How to Capture Multi-Line Input in PowerShell

Описание: Discover effective methods to handle multi-line input in PowerShell, overcoming typical challenges with `read-host`. Learn to structure your input for better usability!
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This video is based on the question https://stackoverflow.com/q/62522943/ asked by the user 'Nikola Johnson' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/13794703/ ) and on the answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/62522995/ provided by the user 'Nico Nekoru' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/12671858/ ) at 'Stack Overflow' website. Thanks to these great users and Stackexchange community for their contributions.

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How to Capture Multi-Line Input in PowerShell

In PowerShell, one common issue that users face is the inability to take multi-line inputs using the read-host cmdlet. When you press enter, the input is submitted, which can be limiting in scenarios where longer, multi-line text entries are necessary. This guide explores a solution to this problem, allowing you to collect multi-line input seamlessly.

The Challenge with Read-Host

The read-host cmdlet is a straightforward way to capture user input in PowerShell. However, it's designed to accept single-line text only. When you attempt to enter a multi-line input by using line breaks (like pressing enter), it submits the data instead of creating a new line. For instance, using Test n test \n test` will not work as intended.

Simple Example of the Problem:

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In this example, the input is limited because pressing enter submits the data and ends the input process.

The Solution: A Loop for Multi-Line Input

To overcome this limitation, we can use a simple while loop that continuously prompts the user for input until a blank line is entered, indicating that the user is finished. Here's how it's done:

Step-by-Step Breakdown

Set Up a Loop: Utilize a while (1) loop to continue receiving input indefinitely until a specific condition is met (an empty line).

Capture Input: Use read-host within the loop to get each line, and concatenate it to a variable to build your full input.

End Condition: If the input is blank (the user presses enter without typing anything), break out of the loop.

Here's the PowerShell Code:

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Explanation of the Code:

The read-host cmdlet accepts user input in each iteration.

The input is stored in a temporary variable $r.

The main input variable $test accumulates all individual lines with a new line ( n `) between them.

The loop exits when an empty line is detected (no input).

Optional: Replacing Line Breaks

If you want to have more control over how line breaks are treated in your final output, you can replace line breaks with a specific character or phrase in $test. For example, if you want to replace line breaks with an <br> tag, you can add this line:

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Customizing Replacements

You can customize your replacements with any string you prefer. Here are a few examples:

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Conclusion

Handling multi-line input in PowerShell might initially seem complicated due to the limitations of read-host, but with a simple loop and concatenation, you can create a user-friendly multi-line input tool. By implementing the provided code, you can gather input more efficiently and customize how it’s stored, depending on your needs.

Try this solution in your PowerShell scripts, and enjoy the flexibility of multi-line inputs!