ScheduledTask: Newlines or white-spaces at start or end of description causes repeated drifts

[dappleby300]

Details of the scenario you tried and the problem that is occurring

If there is new lines or whitespace at the start or end of the task description the configuration constantly drifts

Verbose logs showing the problem

The verbose logs to do not show the reason for the drift

VERBOSE: Perform operation 'Invoke CimMethod' with following parameters, ''methodName' = TestConfiguration,'className' = MSFT_DSCLocalConfigurationManager,'namespaceName' = root/Microsoft/Windows/DesiredStateConfiguration'.
VERBOSE: An LCM method call arrived from computer SKYPE19-FE-FD1 with user sid S-1-5-21-3168950514-858783772-3390967778-1601.
VERBOSE: [SKYPE19-FE-FD1]: LCM:  [ Start  Compare  ]
WARNING: [SKYPE19-FE-FD1]:                            [DSCEngine] Warning LCM is in Debug 'ResourceScriptBreakAll' mode.  Resource script processing will be stopped to wait for PowerShell script debugger to attach.
VERBOSE: [SKYPE19-FE-FD1]:                            [DSCEngine] Importing the module C:\Program Files\WindowsPowerShell\Modules\ComputerManagementDsc\6.5.0.0\DscResources\MSFT_ScheduledTask\MSFT_ScheduledTask.psm1 in force mode.
VERBOSE: [SKYPE19-FE-FD1]: LCM:  [ Start  Resource ]  [[ScheduledTask]TestTask]
VERBOSE: [SKYPE19-FE-FD1]: LCM:  [ Start  Test     ]  [[ScheduledTask]TestTask]
VERBOSE: [SKYPE19-FE-FD1]:                            [[ScheduledTask]TestTask] Importing the module MSFT_ScheduledTask in force mode.
VERBOSE: [SKYPE19-FE-FD1]:                            [[ScheduledTask]TestTask] Testing scheduled task 'TestTask' in '\'.
VERBOSE: [SKYPE19-FE-FD1]:                            [[ScheduledTask]TestTask] Getting scheduled task 'TestTask' in '\'.
VERBOSE: [SKYPE19-FE-FD1]:                            [[ScheduledTask]TestTask] Task 'TestTask' found in '\'. Retrieving settings, first action, first trigger and repetition settings.
VERBOSE: [SKYPE19-FE-FD1]:                            [[ScheduledTask]TestTask] Detected schedule type 'Daily' for first trigger.
VERBOSE: [SKYPE19-FE-FD1]:                            [[ScheduledTask]TestTask] Current scheduled task values retrieved.
VERBOSE: [SKYPE19-FE-FD1]:                            [[ScheduledTask]TestTask] Testing DSC parameter state.
VERBOSE: [SKYPE19-FE-FD1]: LCM:  [ End    Test     ]  [[ScheduledTask]TestTask] False in 250.9800 seconds.
VERBOSE: [SKYPE19-FE-FD1]: LCM:  [ End    Resource ]  [[ScheduledTask]TestTask]
VERBOSE: [SKYPE19-FE-FD1]: LCM:  [ End    Compare  ]     Completed processing compare operation. The operation returned False.
VERBOSE: [SKYPE19-FE-FD1]: LCM:  [ End    Compare  ]    in  251.2320 seconds.
VERBOSE: Operation 'Invoke CimMethod' complete.

Suggested solution to the issue

Remove all white-space,newlines and carriage returns from the start and end of the description.

.Trim(" ","`t","`n","`r")

The DSC configuration that is used to reproduce the issue (as detailed as possible)

        ScheduledTask 'TestTask'
        {
            Ensure                  = 'Present'
            TaskName                = 'TestTask'
            Description             =  "  Test Task
"
            ActionExecutable        = 'c:\windows\system32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe'
            ScheduleType            = 'Daily'
            StartTime               = '2019-01-01 20:45:00'
        }

The operating system the target node is running

OsName               : Microsoft Windows Server 2019 Datacenter
OsOperatingSystemSKU : DatacenterServerEdition
OsArchitecture       : 64-bit
WindowsVersion       : 1809
WindowsBuildLabEx    : 17763.1.amd64fre.rs5_release.180914-1434
OsLanguage           : en-US
OsMuiLanguages       : {en-US}

Version and build of PowerShell the target node is running

Name                           Value
----                           -----
PSVersion                      5.1.17763.316
PSEdition                      Desktop
PSCompatibleVersions           {1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0...}
BuildVersion                   10.0.17763.316
CLRVersion                     4.0.30319.42000
WSManStackVersion              3.0
PSRemotingProtocolVersion      2.3
SerializationVersion           1.1.0.1

Version of the DSC module that was used ('dev' if using current dev branch)

6.5.0.0

[PlagueHO]

Hi @dappleby300 - good catch. Should be a simple fix. Thanks for raising this.