.PS1 script does not work with PSHELL

[Joe Caverly]

c:\users\jlc\utils>ver

TCC  22.00.38 x64   Windows 7 [Version 6.1.7601]

I have a text file;

c:\users\jlc\utils>type test.txt
The
quick
brown
FOX
jumped
over
the
lazy
dog

I have a Powershell script;

c:\users\jlc\utils>type test.ps1
$a = Get-Content '.\test.txt'
$b = $a.Replace('FOX','Fox')
$b | out-file '.\test.txt'
type .\test.txt

When I run this Powershell script from TCC using PSHELL;

c:\users\jlc\utils>pshell test.ps1
PSHELL: System.Management.Automation.RuntimeException : You cannot call a method on a null-valued expression.

When I run this Powershell script from Powershell;

c:\users\jlc\utils>powershell -file test.ps1
The
quick
brown
Fox
jumped
over
the
lazy
dog

...it works as it should.

Why can PSHELL not run this script?

Joe

 

[vefatica]

I can reproduce that but every time I successfully run the script with powershell.exe, the txtfile is rewritten in Unicode. Can that be avoided?

 

[Joe Caverly]

Try;

$b | out-file '.\test.txt' -Encoding ASCII

Joe

 

[vefatica]

Thanks. You're original problem has to do with the start-up directory when using PSHELL. Below, $a is null because the file is not found in the current directory; "$a.Replace" generates the error.

$a = Get-Content '.\test.txt'
$b = $a.Replace('FOX','Fox')

I put a get-location in the script and hard-coded "v:\test.txt". It worked, and get-location shows why it wouldn't work using ".".

v:\> pshell test.ps1

Path
----
C:\Users\vefatica\Documents
The
quick
brown
Fox
jumped
over
the
lazy
dog

 

[Joe Caverly]

Sigh.

I should have known that.

https://jpsoft.com/forums/threads/select-string-with-context.8773/#post-49422

Joe

 

[vefatica]

More simply:

v:\> pshell /s get-location

Path
----
C:\Users\vefatica\Documents

I wonder of Rex has any control over that?

 

[Joe Caverly]

This one-liner replaces the .PS1, and works;

pshell /s "cd %_cwd; $a = Get-Content '.\test.txt'; $b = $a.Replace('FOX','Fox'); $b | out-file '.\test.txt'; type .\test.txt"

Still, would be nice if PSHELL would auto-magically recognize the current working directory from which it is executed.

Joe

 

[Joe Caverly]

This also works;

c:\users\jlc\utils>pshell /s "cd %_cwd" & pshell test.ps1
The
quick
brown
Fox
jumped
over
the
lazy
dog

Joe

 

[vefatica]

Since the PowerShell interface used by PSHELL is lingering, it could make sense for its CWD to NOT follow TCC's CWD around (but I can only imagine rather contrived such scenarios).

If you do want PSHELL's CWD to always match TCC's CWD you might

alias pshell `*pshell %@pshell[set-location %_cwd]`

The use of @PSHELL adds nothing to the command line. That usually works, but very rarely gives the error below.

l:\> pshell /s get-location
PSHELL: System.Management.Automation.PSInvalidOperationException : The pipeline was not run because a pipeline is already running. Pipelines cannot be run concurrently.

That error might be a timing error due to two very fast calls to the interface. Rex might want to look into it.

Here's a slightly different alias (with which I haven't seen a problem) and a cute example of its use.

v:\> which pshell
pshell is an alias : %@pshell[set-location "%_cwd"] delay 0 & *PSHELL

v:\> global /q ( pshell /s get-location | grep : )
V:\
V:\22extract
V:\22extract\8FFDD1C
V:\22extract\8FFDD1C\32-bit
V:\22extract\8FFDD1C\styles
V:\22extract\a&b
V:\22extract\DataBackup
V:\22extract\DataBackup\Program Files (x86)
V:\22extract\DataBackup\Program Files (x86)\Hewlett-Packard
V:\22extract\DataBackup\Program Files (x86)\Hewlett-Packard\HP Setup
V:\22extractxx
V:\22extractxx\8FFDD1C
V:\22extractxx\8FFDD1C\32-bit
V:\22extractxx\8FFDD1C\styles
V:\22extractxx\a&b
V:\22extractxx\DataBackup
V:\22extractxx\DataBackup\Program Files (x86)
V:\22extractxx\DataBackup\Program Files (x86)\Hewlett-Packard
V:\22extractxx\DataBackup\Program Files (x86)\Hewlett-Packard\HP Setup
V:\a b
V:\cksum
V:\cksum\32
V:\cksum\64
V:\database
V:\dir1
V:\dir2
V:\extracted
V:\IPReg
V:\IPReg\country
V:\IPReg\country\ok
V:\IPReg\IPReg
V:\math
V:\tcchelp
V:\v16.55
V:\v16.55\110ED81
V:\v16.55\110ED81\Styles
V:\v8

 

[Joe Caverly]

Vince;

alias pshell `*pshell %@pshell[set-location %_cwd]`

...that alias is a keeper. Many thanks!

Joe

 

[rconn]

I wonder of Rex has any control over that?

No.

 

[vefatica]

Vince;

alias pshell `*pshell %@pshell[set-location %_cwd]`

...that alias is a keeper. Many thanks!

Joe

You might experiment with that. I had occasional errors, apparently from trying to access the PS interface twice in rapid succession.

v:\> alias pshell `*pshell %@pshell[set-location %_cwd]`

v:\> pshell /s get-location
PSHELL: System.Management.Automation.PSInvalidOperationException : The pipeline was not run because a pi
peline is already running. Pipelines cannot be run concurrently.

v:\> pshell /s get-location

Path
----
V:\

You might also want to quote %_cwd.