Enable PowerShell to run command line commands
Is there any way of enabling PowerShell to run command line commands?
By default, I have found that while some command line commands are able to be run in PowerShell I have found that not all commands can be successfully run.
Is there any way of changing this?
By default, I have found that while some command line commands are able to be run in PowerShell I have found that not all commands can be successfully run.
Is there any way of changing this?
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Hi IT Guy,
Are you referring to 'DOS shell' commands?
If so, they should run from PowerShell, although you might need to use full name for the command if there is a conflict between the old DOS command, and a PowerShell command.
To do that, use the full DOS name, including the EXE extension. For example, one common 'issue' that comes up all the time for PowerShell is with the old DOS 'Service Control' (SC) command, so you use:
SC.exe
rather than just using 'SC' in PowerShell since SC is an alias for Set-Content in PowerShell.
Another option is to enclose the DOS command in quotes, and call it via Cmd /c like this from PowerShell:
Cmd /c "SC Query ServiceName"
Also, there is often a PowerShell command that takes the place of the old DOS command (such as Get-Service for SC) - if so, use that instead if you can.
There are a number of other ways around the problem but I would use one of the above generally, with a longer term preference to use the pure PowerShell command unless you know that you want the script to be able to run in both PowerShell and CMD.
Hope that helps,
Alan.
Are you referring to 'DOS shell' commands?
If so, they should run from PowerShell, although you might need to use full name for the command if there is a conflict between the old DOS command, and a PowerShell command.
To do that, use the full DOS name, including the EXE extension. For example, one common 'issue' that comes up all the time for PowerShell is with the old DOS 'Service Control' (SC) command, so you use:
SC.exe
rather than just using 'SC' in PowerShell since SC is an alias for Set-Content in PowerShell.
Another option is to enclose the DOS command in quotes, and call it via Cmd /c like this from PowerShell:
Cmd /c "SC Query ServiceName"
Also, there is often a PowerShell command that takes the place of the old DOS command (such as Get-Service for SC) - if so, use that instead if you can.
There are a number of other ways around the problem but I would use one of the above generally, with a longer term preference to use the pure PowerShell command unless you know that you want the script to be able to run in both PowerShell and CMD.
Hope that helps,
Alan.
PowerShell does its best to interpret the command line, especially when variables are involved.
This works most of the times, but obviously has its limits.
For example, PS "removes" (it actually doesn't pass them along) double quotes it finds unnecessary, while adding them when it thinks they are (that is, whenever there's a space in the variable).
That's best shown with the good old "find.exe", because it insists on the search string being surrounded by quotes.
Very simple command, and not really what you'd expect as result:
So for comparison, let's see what happens when a space is involved:
This is pretty much what you asked for initially.
Note that the "stop parsing" means exactly that: you can't use variables after that signal anymore, either:
Personally, I usually use the "&" when calling external programs, whether required or not, to make it clear what's happening, and always add the extension as well.
About Parsing
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/microsoft.powershell.core/about/about_parsing?view=powershell-5.1
If all that doesn't help, there's still Start-Process, where you can build your own command line arguments just like in VBScript.
Edit: added information about the "&" operator.
This works most of the times, but obviously has its limits.
For example, PS "removes" (it actually doesn't pass them along) double quotes it finds unnecessary, while adding them when it thinks they are (that is, whenever there's a space in the variable).
That's best shown with the good old "find.exe", because it insists on the search string being surrounded by quotes.
Very simple command, and not really what you'd expect as result:
PS C:\> "IT Guy" | find.exe /i "T"
FIND: Parameter format not correct
PS C:\> $t = 'T'
PS C:\> "IT" | find.exe /i $t
FIND: Parameter format not correct
So for comparison, let's see what happens when a space is involved:
PS C:\> "IT Guy" | find.exe /i "T G"
IT Guy
PS C:\> $tg = 'T G'
PS C:\> "IT Guy" | find.exe /i $tg
IT Guy
PS C:\> "IT Guy" | find.exe /i '"T"'
IT Guy
PS C:\> "IT Guy" | find.exe /i "`"T`""
IT Guy
PS C:\> $t = 'T'
PS C:\> "IT Guy" | find.exe /i "`"$t`""
IT Guy
This is pretty much what you asked for initially.
Note that the "stop parsing" means exactly that: you can't use variables after that signal anymore, either:
PS C:\> "IT Guy" | find.exe /i --% "T"
IT Guy
PS C:\> $t = "T"
PS C:\> "IT Guy" | find.exe /i --% "'"$t`""
File not found - '$T`
PS C:\> "IT Guy" | find.exe /i --% "$t"
## No output, because now it's looking for the literal string "$t"
PS C:\> '$T' | find.exe /i --% "$t"
$T
PS C:\> $env:T = "T"
PS C:\> "IT Guy" | find.exe --% /i "%T%"
IT Guy
Personally, I usually use the "&" when calling external programs, whether required or not, to make it clear what's happening, and always add the extension as well.
PS C:\> $env:T = "T"
PS C:\> "IT Guy" | & "C:\Windows\system32\find.exe" --% /i "%T%"
IT Guy
PS C:\> $find = "C:\Windows\system32\find.exe"
PS C:\> "IT Guy" | & $find --% /i "%T%"
IT Guy
About Parsing
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/microsoft.powershell.core/about/about_parsing?view=powershell-5.1
If all that doesn't help, there's still Start-Process, where you can build your own command line arguments just like in VBScript.
Edit: added information about the "&" operator.
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