Description
Summary of the new feature
I want PSScriptAnalyzer to flag uses of Out-Null for output suppression so that I can maintain consistent code style and potentially gain minor performance improvements.
Currently, many PowerShell scripts use | Out-Null to suppress command output, but there are alternative approaches like [void], > $null, or assignment to $null that are stylistically preferred by many developers. While the performance difference is minimal, having a consistent approach to output suppression improves code readability and maintainability.
Proposed technical implementation details (optional)
- Rule Name:
AvoidUsingOutNull - Severity:
Information(since this is primarily a style preference) - Category:
Style - Detection: Flag any pipeline that ends with
| Out-Null - Suggested alternatives:
[void](command)command > $null$null = command
- Example violation:
Get-Process | Out-Null - Example fix:
[void](Get-Process)orGet-Process > $null
The rule should provide informational messages suggesting these alternatives while acknowledging that this is primarily a stylistic choice rather than a critical performance issue.
What is the latest version of PSScriptAnalyzer at the point of writing
1.24.0