How do I output text without a newline in PowerShell?

user_65512 0
Viewed 310378

I want my PowerShell script to print something like this:

Enabling feature XYZ......Done

The script looks something like this:

Write-Output "Enabling feature XYZ......."
Enable-SPFeature...
Write-Output "Done"

But Write-Output always prints a new-line at the end so my output isn't on one line. Is there a way to do this?

powershell
20 Answers

To write to a file you can use a byte array. The following example creates an empty ZIP file, which you can add files to:

[Byte[]] $zipHeader = 80, 75, 5, 6, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0
[System.IO.File]::WriteAllBytes("C:\My.zip", $zipHeader)

Or use:

[Byte[]] $text = [System.Text.Encoding]::UTF8.getBytes("Enabling feature XYZ.......")
[System.IO.File]::WriteAllBytes("C:\My.zip", $text)
user_1312090

I cheated, but I believe this is the only answer that addresses every requirement. Namely, this avoids the trailing CRLF, provides a place for the other operation to complete in the meantime, and properly redirects to stdout as necessary.

$c_sharp_source = @"
using System;
namespace StackOverflow
{
   public class ConsoleOut
   {
      public static void Main(string[] args)
      {
         Console.Write(args[0]);
      }
   }
}
"@
$compiler_parameters = New-Object System.CodeDom.Compiler.CompilerParameters
$compiler_parameters.GenerateExecutable = $true
$compiler_parameters.OutputAssembly = "consoleout.exe"
Add-Type -TypeDefinition $c_sharp_source -Language CSharp -CompilerParameters $compiler_parameters

.\consoleout.exe "Enabling feature XYZ......."
Write-Output 'Done.'
user_16865220 
$host.UI.Write('Enabling feature XYZ.......')
Enable-SPFeature...
$host.UI.WriteLine('Done')
user_1802150

I'm not an expert by any means, but why not this:


Write-Output "hello" | ForEach-Object {  $PSItem.Trim() } | Do-Whatever

This maintains the pipeline semantics but just trims the new line characters before passing it on down the pipeline to whatever you need to do next. If that is writing to a file, so be it. If that is writing to the host, you can do that, but if you do write it to the host, remember to use | Write-Host -NoNewline

UPDATE: As per my comment below: "I see why my answer won't work.. Powershell inevitable appends a new line char as part of it's piping semantics when piping to external programs. See this: github.com/PowerShell/PowerShell/issues/5974 Therefore when I pass the trimmed text down the pipeline, the new line char will re-appear in the input."

user_10080120

Simplest way with in-line concatenation - and while moving across to 'Write-Output' instead; e.g. 2 tab characters (string) & then a literal/verbatim (string):

Write-Output ("`t`t" + '${devArg}')
user_94072890

desired o/p: Enabling feature XYZ......Done

you can use below command

$a = "Enabling feature XYZ"

Write-output "$a......Done"

you have to add variable and statement inside quotes. hope this is helpful :)

Thanks Techiegal

user_136789740

From the link in the comments, that answer includes:

Write-Output "Some text $( $var.Name )"

which worked very well for me. The $( ) is not redundant if you need to ExpandProperty to get the individual value of Name, otherwise my output was this instead of the resolved value:

@{Name=Name; Address=Address; City=City}.Name
user_844240

You can absolutely do this. Write-Output has a flag called "NoEnumerate" that is essentially the same thing.

user_70141710
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