AvoidUsingWriteHost.md

Pattern: Use of Write-Host cmdlet

Issue: -

Description

The use of Write-Host is greatly discouraged unless in the use of commands with the Show verb. The Show verb explicitly means 'show on the screen, with no other possibilities'.

Commands with the Show verb do not have this check applied.

How

Replace Write-Host with Write-Output or Write-Verbose depending on whether the intention is logging or returning one or multiple objects.

Example of incorrect code:

function Get-MeaningOfLife
{
	...
	Write-Host "Computing the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe and everything"
	...
	Write-Host 42
}

Example of correct code:

function Get-MeaningOfLife
{
	[CmdletBinding()]Param() # to make it possible to set the VerbosePreference when calling the function
	...
	Write-Verbose "Computing the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe and everything"
	...
	Write-Output 42
}

function Show-Something
{
    Write-Host "show something on screen";
}

Further Reading

• PSScriptAnalyzer - AvoidUsingWriteHost