Get FormatData - PowerShell

Overview

The Get-FormatData command in PowerShell allows you to retrieve information about the formatting options available for various data types within PowerShell. This can be useful for customizing the output of commands, scripts, or other operations to present data in a more readable or consistent manner.

Syntax

Get-FormatData [-TypeName] <String> [-Definition] <String> [-Namespace] <String> [-Member] <String> [-MemberType] <String>

Options / Flags

  • -TypeName: Specifies the type name of the object you want to retrieve format data for.
  • -Definition: Specifies a definition for the format string you want to use.
  • -Namespace: Specifies the namespace of the object you want to retrieve format data for.
  • -Member: Specifies the name of the member you want to retrieve format data for.
  • -MemberType: Specifies the type of the member you want to retrieve format data for.

Examples

Example 1: Getting format data for the DateTime type

Get-FormatData -TypeName DateTime

Example 2: Getting format data for a specific definition

Get-FormatData -TypeName DateTime -Definition "dd/MM/yyyy HH:mm:ss"

Example 3: Getting format data for a specific namespace

Get-FormatData -TypeName DateTime -Namespace System

Common Issues

Issue: Getting an error indicating that the specified type name is not found.

Solution: Ensure that the type name is spelled correctly and that the type is loaded in the current PowerShell session.

Integration

The Get-FormatData command can be combined with other PowerShell commands to create custom formatting for output. For example, you can use Get-FormatData to retrieve the format data for a specific type and then use Format-* cmdlets to apply that formatting to output.

  • Format-* cmdlets: Use these cmdlets to apply custom formatting to output.
  • Get-Type: Use this cmdlet to retrieve information about a specific type.
  • Get-Member: Use this cmdlet to retrieve information about the members of a specific type.

For additional information, refer to the Microsoft Docs page on Get-FormatData at: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/microsoft.powershell.utility/get-formatdata