Powershell won't output to file
Hi,
I'm trying to capture a session in Powershell. I do the following:
D:\coursera-dl-master> Start-Transcript
but this only contains the commands I type and not the output. If I do "echo 1" I will see both the command and output separately, but if I execute a Python command from a .bat file, I don't see any of its output.
The same happens if I try a redirect like:
D:\coursera-dl-master> ./coursera-dl.bat {options ...} > out.txt
How can I capture all output in a shell, including from batch scripts and Python programs?
I'm trying to capture a session in Powershell. I do the following:
D:\coursera-dl-master> Start-Transcript
but this only contains the commands I type and not the output. If I do "echo 1" I will see both the command and output separately, but if I execute a Python command from a .bat file, I don't see any of its output.
The same happens if I try a redirect like:
D:\coursera-dl-master> ./coursera-dl.bat {options ...} > out.txt
How can I capture all output in a shell, including from batch scripts and Python programs?
ASKER
I'm guessing pathtofile.txt is the output text file. What is out-file then?
Can you give an example using 'echo' or something?
Can you give an example using 'echo' or something?
Out-file sends the results of the command you launched to a file.
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh849882.aspx
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh849882.aspx
you need to supply a file name parameter with the start-transcript command
ASKER
Okay, out-file is a program, got it. I got it to work with 'echo'.
I tried this:
D:\coursera-dl-master> ./coursera-dl.bat {options ...} | out-file out2.txt
The file is empty. The program coursera-dl.bat is producing errors and I'm trying to catch those, but this technique isn't catching errors. Is there something special I have to do to catch errors into the file?
@aikimark: You don't need to specify a file, it will use its own file name and tell you what it is when you stop.
I tried this:
D:\coursera-dl-master> ./coursera-dl.bat {options ...} | out-file out2.txt
The file is empty. The program coursera-dl.bat is producing errors and I'm trying to catch those, but this technique isn't catching errors. Is there something special I have to do to catch errors into the file?
@aikimark: You don't need to specify a file, it will use its own file name and tell you what it is when you stop.
Try adding -Append after the out2.txt
If that doesn't work then try this:
D:\coursera-dl-master> ./coursera-dl.bat {options ...} >> out2.txt
If that doesn't work then try this:
D:\coursera-dl-master> ./coursera-dl.bat {options ...} >> out2.txt
ASKER
Sorry for the late response, I was out of town.
I had tried that 2nd one before, so I tried the append. Unfortunately neither solution works.
It has something to do with the ability to capture std error text. It can capture normal output, but not error text.
I had tried that 2nd one before, so I tried the append. Unfortunately neither solution works.
It has something to do with the ability to capture std error text. It can capture normal output, but not error text.
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ASKER
Yes, that did it, thanks! Why does adding the '2' make it work?
PowerShell writes its messages to different streams that can be redirected to files for capturing the respective output.
•Stream 1 (default): regular output ("STDOUT")
•Stream 2: error messages ("STDERR"), including error messages from external programs
•Stream 3: warning messages
•Stream 4: verbose messages
•Stream 5: debug messages
To capture a particular stream in a file you need to redirect the stream number to a file name. For instance you wanted error messages so you need to add the 2 to capture Stream 2.
•Stream 1 (default): regular output ("STDOUT")
•Stream 2: error messages ("STDERR"), including error messages from external programs
•Stream 3: warning messages
•Stream 4: verbose messages
•Stream 5: debug messages
To capture a particular stream in a file you need to redirect the stream number to a file name. For instance you wanted error messages so you need to add the 2 to capture Stream 2.
put the | at the end of the command with a space then the out-file command as shown above