PowerShell Easylog module

Every time you write a script for your company, you'll want to log some or all of the steps that script is performing, whether it's for troubleshooting purposes or for future reference.

Creating proper logging each and every time you write a script can get extremely time-consuming and monotonous, so I've written a little something that will hopefully make logging in PowerShell a less tedious job.

Ladies and gents, I present to you the first version of "Easylog".
 

<#
                       .Synopsis
                        Provides a one-liner to effectively write into a logfile and/or on screen.
                        
                       .Description
                        Provides a one-liner to effectively write into a logfile and/or on screen. By using the Write-Easylog command, you can decide in which logfile you wish to write, with the option of showing it in the console in a colour of choice.
                        
                       .Parameter Logname
                        The -Logname parameter is a mandatory parameter in which you decide the name for your logfile. Logfiles will be saved as YYYYMMDD_Logname.log in the .\Logs directory.
                       
                       .Parameter Text
                        The -Text parameter is a mandatory paramater in which you decide the body of your logged message. Don't forget to use quotation marks when using spaces or tabs.
                        
                       .Parameter OnScreen
                        The -OnScreen parameter is an optional parameter. When invoked, your message defined in -Text will appear in your console window as well.
                       
                       .Parameter OnScreenFGColor
                        The -OnScreenFGColor parameter is an optional parameter used when -OnScreen is invoked. In this parameter you can define the foregroundcolour of the text shown on screen.
                       
                       .Parameter OnScreenBGColor
                        The -OnScreenBGColor parameter is an optional parameter used when -OnScreen is invoked. In this parameter you can define the backgroundcolour of the text shown on screen.
                        
                       .Example
                        # Write "Hi-de-ho neighbour!" to the file .\Logs\YYYYMMDD_Script.log
                        Write-Easylog -Logname Script -Text "Hi-de-ho neighbour!"
                       
                       .Example
                        # Write "Hi-de-ho neighbour!" to the file .\Logs\YYYYMMDD_Script.log and show it in the console window as well.
                        Write-Easylog -Logname Script -Text "Hi-de-ho neighbour!" -OnScreen
                        
                       .Example
                        # Write "Hi-de-ho neighbour!" to the file .\Logs\YYYYMMDD_Script.log and show it in the console window as well, with foregroundcolour red.
                        Write-Easylog -Logname Script -Text "Hi-de-ho neighbour!" -OnScreen -OnScreenFGColor red
                      
                       .Example
                        # Write "Hi-de-ho neighbour!" to the file .\Logs\YYYYMMDD_Script.log and show it in the console window as well, with backgroundcolour yellow.
                        Write-Easylog -Logname Script -Text "Hi-de-ho neighbour!" -OnScreen -OnScreenBGColor yellow
                        
                       .Example
                        # Write "Hi-de-ho neighbour!" to the file .\Logs\YYYYMMDD_Script.log and show it in the console window as well, with foregroundcolour red and backgroundcolour yellow.
                        Write-Easylog -Logname Script -Text "Hi-de-ho neighbour!" -OnScreen -OnScreenFGColor red -OnScreenBGColor yellow
                      #>
                      
                      Function Write-Easylog{
                      	[CmdletBinding()]
                      	Param(
                      	[Parameter(Mandatory=$True,Position=1)]
                      	[string]$Logname,
                      	[Parameter(Mandatory=$True,Position=2)]
                      	[string]$Text,
                      	[switch]$OnScreen,
                      	[string]$OnScreenFGColor,
                      	[string]$OnScreenBGColor
                      	)
                      	
                      	Easylog-Timestamp
                      	($EasylogTimestamp + " | " + $Text) | Out-File -FilePath ($EasylogLogsFolder + "\" + $EasylogLogstamp + $Logname + ".log") -Append
                      	if ($OnScreen -eq $true){
                      		if ([string]::IsNullOrEmpty($OnScreenFGColor) -and [string]::IsNullOrEmpty($OnScreenBGColor)){
                      			Write-Host ($EasylogTimestamp + " | " + $Text)
                      		}
                      		Elseif ($OnScreenFGColor -ne $null -and [string]::IsNullOrEmpty($OnScreenBGColor)){
                      			Write-Host ($EasylogTimestamp + " | " + $Text) -ForegroundColor $OnScreenFGColor
                      		}
                      		Elseif ([string]::IsNullOrEmpty($OnScreenFGColor) -and $OnScreenBGColor -ne $null){
                      			Write-Host ($EasylogTimestamp + " | " + $Text) -BackgroundColor $OnScreenBGColor
                      		}
                      		Else{
                      			Write-Host ($EasylogTimestamp + " | " + $Text) -ForegroundColor $OnScreenFGColor -BackgroundColor $OnScreenBGColor
                      		}
                      	}
                      }
                      
                      <#
                       .Synopsis
                        Easy utility to remove old logfiles from your .\Logs folder.
                        
                       .Description
                        Easy utility to remove old logfiles from your .\Logs folder. By using the Remove-Easylog command with any number of days behind it, you effectively remove all logfiles equal to or older than that number of days.
                        
                       .Parameter DeleteAfterNDays
                        The -DeleteAfterNDays parameter defines the number of days a logging should be kept. All logging equal to or older than N days will be deleted.
                        
                       .Example
                        # Delete all logs older than 4 days.
                        Remove-Easylog 4
                        
                       .Example
                        # Delete all logs older than 2 weeks.
                        Remove-Easylog 14
                      #>
                      
                      Function Remove-Easylog{
                      	[CmdletBinding()]
                      	Param(
                      	[Parameter(Mandatory=$True,Position=1)]
                      	[int]$DeleteAfterNDays
                      	)
                      	
                      	$LogFiles = (Get-ChildItem $EasylogLogsFolder | Where{!$_.PsIsContainer})
                          Foreach ($LogFile in $LogFiles){
                      	    $Check = [Math]::Abs((New-TimeSpan -Start ((Get-Date).ToShortDateString()) -End (($LogFile.lastwritetime).ToShortDateString())).Days)
                      		    If ($Check -ge $DeleteAfterNDays){
                      			    Remove-Item -Path ($EasylogLogsFolder + "\$($LogFile)")
                      		    }
                          }
                      }
                      
                      Function Easylog-CheckLogsFolder{
                      $script:EasylogLogsFolder = "$($EasylogScriptPath)\Logs"
                      [bool]$EasylogLogsFolderCheck = Test-Path $EasylogLogsFolder -PathType Container
                      	If ($EasylogLogsFolderCheck -ne $true){
                      		New-Item $EasylogLogsFolder -Type Directory
                      		Easylog-Timestamp
                              $EasylogLogFolderCreated = "Logfile folder does not exist. Creating $($EasylogLogsFolder)."
                              Write-Easylog -Logname Errorlog -Text $EasylogLogFolderCreated
                      	}
                      }
                      
                      Function Easylog-Timestamp{
                      	$script:EasylogTimestamp = Get-Date -Format "dd-MM-yyyy H:mm:ss"
                      	$script:EasylogLogstamp = Get-Date -Format "yyyyMMdd_"
                      }
                      
                      $EasylogScriptPath = Split-Path $MyInvocation.MyCommand.Path
                      Easylog-CheckLogsFolder
                      Export-ModuleMember -Function Write-Easylog
                      Export-ModuleMember -Function Remove-Easylog
                      

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How do you use this module? Simple.

1. Save this code snippet as "easylog.psm1" in the folder in which you have your own script.
2. In your script, place the following line of code:

$ScriptPath = Split-Path $MyInvocation.MyCommand.Path
                      Import-Module ($Scriptpath + "\Easylog.psm1")
                      

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3. You now have access to commands Write-Easylog and Remove-Easylog.

When you use Write-Easylog in your own script, it will save whichever message you want - timestamped - in the logfile your choose in a new folder in your scriptpath named Logs.

Example
I want to write "Hi-de-ho neighbour!" to the logfile .\Logs\YYYYMMDD_Wilson.log
Write-Easylog -Logname Wilson -Text "Hi-de-ho neighbour!"

It's THAT easy.

When you use Remove-Easylog you must specify an N number of days. For example, 14.
Remove-Easylog 14

This will then delete all logfiles in your .\Logs directory older than 14 days!

Questions, suggestions and corrections to this script are very welcome!

-Baz