How do we implement %* in powershell? [closed] - windows

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When I try to execute %* inside batch script by using powershell, it gives me an error. I need something to be replaced for %* so that it works for the following code snippet:
%* ^| ForEach-Object { Write-Host $_ ; $filepath = 'loggerfile.log' ; $output_file =$(Get-Date).ToString() + ' ' + $_ ; Write-Output $output_file ^| Out-File -FilePath $filepath -Append -NoClobber}

Answer 1

First, know why this is not valid code:
%* $| ForEach-Object { Write-Host $_ ; $filepath = 'loggerfile.log' ; $output_file =$(Get-Date).ToString() + ' ' + $_ ; Write-Output $output_file ^| Out-File -FilePath $filepath -Append -NoClobber}
Get-Alias -Definition ForEach-Object |
Format-Table -AutoSize
# Results
<#
CommandType Name Version Source
----------- ---- ------- ------
Alias % -> ForEach-Object
Alias foreach -> ForEach-Object
#>
This is why you get...
%*
%*: The term '%*' is not recognized as a name of a cmdlet, function, script file, or executable program.
Check the spelling of the name, or if a path was included, verify that the path is correct and try again.
... when you use it.
And this ...
^
... is a termination character
Second, as well as your code is not a one-liner, as I commented above. What you really have is this...
ForEach-Object '*' ^|
ForEach-Object {
Write-Host $PSItem
$filepath = 'loggerfile.log'
$output_file = $(Get-Date).ToString() + ' ' + $PSItem
Write-Output $output_file ^|
Out-File -FilePath $filepath -Append -NoClobber
}
... and this.
ForEach-Object '*' ^
is not valid at all. I am curious as to where you got that from. As well as this...
^|
... as that is not a thing I've ever seen in any PowerShell docs, help files, repo code. This is also not aliases for anything natively.
Did you mean to do this...
$^
which means - The first token of the last command. Note though, it 'Does NOT' refer to the whole command.
The | pipe is of course pass results from the left of it to the right of it. What are you expecting this...
ForEach-Object '*' ^|
...to do? Even if you did, that is not valid and would error off with.
ForEach-Object: You cannot call a method on a null-valued expression.
So, did you mean to do this...
%* $^
... which is still something I've never seen in 10+ years I've been messing with Monad/Windows PowerShell/PowerShell Core.
To know what your code is doing, you take two steps.
Use PSSCriptANalyzer to validate what you are doing according to the PowerShell ruleset
Invoke-ScriptAnalyzer "$PWD\SomeScriptName.ps1"
Trace the execution, so you can see the stack.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/microsoft.powershell.utility/trace-command?view=powershell-7.1
Trace-Command -Name metadata,parameterbinding,cmdlet -Expression {
%* ^| ForEach-Object { Write-Host $_ ; $filepath = 'loggerfile.log' ; $output_file =$(Get-Date).ToString() + ' ' + $_ ; Write-Output $output_file ^| Out-File -FilePath $filepath -Append -NoClobber}
} -PSHost