Export-Format Data

Syntax

Export-FormatData
      -InputObject <ExtendedTypeDefinition[]>
      -Path <String>
      [-Force]
      [-NoClobber]
      [-IncludeScriptBlock]
      [<CommonParameters>]

Export-FormatData
      -InputObject <ExtendedTypeDefinition[]>
      -LiteralPath <String>
      [-Force]
      [-NoClobber]
      [-IncludeScriptBlock]
      [<CommonParameters>]

Description

The Export-FormatData cmdlet creates Windows PowerShell formatting files (format.ps1xml) from the formatting objects in the current session. It takes the ExtendedTypeDefinition objects that Get-FormatData returns and saves them in a file in XML format.

Windows PowerShell uses the data in formatting files (format.ps1xml) to generate the default display of Microsoft .NET Framework objects in the session. You can view and edit the formatting files and use the Update-FormatData cmdlet to add the formatting data to a session.

For more information about formatting files in Windows PowerShell, see about_Format.ps1xml.

Examples

Example 1: Export session format data

PS C:\> Get-FormatData -TypeName "*" | Export-FormatData -Path "allformat.ps1xml" -IncludeScriptBlock

This command exports all of the format data in the session to the AllFormat.ps1xml file.

The command uses the Get-FormatData cmdlet to get the format data in the session. A value of * (all) for the TypeName parameter directs the cmdlet to get all of the data in the session.

The command uses a pipeline operator (|) to send the format data from the Get-FormatData command to the Export-FormatData cmdlet, which exports the format data to the AllFormat.ps1 file.

The Export-FormatData command uses the IncludeScriptBlock parameter to include script blocks in the format data in the file.

Example 2: Export format data for a type

PS C:\> $F = Get-FormatData -TypeName "helpinfoshort"

PS C:\> Export-FormatData -InputObject $F -Path "c:\test\help.format.ps1xml" -IncludeScriptBlock

These commands export the format data for the HelpInfoShort type to the Help.format.ps1xml file.

The first command uses the Get-FormatData cmdlet to get the format data for the HelpInfoShort type, and it saves it in the $F variable.

The second command uses the InputObject parameter of the Export-FormatData cmdlet to enter the format data saved in the $F variable. It also uses the IncludeScriptBlock parameter to include script blocks in the output.

Example 3: Export format data without a script block

PS C:\> Get-FormatData -TypeName "System.Diagnostics.Process" | Export-FormatData -Path process.format.ps1xml

PS C:\> Update-FormatData -PrependPath ".\process.format.ps1xml"

PS C:\> Get-Process p*

Handles  NPM(K)  PM(K)  WS(K) VM(M)   CPU(s)    Id ProcessName

-------  ------  -----  ----- -----   ------    -- -----------

323                                       5600 powershell

336                                       3900 powershell_ise

138                                       4076 PresentationFontCache

This example shows the effect of omitting the IncludeScriptBlock parameter from an Export-FormatData command.

The first command uses the Get-FormatData cmdlet to get the format data for the System.Diagnostics.Process object that the Get-Process cmdlet returns. The command uses a pipeline operator (|) to send the formatting data to the Export-FormatData cmdlet, which exports it to the Process.format.ps1xml file in the current directory.

In this case, the Export-FormatData command does not use the IncludeScriptBlock parameter.

The second command uses the Update-FormatData cmdlet to add the Process.format.ps1xml file to the current session. The command uses the PrependPath parameter to ensure that the formatting data for process objects in the Process.format.ps1xml file is found before the standard formatting data for process objects.

The third command shows the effects of this change. The command uses the Get-Process cmdlet to get processes that have names that begin with P. The output shows that property values that are calculated by using script blocks are missing from the display.

Required Parameters

Optional Parameters

Inputs

System.Management.Automation.ExtendedTypeDefinition

You can pipe ExtendedTypeDefinition objects from Get-FormatData to Export-FormatData .

Outputs

None

Export-FormatData does not return any objects. It generates a file and saves it in the specified path.

Notes

• To use any formatting file, including an exported formatting file, the execution policy for the session must allow scripts and configuration files to run. For more information, see about_Execution_Policies.

*

Related Links

• Get-FormatData
• Update-FormatData