Is it possible to access internal PSReadline functionality? Specificially "Paste"?

[andrewducker]

I want to do something like:
Get-Content (Get-PSReadlineOption).HistorySavePath | out-gridview -passthru | Paste-AtCommandLine

to give me my complete history in a big list, and then stick it into the console window.

I can do all of the bit up to the end - and then stick it in the clipboard instead, but there doesn't seem to be a way of telling PSReadLine that I want this text to be the next command line.

Is this possible?

Thanks!

[nightroman]

@andrewducker I like your idea, thank you. I implemented it in this way. In my profile I added binding to F7 (like history in CMD):

Set-PSReadlineKeyHandler -Key F7 -BriefDescription History -LongDescription 'Show history' -ScriptBlock {
    $r = [System.Collections.ArrayList](Get-Content (Get-PSReadlineOption).HistorySavePath)
    $r.Reverse()
    $r = $r | Out-GridView -PassThru
    if (!$r) {return}
    [PSConsoleUtilities.PSConsoleReadLine]::RevertLine()
    [PSConsoleUtilities.PSConsoleReadLine]::Insert($r)
}

I hope you may find this useful.

[andrewducker]

Thank you! That's exactly what I wanted, and a massive improvement over the previous F7 functionality!

[andrewducker]

Improvement - this will refine the search based on whatever is on the current console line (the buffer):

Set-PSReadlineKeyHandler -Key F7 -BriefDescription History -LongDescription 'Show history' -ScriptBlock {
    $line = $null
    $cursor = $null
    [PSConsoleUtilities.PSConsoleReadline]::GetBufferState([ref]$line, [ref]$cursor)
    if($line){
        $r = [System.Collections.ArrayList](Get-Content (Get-PSReadlineOption).HistorySavePath | sls $line)
    }
    else{
        $r = [System.Collections.ArrayList](Get-Content (Get-PSReadlineOption).HistorySavePath)
    }
    $r.Reverse()
    $r = $r | Out-GridView -PassThru
    if (!$r) {return}
    [PSConsoleUtilities.PSConsoleReadLine]::RevertLine()
    [PSConsoleUtilities.PSConsoleReadLine]::Insert($r)
}

[nightroman]

Yes, now it is even better. I used this as well and also added Get-Unique in order to remove adjacent duplicates (a rare case when Get-Unique is actually useful). My version so far (just the scriptblock without Set-PSReadlineKeyHandler):

$history = [System.Collections.ArrayList]([System.IO.File]::ReadAllLines((Get-PSReadlineOption).HistorySavePath))
$history.Reverse()

$line = $null
[PSConsoleUtilities.PSConsoleReadline]::GetBufferState([ref]$line, [ref]$null)
if ($line) {
    $history = $history -match [regex]::Escape($line)
}

$command = $history | Get-Unique | Out-GridView -Title "History $line" -PassThru
if ($command) {
    [PSConsoleUtilities.PSConsoleReadLine]::RevertLine()
    [PSConsoleUtilities.PSConsoleReadLine]::Insert(($command -join '; '))
}

[lzybkr]

Very cool - this should go in SamplePSReadlineProfile.ps1 - feel free to submit a pull request.

[KirkMunro]

I don't have the latest PSReadLine module (1.0.0.12 on my system right now I think), but this had some issues with commands that span multiple lines in the tests that I ran. There were also some challenges with how it
handles lines containing backticks. But that may be due to the version of PSReadLine I'm working with -- I simply don't have time to check right now. Just wanted to share in case there was an issue with this for the
latest version.

[lzybkr]

Hmm, yeah - there is some minimal processing done on the file history file for multiple lines. Maybe I should just add a api to get the history.

[nightroman]

I have a solution which handles multiple lines. It is being tested. When it is done I will propose a PR.

[nightroman]

On the other hand, if the API for getting history is expected relatively soon then this solution is somewhat a hack. @lzybkr please let me know if such a hack is still fine for now.

[nightroman]

@lzybkr Any remarks? Is a hacky PR which handles multiple lines needed?

[lzybkr]

It's just a sample, so if you implemented, sure, I'll take it, and when I add a proper api, I'll update the sample.

[nightroman]

Here it is, #255

[muzzar78]

This is awesome. Any ideas on how to provide similar functionality in PS Core which is missing out-gridview?

[lzybkr]

@muzzar78 - @SeeminglyScience hinted that he's working on something that uses fzf.

[SeeminglyScience]

You know, I hadn't considered leveraging fzf...

That demo was using my own implementation. I'm writing that mainly for use in EditorServicesCommandSuite, but if there is interest I could make it a separate project or contribute it to PSRL.

Without any changes it does a decent job at searching history:

[SeeminglyScience]

Actually fzf already does this really well. If you install it and want a similar history search option, put this in your profile:

Set-PSReadLineKeyHandler -Chord 'F1' -ScriptBlock {
    $history = [System.Linq.Enumerable]::Reverse(
        [System.Linq.Enumerable]::Distinct(
            [string[]]([Microsoft.PowerShell.PSConsoleReadLine]::GetHistoryItems().CommandLine)))

    # Enter alternate buffer for history search.
    $Host.UI.Write("$([char]27)[?1049h")
    try {
        $command = $history | fzf --header="PSReadLine History Search"
    } finally {
        # Leave alternate buffer to return to PSReadLine prompt.
        $Host.UI.Write("$([char]27)[?1049l")
    }

    if ($command) {
        [Microsoft.PowerShell.PSConsoleReadLine]::RevertLine()
        [Microsoft.PowerShell.PSConsoleReadLine]::Insert(($command -join '; '))
    }
}

[muzzar78]

Thanks, I just tried out fzf. It works ok. @SeeminglyScience Looks like your implementation has more polish with the highlighting

[MarkusAmshove]

I've also tried my luck to combine PSReadLine with fzf, but I get strange behavior after exiting fzf:

Is there a way to preserve the previous state of the console, or atleast clear the console and get a prompt + the inserted command?

I've tried @SeeminglyScience approach with the buffer, but that doesn't work, as it doesn't even show fzf correctly (notice the top right corner):

[kelleyma49]

@MarkusAmshove, try https://github.com/kelleyma49/PSFzf and let me know if it works better for you.

[tig]

I found this issue while looking for something else, but figured I'd post this new info.

You can now use out-consolegridview to get great "F7" behavior w/in the console. See:

https://gist.github.com/tig/cbbeab7f53efd73e329afd6d4b838191

[daxian-dbw]

The API PSConsoleReadLine.GetHistoryItems() was already added. So I assume this issue can be closed now.

PS:2> [Microsoft.PowerShell.PSConsoleReadLine]::GetHistoryItems

OverloadDefinitions
-------------------
static Microsoft.PowerShell.PSConsoleReadLine+HistoryItem[] GetHistoryItems()