How to use the command Out-String (with examples)

The Out-String command is used in PowerShell to output input objects as a string. It is a useful tool when you want to convert objects into a format that can be easily manipulated or displayed.

Use case 1: Print host information as string

Code:

Get-Alias | Out-String

Motivation:

In this use case, the Get-Alias command is executed to retrieve the list of all aliases in PowerShell. By piping the output to Out-String, the output is converted into a string format which can be printed or further manipulated.

Explanation:

• Get-Alias: Retrieves the list of all aliases in PowerShell.
• Out-String: Converts the input objects (in this case, the list of aliases) into a string format.

Example output:

CommandType     Name                                               Version    Source
-----------     ----                                               -------    ------
Alias           %                                                  ->          ForEach-Object
Alias           ?                                                  ->          Where-Object
Alias           ac                                                 ->          Add-Content
...

Use case 2: Convert each object to a string rather than concatenating all the objects into a single string

Code:

Get-Alias | Out-String -Stream

Motivation:

By default, when you use Out-String, all the input objects are concatenated into a single string. However, in some cases, you may want to have each object as a separate string. This is where the -Stream parameter comes in handy.

Explanation:

• Get-Alias: Retrieves the list of all aliases in PowerShell.
• Out-String: Converts the input objects (in this case, the list of aliases) into a string format.
• -Stream: Specifies that each input object should be converted into a separate string.

Example output:

CommandType     Name                                               Version    Source
-----------     ----                                               -------    ------
Alias           %
Alias           ?
Alias           ac
...

Use case 3: Use the Width parameter to prevent truncation

Code:

@{TestKey = ('x' * 200)} | Out-String -Width 250

Motivation:

In some cases, when you have long strings or wide tables, the output may get truncated, making it difficult to read or use. The -Width parameter can be used to specify the width of the output, preventing truncation.

Explanation:

• @{TestKey = ('x' * 200)}: Creates a hashtable with a single key-value pair, where the value is a string of 200 ‘x’ characters.
• Out-String: Converts the input object (the hashtable) into a string format.
• -Width: Specifies the width of the output string.

Example output:

Name                           Value
----                           -----
TestKey                        xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Conclusion:

The Out-String command in PowerShell is a powerful tool for converting input objects into a string format, making them easier to manipulate or display. Whether you need to print host information, separate each object into individual strings, or prevent truncation, Out-String provides the necessary capabilities.