How to run a Powershell script from the command line and pass a directory as a parameter

Question

PowerShell -Command .\Foo.ps1

• Foo.ps1:

  Function Foo($directory)
  {
      echo $directory
  }
  
  if ($args.Length -eq 0)
  {
      echo "Usage: Foo <directory>"
  }
  else
  {
      Foo($args[0])
  }
  

  Despite Foo.ps1 being in the directory from where I am calling Powershell, this results in:

  The term '.\Foo.ps1' is not recognized as the name of a cmdlet, function, script file, or operable program. 
  Check the spelling of the name, or if a path was included, verify that the path is correct and try again.
  

  • EDIT: Wasn't working because PowerShell was changing directory due to profile.ps1 containing cd C:\

I then tried to call it specifying the full path to the script file, but no matter what I try, I can't get it to work. I believe I have to quote the path because it contains whitespaces, as does the file name I need to pass in an argument to the script.

• Best guess so far:

  PowerShell -Command "'C:\Dummy Directory 1\Foo.ps1' 'C:\Dummy Directory 2\File.txt'"
  

  Outputs error:

  Unexpected token 'C:\Dummy Directory 2\File.txt' in expression or statement. 
  At line:1 char:136.
  

Decanal

You can also use -NoProfile when you call powershell from the cmd. – Ectosarc

Answer 1

try this:

powershell "C:\Dummy Directory 1\Foo.ps1 'C:\Dummy Directory 2\File.txt'"

Headboard

Answer 2

you are calling a script file not a command so you have to use -file eg :

powershell -executionPolicy bypass -noexit -file "c:\temp\test.ps1" "c:\test with space"

for PS V2

powershell.exe -noexit &'c:\my scripts\test.ps1'

(check bottom of this technet page http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee176949.aspx )

Costate

The Windows PowerShell 1.0 Owner’s Manual has been retired. For the most up-to-date Windows PowerShell content, go to msdn.microsoft.com/en-au/powershell/scripting/core-powershell/… – Schram

Answer 3

Using the flag -Command you can execute your entire powershell line as if it was a command in the PowerShell prompt:

powershell -Command "& '<PATH_TO_PS1_FILE>' '<ARG_1>' '<ARG_2>' ... '<ARG_N>'"

This solved my issue with running PowerShell commands in Visual Studio Post-Build and Pre-Build events.

Protozoology

Answer 4

Add the param declation at the top of ps1 file

test.ps1

param(
  # Our preferred encoding
  [parameter(Mandatory=$false)]
  [ValidateSet("UTF8","Unicode","UTF7","ASCII","UTF32","BigEndianUnicode")]
  [string]$Encoding = "UTF8"
)

write ("Encoding : {0}" -f $Encoding)

result

C:\temp> .\test.ps1 -Encoding ASCII
Encoding : ASCII

Mezereum

Answer 5

Change your code to the following :

Function Foo($directory)
    {
        echo $directory
    }

    if ($args.Length -eq 0)
    {
        echo "Usage: Foo <directory>"
    }
    else
    {
        Foo([string[]]$args)
    }

And then invoke it as:

powershell -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -File "c:\foo.ps1" "c:\Documents and Settings" "c:\test"

Aruwimi

Answer 6

you have type and hit enter :

PowerShell -Command

Ortrud