views:

337

answers:

2

Hi,

After writing deployment scripts from within the ISE, we need our CI server to be able to run them automatically, i.e. from the command line or via a batch file.

I have notice some significant differences between the following calls:

powershell.exe -File Script.ps1
powershell.exe -Command "& '.\Script.ps1'"
powershell.exe .\Script.ps1


Some simple examples:

  • When using -File, errors are handled in the exact same way as the ISE.
  • The other two calls seem to ignore the $ErrorActionPreference variable, and do not catch Write-Error in try/catch blocks.

When using pSake:

  • The last 2 calls work perfectly
  • Using the ISE or the -File parameter will fail with the following error:

The variable '$script:context' cannot be retrieved because it has not been set


Could someone help me understand the implications of each syntax, and why they are behaving differently? I would ideally like to find a syntax that works all the time and behaves like the ISE.

Thanks,

Romain

A: 

Here is a concrete example of the behaviour I described.

MyModule.psm1

function Get-Foo
{
    Write-Error 'Failed'
}

Script.ps1

$ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'

$currentFolder = (Split-Path $MyInvocation.MyCommand.Path)
Import-Module $currentFolder\MyModule.psm1

try
{
    Get-Foo 
    Write-Host "Success"
}
catch
{
    "Error occurred"
} 

Running Script.ps1:

  • From the ISE, or with the -File parameter

    will output "Error occurred" and stop

  • From the command line without the -File parameter

    will output "Failed" followed by "Success" (i.e. not caught)

Gromix
A: 

Not an answer, just a note.

I searched for explanation of -file parameter. Most sources say only "Execute a script file.". At http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd315276.aspx I read

Runs the specified script in the local scope ("dot-sourced"), so that the functions
and variables that the script creates are available in the current session. Enter
the script file path and any parameters.

After that I tried to call this:

powershell -command ". c:\temp\aa\script.ps1"
powershell -file c:\temp\aa\script.ps1
powershell -command "& c:\temp\aa\script.ps1"

Note that first two stop after Get-Foo, but the last one doesn't.

The problem I describe above is related to modules -- if you define Get-Foo inside script.ps1, all the 3 calls I described stop after call to Get-Foo.

Just try to define it inside the script.ps1 or dotsource the file with Get-Foo and check it. There is a chance it will work :)

stej
Thanks! You're right, the first two calls seem to do the exact same thing, both regarding error handling and *pSake*.Regarding modules, workarounds are hard because in a lot of cases the functions belong to internal libraries or third party modules. If you have the option though, your suggestion to rename the module to `PS1` and then dot source it worked fine!I wonder if it's a safer choice to always use `-File` though, so the behaviour is consistent with what you get while developing in the *ISE*.
Gromix
Gromix
Yea, `Set-StrictMode` sets "something", as well as `$errorActionPreference = ..`. It is the same pattern - set something, but it is not used in the module function. Modules are sometimes quite tricky, but in this case I don't know what's going on.
stej