Different Parameters in PowerShell

1. Parameters in PowerShell
2. Named Parameters
3. Parameter Defaults
4. Switch Parameters
5. Mandatory Parameters
6. Pipeline Parameters

In this article, we will learn what parameter function is, different kinds of variables that we can define in a parameter, different types of parameters, and their sample uses.

Parameters in PowerShell

Administrators like us can create parameters for scripts and functions using the parameter param() function. The parameter script block contains one or more parameters signified by variables.

Example Code:

param ($myVariable)

However, to ensure the parameter declared accepts only the type of input we need, best practices indicate assigning a data type to the parameter by enclosing the data type with square brackets [] before the variable.

Example Code:

param ([String]$myVariable)

Named Parameters

One way to use parameters in a script is via named parameters. When calling a function or script via named parameters, we use the variable name as the full name of the parameter.

Example Code:

param ([String]$name)

We can then use the named parameters to argue when executing a .ps1 file.

Example Code:

powershell.exe .\sample.ps1 -name "John"

Parameter Defaults

We can assign a value to a parameter by giving the parameter a default value beforehand inside the script. Then, running the script without passing values to the console will take the default value of the variable pre-defined inside the script.

Example Code:

param ([String]$name = "John")

Switch Parameters

Another parameter type that we can use is the switch parameter defined by the [switch] data type. The switch parameter is used for Boolean values to indicate true or false.

Example Code:

param ([switch]$isEnabled)

Mandatory Parameters

Usually, we have one or more required parameters that must be used when executing a script. Therefore, our script may fail if we don’t have values assigned for these parameters.

We can make a parameter mandatory by inserting a Mandatory data type inside the parameter data type block [Parameter()].

Example Code:

param (
    [Parameter(Mandatory)]
    [String] $servername
)

If left without value, PowerShell will not allow the script to run and prompt you for a value when executing. It is worth noting that parameters without the [Parameter(Mandatory)] block are considered optional parameters.

Pipeline Parameters

Most PowerShell cmdlets let you use the pipe (| ) symbol to pass data. We can take advantage of this PowerShell feature when working with parameters.

Using this method will open up many opportunities for running chained PowerShell files.

File - pipeline.ps1:

param([parameter(ValueFromPipeline)]$pipedVar)

Write-Output $pipedVar

Example Code:

"This string is from the pipeline." | .\pipeline.ps1

Output:

This string is from the pipeline.