyPS-help.xml
This command creates an external help file in the specified location. This command specifies the Force parameter, therefore, it overwrites an existing file. The command specifies Unicode encoding for the created file.
Example 3: Write warnings and errors to file
PS C:\> New-ExternalHelp -Path ".\docs" -OutputPath "out\platyPS\en-US" -ErrorLogFile ".\WarningsAndErrors.json"
Directory: D:\Working\PlatyPS\out\platyPS\en-US
Mode LastWriteTime Length Name
---- ------------- ------ ----
-a---- 5/19/2016 12:32 PM 46776 platyPS-help.xml
This command creates an external help file in the specified location. This command uses the best practice that the folder name includes the locale. This command writes the warnings and errors to the WarningsAndErrors.json file.
PARAMETERS
-OutputPath
Specifies the path of a folder where this cmdlet saves your external help file. The folder name should end with a locale folder, as in the following example: `.\out\PlatyPS\en-US`.
Type: System.String
Parameter Sets: (All)
Aliases:
Required: True
Position: Named
Default value: None
Accept pipeline input: False
Accept wildcard characters: False
-Encoding
Specifies the character encoding for your external help file. Specify a System.Text.Encoding object. For more information, see Character Encoding in the .NET Framework (https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms404377.aspx)in the Microsoft Developer Network. For example, you can control Byte Order Mark (BOM) preferences. For more information, see Using PowerShell to write a file in UTF-8 without the BOM (http://stackoverflow.com/questions/5596982/using-powershell-to-write-a-file-in-utf-8-without-the-bom)at the Stack Overflow community.
Type: System.Text.Encoding
Parameter Sets: (All)
Aliases:
Required: False
Position: Named
Default value: UTF8 without BOM
Accept pipeline input: False
Accept wildcard characters: False
-Force
Indicates that this cmdlet overwrites an existing file that has the same name.
Type: System.Management.Automation.SwitchParameter
Parameter Sets: (All)
Aliases:
Required: False
Position: Named
Default value: False
Accept pipeline input: False
Accept wildcard characters: False
-Path
Specifies an array of paths of markdown files or folders. This cmdlet creates external help based on these files and folders.
Type: System.String[]
Parameter Sets: (All)
Aliases:
Required: True
Position: Named
Default value: None
Accept pipeline input: True (ByPropertyName, ByValue)
Accept wildcard characters: True
-ApplicableTag
Specify array of tags to use as a filter. If cmdlet has `applicable` in the yaml metadata and none of the passed tags is mentioned there, cmdlet would be ignored in the generated help. Same applies to the Parameter level `applicable` yaml metadata. If `applicable` is ommited, cmdlet or parameter would be always present. See design issue (https://github.com/PowerShell/platyPS/issues/273)for more details.
Type: System.String[]
Parameter Sets: (All)
Aliases:
Required: False
Position: Named
Default value: None
Accept pipeline input: False
Accept wildcard characters: False
-MaxAboutWidth
Specifies the maximimum line length when generating "about" help text files. (See New-MarkdownAboutHelp.) Other help file types are not affected by this parameter.
Lines inside code blocks are not wrapped at all and are not affected by the MaxAboutWidth parameter.
Type: System.Int32
Parameter Sets: (All)
Aliases:
Required: False
Position: Named
Default value: 80
Accept pipeline input: False
Accept wildcard characters: False
-ErrorLogFile
The path where this cmdlet will save formatted results log file.
The path must include the location and name of the folder and file name with the json extension. The JSON object contains three properties, Message, FilePath, and Severity (Warning or Error).
If this path is not provided, no log will be generated.
Type: System.String
Parameter Sets: (All)
Aliases:
Required: False
Position: Named
Default value: None
Accept pipeline input: False
Accept wildcard characters: False
-ShowProgress
Display progress bars under parsing existing markdown files.
If this is used generating of help is much slower.
Type: System.Management.Automation.SwitchParameter
Parameter Sets: (All)
Aliases:
Required: False
Position: Named
Default value: False
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
String[]
You can pipe an array of paths to this cmdlet.
OUTPUTS
System.IO.FileInfo[]
This cmdlet returns a FileInfo[] object for created files.