Write-Output
Sends the specified objects to the next command in the pipeline. If the command is the last command in the pipeline, the objects are displayed in the console.
Syntax
Write-Output
[-InputObject] <PSObject[]>
[<CommonParameters>]Description
The Write-Output cmdlet sends the specified object down the pipeline to the next command. If the command is the last command in the pipeline, the object is displayed in the console.
Write-Output sends objects down the primary pipeline, also known as the "output stream" or the "success pipeline." To send error objects down the error pipeline, use Write-Error.
This cmdlet is typically used in scripts to display strings and other objects on the console. However, because the default behavior is to display the objects at the end of a pipeline, it is generally not necessary to use the cmdlet. For example, "get-process | write-output" is equivalent to "get-process".
Examples
Example 1
$p = get-process
Write-Output $p
Handles NPM(K) PM(K) WS(K) VM(M) CPU(s) Id ProcessName
------- ------ ----- ----- ----- ------ -- -----------
103 4 11328 9692 56 1176 audiodg
804 14 12228 14108 100 101.74 1740 CcmExec
68 3 2632 664 29 0.36 1388 ccmsetup
749 22 21468 19940 203 122.13 3644 communicator
...
$p
Handles NPM(K) PM(K) WS(K) VM(M) CPU(s) Id ProcessName
------- ------ ----- ----- ----- ------ -- -----------
103 4 11328 9692 56 1176 audiodg
804 14 12228 14108 100 101.74 1740 CcmExec
68 3 2632 664 29 0.36 1388 ccmsetup
749 22 21468 19940 203 122.13 3644 communicator
...These commands get objects representing the processes running on the computer and display the objects on the console.
Example 2
Write-Output "test output" | get-member
TypeName: System.String
Name MemberType Definition
---- ---------- ----------
Clone Method System.Object Clone(), System.Object ICloneable.Clone()
CompareTo Method int CompareTo(System.Object value), int CompareTo(string strB),
int IComparable.CompareTo(System.Object obj),
int IComparable[string].CompareTo(string other)
Contains Method bool Contains(string value)This command pipes the "test output" string to the Get-Member cmdlet, which displays the members of the String class, demonstrating that the string was passed along the pipeline.
Parameters
-InputObject
Specifies the objects to send down the pipeline. Enter a variable that contains the objects, or type a command or expression that gets the objects.
| Type: | PSObject[] |
| Position: | 1 |
| Default value: | None |
| Required: | True |
| Accept pipeline input: | True |
| Accept wildcard characters: | False |
Inputs
You can pipe objects to Write-Output.
Outputs
Write-Output returns the objects that are submitted as input.