Format-List

Syntax

Format-List
      [[-Property] <Object[]>]
      [-GroupBy <Object>]
      [-View <String>]
      [-ShowError]
      [-DisplayError]
      [-Force]
      [-Expand <String>]
      [-InputObject <PSObject>]
      [<CommonParameters>]

Description

The Format-List cmdlet formats the output of a command as a list of properties in which each property is displayed on a separate line. You can use Format-List to format and display all or selected properties of an object as a list (format-list *).

Because more space is available for each item in a list than in a table, Windows PowerShell displays more properties of the object in the list, and the property values are less likely to be truncated.

Examples

Example 1: Format computer services

PS C:\> Get-Service | Format-List

This command formats information about services on the computer as a list. By default, the services are formatted as a table. The Get-Service cmdlet gets objects representing the services on the computer. The pipeline operator (|) passes the results through the pipeline to Format-List . Then, the Format-List command formats the service information in a list and sends it to the default output cmdlet for display.

Example 2: Format PS1XML files

PS C:\> $A = Get-ChildItem $pshome\*.ps1xml

PS C:\> Format-List -InputObject $A

These commands display information about the PS1XML files in the Windows PowerShell directory as a list.

The first command gets the objects representing the files and stores them in the $a variable.

The second command uses Format-List to format information about objects stored in $A. This command uses the InputObject parameter to pass the variable to Format-List , which then sends the formatted output to the default output cmdlet for display.

Example 3: Format process properties by name

PS C:\> Get-Process | Format-List -Property name, basepriority, priorityclass

This command displays the name, base priority, and priority class of each process on the computer. It uses the Get-Process cmdlet to get an object representing each process. The pipeline operator (|) passes the process objects through the pipeline to Format-List . Format-List formats the processes as a list of the specified properties. The Property parameter name is optional, so you can omit it.

Example 4: Format all properties for a process

PS C:\> Get-Process winlogon | Format-List -Property *

This command displays all of the properties of the Winlogon process. It uses the Get-Process cmdlet to get an object representing the Winlogon process. The pipeline operator (|) passes the Winlogon process object through the pipeline to Format-List . The command uses the Property parameter to specify the properties and the * to indicate all properties. Because the name of the Property parameter is optional, you can omit it and type the command as Format-List * . Format-List automatically sends the results to the default output cmdlet for display.

Optional Parameters

Inputs

System.Management.Automation.PSObject

You can pipe any object to Format-List .

Outputs

Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.Internal.Format

Format-List returns the format objects that represent the list.

Notes

• You can also refer to Format-List by its built-in alias, FL. For more information, see about_Aliases.

  The format cmdlets, such as Format-List , arrange the data to be displayed but do not display it. The data is displayed by the output features of Windows PowerShell and by the cmdlets that contain the Out verb (the Out cmdlets), such as Out-Host, Out-File, and Out-Printer.

  If you do not use a format cmdlet, Windows PowerShell applies that default format for each object that it displays.

  The GroupBy parameter assumes that the objects are sorted. Before using Format-Custom to group the objects, use Sort-Object to sort them.

  The View parameter lets you specify an alternate format for the table. You can use the views defined in the *.format.PS1XML files in the Windows PowerShell directory, or you can create your own views in new PS1XML files and use the Update-FormatData cmdlet to include them in Windows PowerShell.

  The alternate view for the View parameter must use the list format; if not, the command fails. If the alternate view is a table, use Format-Table. If the alternate view is neither a list nor a table, use Format-Custom.

*

Related Links

• Format-Custom
• Format-Hex
• Format-Table
• Format-Wide