Write Host - PowerShell

Overview

Write-Host is a PowerShell command that sends messages to the host console, providing a convenient way to display output and debug information. It’s commonly used for displaying user-friendly messages, debugging output, and troubleshooting scripts.

Syntax

Write-Host [-Object] <object> [-ForeColor <color>] [-BackgroundColor <color>] [-Width <pixels>] [-Expand]

Options/Flags

-Object: The object or message to be written to the host. Can be any valid PowerShell variable or expression.
-ForeColor: Sets the foreground color for the output text. Accepts any valid color name or hex value.
-BackgroundColor: Sets the background color for the output text. Accepts any valid color name or hex value.
-Width: Specifies the width, in pixels, of the output window. Useful for formatting output in specific widths.
-Expand: Expand all properties of the input object before writing it to the host.

Examples

Simple Message:

Write-Host "Hello, World!"

Coloring and Formatting:

Write-Host -Object 'Error: Command execution failed' -ForeColor Red -BackgroundColor Yellow

Expand Properties:

$process = Get-Process notepad
Write-Host -Object $process -Expand

Common Issues

  • Missing Input: Ensure that the -Object parameter is specified and contains a valid object.
  • Incorrect Color: Verify that the color names or hex values are correct and supported by your console.
  • Truncated Output: If the output exceeds the console width, use the -Width option to adjust the output window size.

Integration

Concatenating Output: Write-Host can be used to combine multiple messages into a single line:

Write-Host -Object "Process started" -Object (Get-Date)

Logging: Write-Host can be redirected to a file for logging purposes:

Write-Host -Object "Operation completed" | Out-File -FilePath .\log.txt -Append
  • Write-Debug: Writes debug messages to the debug console.
  • Write-Warning: Writes warning messages to the host console.
  • Write-Error: Writes error messages to the host console.
  • Write-Output: Outputs objects to the pipeline for further processing.