To find a character in a string with PowerShell, use Contains() to check whether it’s there, or IndexOf() to get its position. IndexOf counts from 0 and returns -1 when the character isn’t found: Output: Below I cover the operator versions, case sensitivity, the second or nth occurrence, every position and counting matches. Every example … Read more
To send PowerShell output to a file and the console at the same time, pipe it to Tee-Object -FilePath. It writes the output to the file and passes the same output on to the screen: Output: The file gets the text exactly as it looks on screen, table layout included. I ran every example here … Read more
A PowerShell function returns every value it outputs, not just what follows the return keyword. Any expression you don’t assign or discard goes back to the caller: Output: return only ends the function early. Below I show the most common surprise with extra output, and the clean ways to return one value, several values or … Read more
PowerShell Out-File sends command output to a text file, formatted exactly as it would appear in the console. Pipe any command to it and give it a path: This guide covers every parameter you’ll actually use, with tests in PowerShell 7 and 5.1. If you’re still choosing between Out-File, Set-Content and Export-Csv, start with saving … Read more
A PowerShell global variable is one you create with the $global: prefix. It’s visible everywhere in your session, and it stays there after the script that created it ends: That’s the script set-config.ps1. Here’s what’s left after running it: Output: The normal variable disappeared with the script, and the global one stayed. That’s both the … Read more
To open a file in PowerShell with its default app, run Invoke-Item with the file’s path. It works like double-clicking the file in File Explorer: Below I show how to preview what will open, open a file in a specific app, and read files right in the console. I tested each command in PowerShell 7.6 … Read more
To get a list of installed programs using PowerShell, read the Uninstall keys in the registry with Get-ItemProperty. That’s the same data Windows shows in Settings > Apps > Installed apps, and it works without admin rights. Here’s the short version. It checks the 64-bit, 32-bit and per-user locations and prints each program’s name, version … Read more
To write to a log file in PowerShell, use Add-Content with a timestamp from Get-Date. Add-Content creates the file the first time and appends a new line on every call after that: Output: Below I turn this into a reusable Write-Log function, add daily log files and error logging, and show one file-name mistake that … Read more
To get a substring in PowerShell, call the Substring method on a string. Substring(start, length) returns length characters from the start position, and Substring(start) returns everything from there to the end: Output: Positions start at 0, so position 3 is the fourth character. I ran every example here in PowerShell 7.6 and Windows PowerShell 5.1, … Read more
The PowerShell -like operator compares text against a wildcard pattern and returns True or False. * matches any characters and ? matches exactly one: It ignores case unless you use -clike, and the pattern must cover the whole string. I tested every example in PowerShell 7 and Windows PowerShell 5.1, including one file filter that … Read more