Allow passing $true/$false as parameter to script using -File #4178

SteveL-MSFT · 2017-07-03T18:55:42Z

Using powershell.exe to execute a PowerShell script using -File currently provides no way to pass $true/$false as parameter values. Current behavior is that -File accumulates passed parameters as strings only.

Fix is to special case this based on discussion with PS-Committee to support $true/$false as parsed values to parameters. Switch values is also supported as currently documented syntax doesn't work.

Fix #4036

Doc change is MicrosoftDocs/PowerShell-Docs#1430

daxian-dbw · 2017-07-17T17:40:07Z

The commits has changes in src/Modules/Shared/Pester which should not be included. I think you need to run git submodule update to resolve it.

SteveL-MSFT · 2017-07-17T21:56:07Z

@daxian-dbw fixed

SteveL-MSFT · 2017-07-24T22:18:50Z

@lzybkr if you get a chance, can you review this? thanks

lzybkr · 2017-07-25T00:31:49Z

src/Microsoft.PowerShell.ConsoleHost/host/msh/CommandLineParameterParser.cs

@@ -939,8 +951,7 @@ private bool ParseFile(string[] args, ref int i, bool noexitSeen)
                    }
                    else if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(arg) && SpecialCharacters.IsDash(arg[0]))
                    {
-                        Match m = argPattern.Match(arg);
-                        if (m.Success)
+                        if (arg.Contains(":"))


Instead of walking the string twice, move the call to IndexOf to before the if and test offset >= 0 instead.

good point, will fix

lzybkr · 2017-07-25T00:37:33Z

src/Microsoft.PowerShell.ConsoleHost/host/msh/CommandLineParameterParser.cs

@@ -949,7 +960,15 @@ private bool ParseFile(string[] args, ref int i, bool noexitSeen)
                            }
                            else
                            {
-                                _collectedArgs.Add(new CommandParameter(arg.Substring(0, offset), arg.Substring(offset + 1)));
+                                bool? boolValue = GetBoolValue(arg.Substring(offset + 1));


In the common case, you are creating the same string twice with arg.Substring(offiset + 1), once here, and once below.

So this can be made much simpler, something like:

string argValue = arg.Substring(offset + 1); bool? boolValue = GetBoolValue(argValue); _collectedArgs.Add(new CommandParameter(arg.Substring(0, offset), boolValue ?? argValue);

null-coalescing operator requires same type on both sides, I can use ternary operator to simplify it instead

Nevermind, even ternary expects same type

We can use out parameter.

lzybkr · 2017-07-25T00:49:18Z

src/Microsoft.PowerShell.ConsoleHost/host/msh/CommandLineParameterParser.cs

@@ -959,7 +978,15 @@ private bool ParseFile(string[] args, ref int i, bool noexitSeen)
                    }
                    else
                    {
-                        _collectedArgs.Add(new CommandParameter(null, arg));
+                        bool? boolValue = GetBoolValue(arg);


Again, you can simply a bunch like above with ??.

same as above, has to be same types so can't simplify with null-coalescing or ternary operator

You can still simplify though, something like:

object argValue = arg.Substring(offset + 1); _collectedArgs.Add(new CommandParameter(arg.Substring(0, offset), GetArgPossiblyAsBool(argValue)));

And GetArgPossiblyAsBool returns object.

Will change

Doesn't work, can't implicitly convert object to bool/string

lzybkr · 2017-07-25T00:53:53Z

test/powershell/Host/ConsoleHost.Tests.ps1

@@ -201,7 +201,37 @@ Describe "ConsoleHost unit tests" -tags "Feature" {
            $observed[1] | Should Be "bar"
        }

-        It "-File should return exit code from script: <Filename>" -TestCases @(
+        It "-File should be able to pass bool values as strings to parameters: <BoolString>" -TestCases @(


I don't think these tests reflect the real user scenario.

Passing $BoolString is completely different than passing $true.

$BoolString is getting replaced with $true, but $true gets replaced with True.

See comment above regarding usage from different shells.

Updated tests for both $true and true

We should have a test that accepts a string parameter and you pass true and false - we want to make sure that when we convert to bool, the bool gets properly converted back to the correct string.

And come to think about it, there is a problem - we'll lose the case that the user specified.

Yeah, that's a problem. I've changed it so it only works with switches and added tests for other cases

lzybkr · 2017-07-25T00:55:15Z

src/Microsoft.PowerShell.ConsoleHost/host/msh/CommandLineParameterParser.cs

@@ -858,6 +858,19 @@ private bool ParseFile(string[] args, ref int i, bool noexitSeen)
            // of the script to evaluate. If -file comes before -command, it will
            // treat -command as an argument to the script...

+            bool? GetBoolValue(string arg)
+            {
+                if (arg.Equals("$true", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase))


I think this needs to be True, not $true.

Or maybe it needs to be both $true and True - because it depends on the shell how $true is expanded.

Isn't the use case:

powershell -file foo.ps1 -myswitch:$true

Not clear to me when we need True as I don't think we want to support:

powershell -file foo.ps1 -myswitch:true

Ok, I think I understand what you're getting it by your comment below. From a non-powershell shell like bash (which I thought would be the primary use case), I would think we want to support PowerShell syntax for passing $true and $false. From within powershell, I suppose we shouldn't expect the user to escape $true to be just a string. I can make this change.

…lse cannot be passed as a parameter/switch value. Fix is to special case this based on discussion with PS-Committee.

SteveL-MSFT · 2017-07-27T20:48:19Z

@lzybkr feedback addressed

iSazonov · 2017-07-28T04:32:15Z

src/Microsoft.PowerShell.ConsoleHost/host/msh/CommandLineParameterParser.cs

-                                _collectedArgs.Add(new CommandParameter(arg.Substring(0, offset), arg.Substring(offset + 1)));
+                                string argValue = arg.Substring(offset + 1);
+                                bool? boolValue = GetBoolValue(argValue);
+                                if (boolValue != null)


Sorry again -
Can we use LanguagePrimitives.TryConvertTo or LanguagePrimitives.TryConvertArg?
Can we use TryGetBoolValue pattern?

string argValue1 = arg.Substring(offset + 1); string argValue0 = arg.Substring(0, offset); if (TryGetBoolValue(argValue1, out bool boolValue)) { _collectedArgs.Add(new CommandParameter(argValue0, boolValue)); } else { _collectedArgs.Add(new CommandParameter(argValue0, argValue1)); }

iSazonov · 2017-07-28T17:40:37Z

test/powershell/Host/ConsoleHost.Tests.ps1

+            @{BoolString = '$truE'},
+            @{BoolString = '$falSe'},
+            @{BoolString = 'trUe'},
+            @{BoolString = 'faLse'}


Please add a protection comment like "Don't change case!". And below too.

…nged to use Tester-Doer pattern

SteveL-MSFT · 2017-07-31T20:32:08Z

@lzybkr any other concerns?

ChristopherGLewis · 2020-03-19T13:58:16Z

C:\Temp>type test.ps1
Param( [bool] $test )
Echo $test
C:\Temp>pwsh.exe -file test.ps1 -test $false
test.ps1: Cannot process argument transformation on parameter 'test'. Cannot convert value "System.String" to type "System.Boolean". Boolean parameters accept only Boolean values and numbers, such as $True, $False, 1 or 0.

C:\Temp>pwsh.exe -command $PSVersionTable

Name Value

PSVersion 7.0.0
PSEdition Core
GitCommitId 7.0.0
OS Microsoft Windows 10.0.18363
Platform Win32NT
PSCompatibleVersions {1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0…}
PSRemotingProtocolVersion 2.3
SerializationVersion 1.1.0.1
WSManStackVersion 3.0

iSazonov · 2020-03-19T14:16:58Z

@ChristopherGLewis See #10838

SteveL-MSFT assigned lzybkr Jul 3, 2017

SteveL-MSFT requested a review from lzybkr July 3, 2017 18:55

msftclas added the cla-not-required label Jul 3, 2017

SteveL-MSFT mentioned this pull request Jul 4, 2017

Clarified how -Command and -File handles parameters MicrosoftDocs/PowerShell-Docs#1430

Merged

8 tasks

SteveL-MSFT force-pushed the file-bool-arg branch from a79de4a to cfa82ae Compare July 13, 2017 15:53

SteveL-MSFT requested a review from daxian-dbw July 13, 2017 15:53

SteveL-MSFT assigned daxian-dbw and unassigned lzybkr Jul 13, 2017

SteveL-MSFT closed this Jul 15, 2017

SteveL-MSFT reopened this Jul 15, 2017

msftclas added the cla-not-required label Jul 15, 2017

SteveL-MSFT force-pushed the file-bool-arg branch 2 times, most recently from a26bda3 to c62eccd Compare July 17, 2017 21:55

SteveL-MSFT force-pushed the file-bool-arg branch from c62eccd to dcf00f1 Compare July 18, 2017 21:55

SteveL-MSFT requested a review from anmenaga July 20, 2017 04:40

lzybkr requested changes Jul 25, 2017

View reviewed changes

SteveL-MSFT force-pushed the file-bool-arg branch from dcf00f1 to 3e1eb30 Compare July 25, 2017 17:38

-File accummulates passed parameters as strings which means $true/$fa…

34be39a

…lse cannot be passed as a parameter/switch value. Fix is to special case this based on discussion with PS-Committee.

SteveL-MSFT force-pushed the file-bool-arg branch from 3e1eb30 to 34be39a Compare July 25, 2017 17:57

SteveL-MSFT mentioned this pull request Jul 27, 2017

Executing powershell script with bool parameter doesnt work #4036

Closed

iSazonov reviewed Jul 28, 2017

View reviewed changes

only support $true/$false strings for switches, added more tests, cha…

4ae724f

…nged to use Tester-Doer pattern

SteveL-MSFT force-pushed the file-bool-arg branch from 5d1d483 to 4ae724f Compare July 28, 2017 20:23

lzybkr approved these changes Aug 1, 2017

View reviewed changes

daxian-dbw merged commit e64e68b into PowerShell:master Aug 1, 2017

SteveL-MSFT deleted the file-bool-arg branch August 2, 2017 00:30

bingbing8 mentioned this pull request Sep 7, 2017

Error while executing FixHostFilePermissions.ps1 PowerShell/Win32-OpenSSH#844

Closed

mklement0 mentioned this pull request Sep 14, 2017

Align PowerShell's CLI / startup behavior with POSIX-like shells such as Bash - command-line arguments #3743

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bingbing8 mentioned this pull request Jan 3, 2018

SSH host key permissions not working PowerShell/Win32-OpenSSH#1007

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mklement0 mentioned this pull request Oct 20, 2019

CLI: -File arguments don't recognize [bool] parameter values when passed as separate arguments #10838

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mklement0 mentioned this pull request Mar 1, 2020

pwsh doesn't parse positional negative integer parameters correctly #11939

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Allow passing $true/$false as parameter to script using -File #4178

Allow passing $true/$false as parameter to script using -File #4178

SteveL-MSFT commented Jul 3, 2017 •

edited

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SteveL-MSFT commented Jul 17, 2017

SteveL-MSFT commented Jul 24, 2017

lzybkr Jul 25, 2017

SteveL-MSFT Jul 25, 2017

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iSazonov Jul 25, 2017 •

edited

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SteveL-MSFT commented Jul 27, 2017

iSazonov Jul 28, 2017

SteveL-MSFT Jul 28, 2017

iSazonov Jul 28, 2017 •

edited

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SteveL-MSFT commented Jul 31, 2017

ChristopherGLewis commented Mar 19, 2020

iSazonov commented Mar 19, 2020

Allow passing $true/$false as parameter to script using -File #4178

Allow passing $true/$false as parameter to script using -File #4178

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SteveL-MSFT commented Jul 3, 2017 • edited

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